Dan Mele Photography

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.

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

Heading up to the Florida Keys today to work with at their annual Coralpalooza event! Coralpalooza brings volunteers to...
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! 🪸

I’ve been spending time on a passion project, photographing the freshwater streams of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Spoiler, ...
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.

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 Frederik...
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.

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

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

Some of the clearest visibility I’ve seen in the St. Thomas East End Reserve. Photographing fish is not something I do o...
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.

Common Comet Star (Linckia guildingii)You might notice that one of its arms is shorter than the others. This is actually...
06/04/2026

Common Comet Star (Linckia guildingii)

You might notice that one of its arms is shorter than the others. This is actually a helpful way to distinguish it from similar species. Even more interesting, if this species loses an arm, that broken off arm can regenerate a whole new sea star, essentially cloning itself.

A little late sharing this — but back in February, I did a short interview with Reef Bites (.students). Check it out thr...
03/04/2026

A little late sharing this — but back in February, I did a short interview with Reef Bites (.students). Check it out through the link in my bio, and feel free to reach out with any questions!

Beyond stoked to have received a Highly Commended in the wrecks category of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 ()....
27/02/2026

Beyond stoked to have received a Highly Commended in the wrecks category of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 (). Wrecks are not something I shoot regularly or barely at all, so this feels a little extra special!

I shot this photo while taking a break from filming for . This was shot with ambient light and I put one of my video lights inside the mouth of the sharkplaneo. I was white balanced for the ambient light so when I turned the video light on, it emphasized the reds much more intensely giving the teeth that bloody look.

I also loved the judges comments. Thank you for helping to choose my image and I’m glad it made you laugh out loud!

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