Ambassador of the Month – Pier Nirandara

In this new section in our blog, we will feature our amazing Mozaik ambassadors so that you can get to know them better and learn about their fascinating lives.

The ambassador of this month is Pier Nirandara!

Pier, tell us a bit about how you became a diver and UW photographer?

I’m an author, underwater photographer, and Hollywood film producer — but most of all, I’m a storyteller at heart.

I started diving at age 15, as research on my first novel, which was about mermaids and the underwater world. I’ll never forget the magic of that first time. Scuba diving kickstarted my career as Thailand’s youngest author, which led to producing stories for the big screen in Los Angeles. Suffice to say, diving has greatly impacted the last decade of my life, and I wouldn’t be here without it.

Nowadays, I run underwater photography expeditions around the world, and also founded Hollywood Sharks — the industry’s first scuba diving club. Throughout my career, I’ve realized the power of storytelling as a tool to evoke change. It’s impossible to dive with such majestic pelagic creatures and yet remain indifferent to our changing planet. I hope to bridge the gap between Hollywood and diving as a means of raising awareness for marine conservation.

What’s your most memorable dive?

South Africa’s sardine run. Nicknamed the “Blue Serengeti,” this is an adrenaline-filled and heart-pounding trip—think swimming with sharks, dolphins, birds, and whales as they hunt bait balls of fish in frenzied feeding. This is not your typical liveaboard, but rather a pure, wild ride of an expedition along Africa’s Wild Coast!

I didn’t know it back then, but the experience would change my life. The chaos of the sardine run taught me to face my fears and embrace the unplanned, the memories lingering in the back of my mind: waking to a blazing sunrise, diving with sharks hunting shoals of fish, jamming with backpackers on guitars under the stars.

I returned to California a different person, constantly feeling like my life was moving so fast, but I wasn’t really living it. So I ended up making the conscious decision to take a break from corporate life to focus on just that: living. Strapping on a backpack, I embarked on a solo trip across 20 countries in 5 different continents, scuba diving in many of them.

Which gear do you currently use?

I shot for a decade on my trusted Canon 5D Mark III, but finally made the jump to mirrorless!

My current setup is:

Camera: Sony a9
Lens: 16-35mm f2.8
Housing: Nauticam housing
Port: Both glass and acrylic
Strobes: Sea & Sea YS-D2

How can we follow your work and get in touch?

Instagram: instagram.com/piersgreatperhaps
Photography store: piernirandara.com
Blog: piersgreatperhaps.com

I also have an upcoming book titled “Chasing the Rising Sun” which was sparked by my experience diving through Africa. It’s about questioning the comfort of ordinary life, facing your fears, and the magical transience of the road.

Your Message to the World

“I’ve spent a life chasing stories to tell when I’m old.”

I can’t emphasize it enough, but change frequently occurs at the end of your comfort zone. So go outside, seek those experiences — dare to stretch your mind to new dimensions. Live your own story. Embrace the giant stride into the unknown.