Dive into adventure

TODD Thimios will launch his new book Ultimate Dive Sites at The Book Room on Thursday, February 20.

The book by the Lennox Head-based underwater photographer features 50 sites from around the globe, covering everything from diving with manta rays in the Maldives to orcas in the Arctic, crocodiles in Cuba and anacondas in Brazil.

Byron Bay features in the top 10, with Thimios saying it’s a special place to dive.

“It’s the most easterly point of Australia, so it has a rich marine environment,” he said.

“It also changes over the year as the seasons change. New species arrive with each season, like leopard sharks and eagle rays in summer, followed by grey nurse sharks and humpback whales in winter.”

Thimios grew up between Brisbane and Cairns, where he spent a lot of time boating on the Great Barrier Reef.

He spent most of his 20s working as a dive guide on Lord Howe Island before heading to France with the goal of getting a job as a private dive guide on a super yacht.

He spent the next three years circumnavigating the globe diving and piloting a small submersible.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, travel lockdowns forced him to return to Australia where he pitched his idea for a photography book to a few publishing houses before being offered the deal with Hardie Grant.

He also met his wife Melissa when she bought one of his prints, and the couple now has two children.

When it comes to naming his favourite dive site, Thimios finds it hard to choose.

“I love Lord Howe Island for its beauty and uniqueness, the Galapagos because it’s so raw and challenging, and Palau for its successes in conservation,” he said.

The launch will be held at The Book Room in Byron Bay at 6pm on February 20.

To register, visit eventbrite.com.au/e/ultimate-dive-sites-tickets