Dan Mele Photography

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Charlotte Amalie
Dan Mele Photography

Mission:

Photography and film are large mediums which bring adventure to our living rooms. Bio:
My name is Dan Mele.

My personal goal is to share images of the natural world and non-staged moments that are unique to the time an image was taken. With wildlife photography, I believe it's important to share more than just a pretty picture. Informing the audience of the biology relating to the subject is imperative. The need for conservation is constantly on the rise with the amount of habitat destruction that occur

s throughout the world. I'm currently pursuing my 2nd degree at UNCA in ecology and evolution. My first degree was at University of Tampa where I studied film production. i'm truly grateful to have two passions that I can use together. I first got interested in film and photography in 9th grade when I began shooting my friends skateboarding. While school wasn't always top on my list, today I have a new love for learning and challenging myself in and out of the classroom. I find it fascinating what drives behavior and interactions between all aspects of life, whether its animals or humans.

23/06/2026

Since transitioning from coral restoration practitioner to full-time photographer and filmmaker, keeping coral conservation as a core part of my work has remained a priority.

Tonight, France TV premiered Sur Le Front, Corals: The Incredible Journey. I’m honored to have a few clips featured in the documentary from my time filming the Reef Response team in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I don’t speak French, so if any of my followers do, I’d love to hear what you think. You can watch the film through the link in my bio.

International League of Conservation Photographers

19/06/2026

A few years ago I had a top down image of the conch middens in the British Virgin Islands receive a Highly Commended in UPY. Digging through my photos I wanted to share a few other angles from that day. To give an idea of how large these conch piles are, the water ranges from about 2 feet to about 4-5 feet deep around the middens, and the peaks of the piles were taller than our boat (the larger boat on the left side of the frame in the wide shot). The smaller boat was a conch fisherman removing the animal from its shell and adding to the pile.

We also snorkeled through the channels. Unfortunately I didn’t have my underwater housing on me. In some areas, lots of juvenile fish had taken residence amongst the conch shells. In others, it was desolate. The smell was awful to say the least.

Photographed while covering BVI Wreck Week (BVI Wreck Week 🤿)

International League of Conservation Photographers

17/06/2026

A few months ago, I was in St. Croix documenting a land conservation story for DPNR USVI (Department of Planning & Natural Resources)⁠. One of the most striking parts of the trip was flying my drone over Great Pond on the south shore of St. Croix.

Great Pond was once a thriving mangrove forest and an essential ecosystem for coastal wildlife. The area was also an important place for the local community, supporting both fishing and recreation.

Over the last few decades, a series of stressors have transformed the landscape. Hurricanes closed the channel that once allowed tidal flushing between the mangrove forest and the Caribbean Sea. An extreme drought in 2015 caused salinity levels to spike, leading to a widespread mangrove die-off. Then, the back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, in 2017 were said to have dealt the final blow.

Despite these challenges, small signs of recovery are beginning to emerge. We observed a few black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) sprouting among the piles of dead mangroves. There are also plans in development to help restore this valuable ecosystem and support its long-term recovery.

International League of Conservation Photographers

07/06/2026

A few summers ago I had the opportunity to photograph for BVI Wreck Week (). We spent several days diving all the wreck sites in the British Virgin Islands.

We found this graysby grouper perched inside The Beata, one of three wrecks that divers can visit on the Wreck Alley dive.

Thanks for the help reminding me which wreck this was.

04/06/2026

Heading up to the Florida Keys today to work with at their annual Coralpalooza event!

Coralpalooza brings volunteers together to support coral restoration efforts, giving participants the chance to work in coral nurseries and help outplant nursery-grown corals onto nearby reefs.

These photos are from last year’s event in St. Croix.

Follow to learn more about their work! 🪸

27/05/2026

I’ve been spending time on a passion project, photographing the freshwater streams of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Spoiler, there’s not many and several are ephemeral or heavily polluted. This was one of the more simple but beautiful moments I witnessed. Two dragonflies dancing above the water, crossing in and out of a small patch of sunlight.

While I was considering to post this image, I read that one of my childhood heroes, professional skateboarder Marc Johnson passed sway. I never met the guy, knew very little about him outside of his skateboarding, which inspired me for decades. Loosing a childhood hero (especially when they die young) feels a little personnel.

Looking back on this photo right after I read that news, the image gave me a feeling of comfort. One that I couldn’t really define but took me back to that moment watching these dragonflies.

09/05/2026

A few weeks ago, I was in St. Croix shooting for an upcoming story. I had an extra day and got in a fun dive at Frederiksted Pier.

27/04/2026

Looking out the left side of the plane when flying into St. Thomas, you’ll see one of the last mostly undisturbed watersheds on the island.

A little over a month ago, this land was purchased by the Territorial Parks & Protected Areas division of .vi. This land contains healthy forests, historical ruins, and an intact mangrove lagoon which helps protect the adjacent beach and coastal coral reefs.

To learn more about the impact protecting this land will have on the U.S. Virgin Islands community, check out this short article written by Chantelle Quinones (with a smidge from myself) and more photos of the Perseverance area.

https://dpnr.vi.gov/parks/crrc/land-conservation-park-development/preservingatreasurethepushtoprotectperseverancebay/

22/04/2026

Living in a hurricane-prone place is stressful. On small islands like the Virgin Islands, that feeling is stronger as recovery is often slow.

Caribbean mangrove forests have endured storm after storm, from minor storms to some of the most powerful hurricanes on Earth. But recovery isn’t uniform. Some areas rebound quickly, while others take years.

Nearly nine years after the back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes of 2017, signs of damage still linger underwater. And yet, this single red mangrove propagule has found its roots. Hope to see it continue to grow over many years.

18/04/2026

Some of the clearest visibility I’ve seen in the St. Thomas East End Reserve.

Photographing fish is not something I do often. It’s very challenging getting close enough to get a shot. Freediving though does help. Without bubbles going everywhere from being on SCUBA, fish, like these mangrove snapper, let you get a lot closer.

Address

Charlotte Amalie
00802

Website

http://www.danmelephotography.com/

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