How I Got That Shot

Kevin Dodge captured this photo of a 130-pound yellowfin tuna off Kona, Hawaii, in July 2018. He was on the Big Island for a few days of fishing aboard Mark Davis’ charter boat, Sea Genie II. “The captain was hellbent on catching marlin,” Dodge says. The tuna changed that plan.

Dodge, who specializes in underwater photography, grabbed his Nikon D4 and waited for the right moment to jump into the water. “It’s nearly impossible to shoot big fish like that on a big boat,” he says, because the boat is always moving to stay ahead of the fish.

Dodge had but a second to find the best light and composition before getting his shot. On top of that, he was exhausted from swimming against the current, trying to keep up with the boat. The team released the tuna. Back on land, the lifelong free diver jumped into the hotel pool and kept training.