Cobi Hay Yacobi – Underwater Photography
I’m Cobi Hay Yacobi, a marine nature photographer specializing in underwater photography. I’ve spent over 20 years diving, with more than 1,000 dives in the Red Sea and around the world. A camera has come with me on almost every dive. The photographs you see here began in the water, with an animal, a patch of light, and time spent looking.
On this page
My interest in life underwater began while I was raising ornamental fish, corals, and invertebrates. I wanted to record their behavior and share what I saw. Photographing marine life gave that curiosity a form. Color, movement, and stillness became a way to express something I couldn’t always put into words.
I’m also hard of hearing. Underwater, conversation and everyday noise give way to shapes, light, and an inner rhythm. I can switch off and pay attention to my surroundings. Underwater photography lets me share that experience: the turn of an animal, the color of a reef, or a moment of stillness beneath the surface.
I hope you find something of that feeling in these photographs. You might recognize an animal from your own dives or notice a detail you’ve never seen before. For me, this work connects a love of marine life with the pleasure of making an image that holds your attention.
Cobi Hay Yacobi: A Life in Underwater Photography
These photographs mark moments across coastlines, seas, and continents. Each began when I paused and pressed the shutter. These images let me tell the sea’s story alongside my own. Underwater photography has also helped me work through shyness and personal obstacles. Sharing a photograph means letting someone else see a little of how I experience the world.
How I Choose the Photographs
I choose each photograph from thousands of images for the feeling it carries. On a dive, I use professional cameras, waterproof housings, strobes, dedicated lights, and lenses suited to the marine environment. The equipment matters, but it can’t replace waiting. In underwater photography, patience gives the light, the animal, and the background time to come together.
Where the Colors Come From
The colors in my photographs come from the scene. I use underwater lighting to reveal them. During editing, I may remove particles or minor blemishes, but I don’t use Photoshop to invent the colors. My aim in underwater photography is straightforward: the finished image should reflect what I saw when I took it.
A Feeling to Take Home
I hope you take home a photograph you want to keep looking at. It may be the animal that draws you in first, then the light or a small detail in the background. That quiet return to the image is part of what I hope to share.
Your Questions About My Photographs
How did you start photographing marine life?
My love of the sea and its animals led me to pick up a camera. Working with ornamental fish, corals, and invertebrates made me want to preserve moments and observe behavior more closely. I took professional photography equipment underwater, and underwater photography became a way to show others the animals and places that mattered to me.
What makes your photographs distinctive?
I want each photograph to hold the feeling of a real encounter. I don’t stage or pose the animals. I spend time learning the surroundings, watching patterns of behavior, and waiting before pressing the shutter. People who enjoy my work often say they feel as though they’re there. That sense of being present matters to me more than making a scene look dramatic. The underwater world gives me plenty to look at without rearranging it.
How does diving shape the way you photograph?
Diving shapes the way I work because it asks me to pay attention to what’s around me. As someone who is hard of hearing, I’m used to communicating without words. Underwater, I watch movement and light: the sway of a tail or a shaft of sunlight through the water. Underwater photography gives that close attention a lasting form.
How can I buy a print?
Visit the online shop to browse my marine photographs. Choose a matte canvas print and check the sizes on its product page. Each canvas is printed to order in the USA, stretched on a wooden frame, and ready to hang. Shipping is free to the USA, Canada and Australia. If you have another size or framing idea in mind, get in touch to discuss it.
Where can I read more?
For more about life behind the lens, visit my blog. I write about underwater photography, the stories behind individual images, memorable encounters, and the equipment I use. There are also tips for photographers starting out. To explore one of the places I mention here, browse PADI’s guide to Red Sea dive sites.
I share new work on Instagram and Facebook, too. Follow along for photographs, updates from my dives, and occasional personal moments. You can start with a single image that catches your eye and follow its story back to the water.
A Personal Invitation
If something in these photographs has made you pause, keep looking. Open a photograph, read about its subject, or send me a question. You don’t need to be a diver to enjoy underwater photography. I hope you find an image that feels at home with you and gives you a reason to look closely again tomorrow.
For a workplace, explore my underwater photography as wall art for business. You can choose one canvas or plan photographs for several rooms, starting with the colors and space you have.