Behind The Mask

🌊 Big News: We’re Starting the Behind the Mask Foundation! 🌊 Yes, it’s finally happening—and we want YOU to be part of it! https://www.behind-the... After years of sharing powerful dive stories from around the world, it’s time to give back… not just to the community, but to the ocean itself. 🌍💙 We’re proud to announce the Behind the Mask Foundation — a first-of-its-kind initiative to support ocean conservation through the power of storytelling. With your help, we’ll donate BTM video productions to ocean-focused NGOs doing impactful, meaningful work. 🎯 Here’s how you can be part of it: ✅ Comment below with your favorite nonprofit ocean organization—and tell us WHY they should be chosen ✅ We’re looking for established NGOs (not global giants, but not brand-new either) ✅ Submissions are open until 30th June 2025 ✅ Then we’ll pick the first one and produce an epic story—together But that’s not all... As you can imagine, creating a video takes time, gear, travel and resources. That’s where our community comes in. If you believe in this mission and want to be a Robin Hood of the Ocean, you can help make it happen. 🤝 Support the Foundation Make a donation or collaborate with us. Every contribution—big or small—goes 100% into ocean-saving productions. 👉 Learn more & donate: https://behind-the-mas... 🔔 Subscribe for updates, stories, and behind-the-scenes insight. 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @__behindthemask__ Together, we can protect what we love. Let’s give back to the ocean. 🌊💙 #BehindTheMask #OceanConservation #BTMFoundation #ProtectTheOcean #DiveStories #OceanAmbassadors #NGOsForChange #TogetherForTheOcean Music: MB01YMBPNRV4ABV

Learn Underwater Filmmaking with Florian Fischer This goes out to all the underwater cameramen, ocean enthusiasts, and social misfits who have nothing else on their mind than to share their passion for nature with the rest of the world. Meet Florian Fischer, founder and filmmaker of Behind the Mask. When he was 16 years old, his father pinned a quote by Herman Hesse over his bed saying “to achieve the possible, the impossible must always be attempted.” Ever since, Florian is driven by these words. Want to become an underwater filmmaker like Florian or simply improve your skills? You can now apply to join Florian on a real project through the Behind the Mask Academy. This is your chance to not just witness the magic of underwater filmmaking, but to immerse yourself in the process. Depending on your goals, you’ll learn: * Essential underwater filming techniques * Understanding marine life behavior * Professional project management * Equipment organization * Travel logistics * Advanced editing and color correction * Storytelling techniques that bring your footage to life You walk away with the confidence to create captivating content that resonates with viewers around the world. Apply now and if you are lucky, Florian will transform your passion for the ocean into a skill set that can inspire others. To achieve the possible, the impossible must always be attempted. Now is your turn. Infos: /academy Contact: [email protected] Supported by @nauticamhousings @keldan @diveassure @panocean_photo #UnderwaterFilmmaking #OceanStorytelling #FilmmakingMentorship #BTMAcademy #BehindTheMask Music licensed via Musicbed: MB019SJVCBWELCZ

When was the last time you truly felt alive? 🌊 This film will take you on an inspiring underwater journey that might just reignite that feeling. And maybe it’ll be your ticket to one of 3 epic dive adventures! 🎉 🎁 3 Winners, 3 Incredible Prizes: . Socorro, Mexico with @nautilus_liveaboards - Dive with mantas, dolphins & sharks 🐋 . Sardine Run, South Africa with @offshore_africa - Witness the ultimate ocean hunt 🐟 . Maldives with @scubaspamaldives – Dive & relax in pure luxury 🌴✨ Each winner also gets 1 year of DiveAssure insurance! 🎟️ How to Join? Easy! 1 . Follow @BehindTheMaskTravel + @DiveAssure . 2. Watch the Alive video on our YouTube channel (link in bio) 3. Comment under the Alive video on YouTube using #BehindTheMaskAlive: What scene made you feel most alive? Deadline: Jan 25th, 2025. Winners announced Feb 2025. Don’t miss your chance, watch, comment, and feel alive again! 🌟

The association between dugongs and mermaids mainly originates from ancient stories and beliefs found in different cultures. From a distance or under poor visibility conditions, these animals in the water may have appeared similar to human-like sea creatures because of their rounded bodies and movements. However, while mermaids belong purely to mythology and folklore, dugongs are real marine mammals. The dugong is part of the order Sirenia and is closely related to manatees. Today, it is the only surviving member of its family, as other relatives disappeared over time. One well-known example is Steller’s sea cow, which became extinct in the 18th century due to extensive hunting. 🎥 @peter_loeseke 🤿 @__behindthemask__ 🧳 @behindthemasktravel with special support: @keldan @nauticamhousings @diveassure #redsea #dugong #egypt #scubadiving #scubagirl Musicbed sync ID: MB01SKSG9QTPMLB

Presented during the 61st @labiennale di Venezia #InMinorKeys, the exhibition Water, Dream, Memory, hosted by the @unesco Office in Venice and curated by Eriberto Eulisse, gave us a chance to showcase our first prototypes for the @startseu Aqua Motion residency. Special thx to the joint effort of @wamunet and Montegrotto Terme Municipality with the @museotermalismo . Deep gratitude to all the collaborators who joined this immersion! 1 - 2: the symbiosis between freediver and dancer @juliegautier.watertales and ancestral cyanobacteria mats both filmed in Montegrotto 3 - 5: shooting at -15 m by night at @y40_thedeepjoy with the best team ever @__behindthemask__ DOP Flo with @tonymeyerstudio , and safety divers @vanessacarakerr @sea_therapy_azores @flora_underwater 6: analogue synthesis composed by sound designer Nicola Lucchese @mudwize 7: Julie deep down in apnea, making space for... breathing 8: just notes on the expanding universe ♾️ deep time collapses into a field echo, time and space are touched by scales, macro and micro, both geologic and intimate

This is what our paradise looks like. What does yours look like? Beneath the surface lies a world that feels almost unreal: Sharks glide silently through coral gardens, fish flicker like sparks – color everywhere you look. Beautiful, wild, and in perfect balance – a masterpiece shaped over millions of years. And yet as fragile as it is breathtaking. Protecting coral reefs means protecting the heartbeat of our ocean. 🌊 🎥 @peter_loeseke 🧳 @behindthemasktravel 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 @__behindthemask__ With the great support of @nauticamhousings @diveassure @keldan #sharklover #uwphotographer #wildlife #scubadiving#uwvideo Musicbed sync ID : MB01ES4GWKEQABW

When the night embraces the ocean and mobula rays glide silently through the water ✨🌊 A moment full of calm, magic, and a true connection to nature. Sitting barefoot on the boat, your feet in the warm water, while these elegant creatures dance beneath you… nothing more is needed. No filters. No staging. And definitely no AI. The true beauty of nature exists right here — in the real moment 💙 🎥 @peter_loeseke 🧳 @behindthemasktravel 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 @__behindthemask__ With the great support of @nauticamhousings @diveassure @keldan @omsdive.eu #MobulaRays #OceanMagic #WildNature #NoFilterNeeded #RealMoments Musicbed sync ID : MB01UB57F65ALDO

In Polynesia, hunting scenes are frequently observed in which gray reef sharks encounter large schools of smaller fish. These fish often form so-called “baitballs” to protect themselves from predators. Gray reef sharks are a constant feature of these hunts and play an important role in Polynesia’s marine ecosystem. 🎥 @peter_loeseke 🧳 @behindthemasktravel 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 @__behindthemask__ With the great support of @nauticamhousings @diveassure @keldan ##sharklover #uwphotographer #wildlife #scubadiving

There is only so much you can learn on land. The real lessons happen in the water, in the missed shots, the unexpected encounters, the quick decisions, and the moments you finally get right. From November 21 to 28, join us aboard @scubaspamaldives in the Maldives for seven days of hands-on learning in wildlife filmmaking, animal behavior, storytelling, camera techniques, and field decision-making with @rogerhorrocks , @the.oceanic.eye , @uwlunatic , Florian Fischer, @woj.dop and the rest of the team. For freedivers, this is a space to learn how to move, interact, and dance naturally with marine life in front of the lens with @juliegautier.watertales If this feels like your kind of learning, we’d love to have you with us!🎥 Apply through the link in bio or send us a message! 📸 @bloodyorangephotography

A mother’s love beneath the waves 🐋💙 Humpback whale moms go above and beyond for their calves: They stay close for protection, fuel them with up to 200 liters of rich milk a day, and guide them as they grow fast from birth. Nature’s bond at its strongest 🌊✨ 🎥 @peter_loeseke 🤿 @__behindthemask__ 🧳 @behindthemasktravel 🐋 With love for the ocean and its wonders With great support from: @nauticamhousings @diveassure @keldan @omsdive #whales #humpbackwhale #marinelife #oceanlove #wildlife

Aboard the Scubaspa Yang in the Maldives, the Behind the Mask Academy brought together freedivers and filmmakers to create something deeper. Freediving here goes beyond technique. It becomes presence, control, and expression. Learning how to move with intention, how to hold a moment, and how to perform naturally in front of the camera. Every breath hold becomes part of a story. Every movement is shaped for the lens. For the filmmakers, it is about reading those moments and capturing them without breaking the connection. This is where divers become storytellers. And where stories begin to feel real🎥 Apply for the Academy by filling out the link in our bio or send us a message🤙🏼 🎥 @vanessacarakerr @reefpatrol 🧜‍♀️ @breath_and_motion @sea_therapy_azores @lexseabelow 🛥️ @scubaspamaldives

During Behind the Mask Academy in the Maldives, surrounded by insanely creative people, ideas were flowing non-stop—day and night. But this came from one of those late moments, when all you have left is curiosity and whatever is around you. A single light hanging from the boat and the decision to just jump in and see what happens. No real plan, no pressure to build something complex—just following the feeling and letting it unfold. And somehow, that was enough. A quiet reminder that simplicity is often the hardest—and most powerful—choice. ⛵️ @scubaspamaldives 🎓 @__behindthemask__ 🧰 @seafrogs.com.hk #behindthemask #underwater #maldives #underwaterdance #seafrogshousing