Phillip
Colla is a photographer
and natural history writer. He focuses on
wild marine mammals, the California kelp
forest, inhabitants of remote eastern Pacific
islands, National Parks of the American
West and, most recently, waves and surfing.
He is fortunate to have visited many spectacular
terrestrial and underwater settings as well
as to have encountered a variety of threatened
and endangered animal species in the ocean.
His natural history photography has appeared
in the pages of BBC Wildlife, National Wildlife,
Ocean Realm, Ranger Rick, Reader's Digest,
Skin Diver, and National Geographic Books,
has been used in various advertising and
publicity campaigns, is in use in aquaria
and museums, and is occasionally recognized
in photographic competitions. His underwater
videography has been broadcast in various
productions in the United States and abroad.
Mr.
Colla's photography has been commended in
past BG Wildlife Photographer of the Year
and Nature's Best contests, the two most
significant and competitive wildlife photography
competitions in the world.
Particular strengths of his include an understanding
of the underwater dynamics of socializing
and competing humpback whales, using breath-hold
diving to obtain spectacular images of marine
animals large and small, and combining personal
experience and factual research into exciting
natural history writing. He is probably
the only photographer in the world whose
catalog includes underwater images of blue
whales (the largest animal ever to have
lived), rare endangered Guadalupe fur seals,
Pacific white-sided dolphins, socializing
groups of sperm whales, a newborn gray whale
calf in the wild, humpback whale competitive
("fighting") groups, the odd ocean
sunfish (Mola mola), distant and pristine
Rose Atoll National Wildlife Sanctuary,
and Olympic champion swimmers accompanied
by wild dolphins. Most of his photographs
are taken breathhold diving, far from shore.
Mr.
Colla's natural history articles have been
featured in Ocean Realm magazine on occasion
through 2001. He lives near San Diego, California
with his wife and daughters, and enjoys
spending as much time as possible on and
in the ocean.
