About 0 m

Two careers, one direction.

Marine biologist and underwater filmmaker, telling stories rooted in science.

Sam Bard in a drysuit holding his underwater camera rig, Malta

Logbook −15 m

How I got here.

2018 El Nido, Philippines

First camera, first reef.

A psychology degree was supposed to lead somewhere sensible. Instead I went to El Nido to do my Divemaster, and a three-month trip turned into two years as a dive centre photographer. I was hooked.

Cork University College Cork

Back to study.

An MSc in Marine Biology, first class. Enough science to understand what I was looking at, and enough time in the field to know I wanted to film it. My thesis followed bottlenose dolphins in the Shannon Estuary.

2023 North Sea · Bay of Biscay

Offshore.

Since 2023 I have worked offshore as a marine mammal observer, PAM operator and environmental scientist, progressing to lead roles on survey vessels.

2024 Malta

Heal the Blu.

I helped found Heal the Blu, a French marine conservation NGO based in Malta, where I serve as Secretary. The work spans loggerhead turtle research, eDNA monitoring, and bottlenose dolphin photo-identification surveys.

Now UK · worldwide

Long-form, underwater.

I am working toward long-form natural history film, made underwater. If you are telling an ocean story that needs both a camera and a biologist, that is the work I want.

A diver filming among a school of seabream, in black and white
In the field

−45 m · Working depth

Working on something in the water?

Film, science, or somewhere in between. If it involves the ocean, I am interested.

sam@sambard.co.uk