During the final dive of this year's Nautilus expedition season, our team discovered a whale fall while exploring Davidson Seamount off central California's coast with researchers from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The skeletal remains of the whale lying on its back are estimated to be 4-5 meters long.
We're starting this year with deep sea fireworks, and a spirit of exploration! When something remarkable floats by in the middle of sampling operations, our team quickly switches gears to marvel and document. The frilled tentacles of the Halitrephes maasi jelly came into view at 1225m in the Revillagigedo Archipelago off Baja California, Mexico.
During these first ever ROV dives in Revillagigedo Archipelago, the Nautilus team has encountered some truly otherworldly organisms. This Deepstaria jelly awed us with its shapeshifting abilities as its bag-like bell inflated and undulated with current created by movement of ROV Hercules.

My Experience in Deep-Sea Work

The majority of my deep-sea work has been on Nautilus Live over the last decade. More recently I’ve filmed for BBC in the deep sea for their upcoming series Blue Planet III and filmed some topside of the expedition with North East Pacific Deep-Sea Exploration.

What is Nautilus Live?

“The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard—best known for his discovery of RMS Titanic’s final resting place and as a National Geographic Explorer in Residence—to engage in pure ocean exploration. Our international programs center on scientific exploration of the seafloor with expeditions launched from Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, a 64-meter research vessel operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust. In addition to conducting scientific research, we offer our expeditions to explorers on shore via live video, audio, and data feeds from the field. We also bring educators and students aboard during E/V Nautilus expeditions, offering them hands-on experience in ocean exploration, research, and communications.” [from nautiluslive.org]

My Role

Photo Credit Ocean Exploration Trust/Max Luthy

I started as an intern for the E/V Nautilus video engineering program in 2017. I was trained under the VideoSystems Specialist Ed McNichol who has over 35 years of global video expertise. I controlled the remote ROV cameras at depths of 4000 meters on Dr. Robert Ballard exploration vessel Nautilus. I was responsible for all 6 of critical deliverables during multiple international expeditions. The Nautilus also encourages members of the expedition to partake in on shore interactions, speaking with students and public about ocean exploration.

I work with Deep Sea Video. The clips on this page are highlights from expeditions that I have filmed.

For more information you can click on my Nautilus Bio

 

Past expeditions I have worked on:

2017

In front of ROV Hercules in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument 2024 © Amber Flynn

2018

2019

2021

2024

2025

 

How can you get involved?

Each year the Ocean Exploration trust selects interns in Data Loggers, Seafloor Mappers, ROV pilots or Video Engineers. These undergrad, graduate students or recent graduates will receive hands on training at-sea aboard the E/V Nautilus along side scientists, engineers, students and educators. All internships include a paid participant stipend. Check out more here! You can also learn more about the internship experience from former intern Samantha-Lynn Martinez here!

The banquet continues! Yesterday we made a surprise baleen whale fall discovery that viewers around the globe watched alongside the Nautilus team in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Get a close up look at some of the scavenging diners including eel pouts, octopus, and polychaete worms--like the bone-eating Osedax worms that carpet the whale's bones in red fringe.
Almost a mile deep off Socorro Island, we had an extended visit with a Vampyroteuthis infernalis--literally meaning "vampire squid from hell." Neither squid nor octopus, this fierce-sounding cephalopod actually reels in specks of marine snow using two retractable filaments and mucus-covered suckers!