What is the etiquette for underwater photographers on a liveaboard?

Don't chase animals, don't crowd another photographer's subject, keep off the reef, respect the guide's time limits, and never move critters for a better shot.

On a boat with 20 divers and half of them holding cameras, etiquette is what keeps the diving enjoyable and the reef intact.

With marine life: never chase, corner or block an animal's escape route. Do not touch, move or manipulate critters — moving a pygmy seahorse or a nudibranch for a cleaner background is both harmful and, in many marine parks, illegal. Keep strobes off the eyes of nocturnal species and limit repeated flashes on a single small subject.

With the reef: perfect buoyancy is a photographer's obligation, not an aspiration. Use a single finger on dead rock or a muck stick on sand if you need to stabilise, never on coral, and watch where your fins, arms, gauges and octopus are — most reef damage is caused by trailing equipment, not hands.