About
My name is Porter H. Watson. I currently live here on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. I came to this island back in the early '70s, and have been diving here (and other places) since that time.
Shortly after moving to the island of Hawaii, I became certified as a scuba instructor through NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) and have worked in diving on and off since the end of 1971. As is fairly common with divers who stay with the sport for any length of time, I got interested in underwater photography, and for the past few years more specifically underwater videography. One of the things I like about this is being able to show others, divers and non-divers alike, the great variety of critters, large and small, that can be encountered on any given day. And video, I think, gives people a very realistic impression of what can be expected while scuba diving.
In the last few years I have accumulated many hours of digital video. This includes such animal encounters as pilot whales courting, Tiger sharks, schooling scalloped- hammerhead sharks, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the beautiful oceanic whitetip sharks with their brazen approaches to divers, graceful giant manta rays in daytime and night, many exciting encounters with Hawaii's spinner dolphins, spotted eagle stingrays as well as the more common and not-so-common smaller denizens of the near-shore waters.
I continue to dive several times per week, always filming in HD now, trying to document any and all interesting animals and their behaviors. Please contact me if footage you're interested in does not appear on this site. I'm also available for special assignments, and have done underwater and surface video for groups visiting the islands.