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Award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and explorer Kip Evans has led or participated in more than sixty expeditions throughout the world, including recent assignments in Antarctica, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, and the Galapagos Islands. In 2008 Kip joined Mission Blue as the Director of Photography and Expeditions, documenting “hope spots,” critical areas around the world’s ocean that need protection. As a photographer, he has worked on dozens of National Geographic Society projects since 1998, including the five-year Sustainable Seas project where he spent over 300 hours diving submersibles at depths down to 1,800 feet.
Kip’s images have been featured in hundreds of books, exhibits, travel guides, advertisements, and magazines worldwide including Atmos, Alert Diver, Huffington Post, National Geographic Magazine, Patagonia, Outside, Rolex and Coastal Living to name a few. He has been a photo expert with National Geographic’s expeditions program since 2006. As a cinematographer, Kip’s films have been featured at film festivals around the world and he has shot for several natural history networks including National Geographic, PBS and Discovery Channel. His Mission Blue documentary, “Isla Holbox – Whale Shark Island,” won best non-broadcast documentary at the 2010 BLUE Film Festival. In addition to his photography experience, Kip has worked as a naturalist and an educator for the National Marine Sanctuary Program.
As a diver and submersible pilot, Kip holds a number of certifications including PADI Scuba Instructor, Diver Medical Technician (DMT,) and Scientific Research Diver. Kip has also logged nearly 4,000 hours underwater, mostly during research and photographic expeditions, including a 17 - day assignment where he saturated at the Aquarius Habitat as part of Mission 31. From 1996 – 2008, he served as a volunteer rescue swimmer and diver with the Pacific Grove Ocean Rescue Team. In 2002 he received a commendation for saving the life of a young teen that had been swept out to sea. Kip was recently honored as the 2017 Ocean Champion by the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival for his work in ocean conservation.
In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?
I’ve spent my entire career working in the ocean to help bring awareness for the need for better protection. I love exploring and I’ve spent close to 5000 hours underwater exploring reefs and deep-water areas all over the world. I’m particularly fond of sharks and I’ve spent hours documenting their migrations, movements and feeding behaviors. Sharks are in trouble and they need our help. Over 100,000 sharks are killed each year to meet the demand for shark fin soup. I’m also passionate about push for marine protected areas (MPAs) that will help our ocean recover from overfishing, pollution and other harmful events.
