INSIDER By Skye Sherman
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MICHAEL PATRICK O’NEILL
Palm Beach Gardens underwater photographer Michael Patrick O’Neill will soon release his eighth book, Meet Me Underwater: A Photographic Celebration of Florida’s Aquatic Wonders. Like his others, this new volume pairs O’Neill’s stunning photos with snippets of text about life below the surface. A photojournalistic delight, Meet Me Underwater features many snaps from Palm Beach County waterways, celebrating the area’s beautiful biodiversity. If you’re hoping to venture out yourself to spot something photoworthy, you’re in luck. “Palm Beach County is one of my absolute favorite places to dive because of our geography,” shares O’Neill. Here at the easternmost point of Florida, the Gulf Stream grazes the coastline, rendering our waters warm, crystal clear, and full of surprises. “Local divers live by the motto ‘expect the unexpected’ because anything can show up, from a whale shark to a leatherback sea turtle.” O’Neill says the best dive sites are the various reefs between the Lake Worth Pier and Jupiter, especially the reef just off the beach at The Breakers. To explore sunken ships and teeming reefs, he recommends booking a wreck-and-reef combo dive through a local outfitter such as Walker’s Dive Charters. O’Neill’s books are available at conservation sites including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and Loggerhead Marinelife Center but are primarily sold online. (mpostock.com; batfishbooks.com)
MICHAEL PATRICK O’NEILL
Under the SEA
Some of O’Neill’s most impressive work results from blackwater diving— nighttime descents into deep open ocean.
PALMBEACHILLUSTRATED.COM | JUNE 2021
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5/5/21 3:03 PM
