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~ Your Window to the Underwater World ~


Welcome to Blue Elements Imaging and Exploration! Tanya Griffin Houppermans is an internationally acclaimed award-winning underwater image maker, shark naturalist, scientific diver, and explorer who advocates for the ocean and its inhabitants through conservation and education working with some of the biggest names in wildlife media and print including National Geographic, BBC Natural History Unit, and Discovery.


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Tanya was recently elected as not just a Member, but a Fellow to the elite Explorers Club for her significant scientific contributions and discoveries in shark research! Since 1904 the goal of The Explorers Club has been to “promote the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. The Club’s members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: First to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all accomplished by our members. The Explorers Club mission is to advance field research, scientific exploration, resource conservation, and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore.” To learn more about The Explorers Club, visit the website at www.explorers.org.

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Tanya has been named the Overall Winner of the Mangrove Photography Awards 2022 for her image 'Guardian of the Mangroves' depicting an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the mangroves of Gardens of the Queen, Cuba. This contest was sponsored by the Mangrove Action Project to increase awareness of the critical nature of mangroves worldwide. To see all of the category winners and finalists, visit the Mangrove Photography Awards website. Congratulations to all of the winners!

'Guardian of the Mangroves' - The overall winning image of this year's Mangrove Photography Awards


Check out this segment on NBC's TODAY Show as Kerry Sanders reports on some big discoveries made by Tanya and Dr. James Sulikowski about when and where sand tiger sharks are giving birth off of North Carolina!

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  • Tanya with Dr. James Sulikowski (left) and NBC reporter Kerry Sanders (middle)

    Tanya with Dr. James Sulikowski (left) and NBC reporter Kerry Sanders (middle)

  • Tanya being interviewed by NBC's Kerry Sanders for the Today Show

    Tanya being interviewed by NBC's Kerry Sanders for the Today Show

  • Kerry Sanders, Dr. James Sulikowski, and Tanya after a dive off North Carolina

    Kerry Sanders, Dr. James Sulikowski, and Tanya after a dive off North Carolina


Image Galleries


Tanya's work studying the sand tiger sharks of North Carolina was highlighted in the program Shark Gangs as part of National Geographic's Shark Fest! Shark Gangs is currently streaming on Disney+. View her segment of the show here!