Country: France 🇫🇷
Serge Melesan is a French underwater and wildlife photographer and filmmaker, known for his poetic and conservation-driven imagery. He is based between Mayotte and Antibes, focusing on the Indian Ocean's marine ecosystems, endangered species, and the fragile beauty of silence beneath the surface.
Melesan’s work blends artistic vision with environmental advocacy. Originally trained in economics and management, he left academia to pursue full-time photography, documenting marine life with a style that bridges fine art and natural history. He is particularly noted for his black-and-white underwater series, as well as his award-winning films exploring coral bleaching and human impact on reef biodiversity.
His photographs have been recognized by major international competitions, including the Underwater Photographer of the Year, Siena Awards, Ocean Geographic, and Wildlife Monochrome Awards. In 2023, he won the National Geographic Traveller Photography Award and placed third in the UPY Black & White category.
Melesan is also the creator of the Sound of Silence film series, a six-part exploration of marine silence, fragility, and resilience across the Indian Ocean, blending immersive soundscapes with minimal narration to evoke emotion and awareness.
His work has been published by The Explorers, Nature Conservancy, and Oceanographic Magazine, and regularly featured in festivals including Jackson Wild, SUNCINE, and Ocean Film Festival World Tour. In 2025, he joined the Jackson Wild Collective.
Driven by a deep sense of responsibility, Melesan considers photography not just as an art form, but as a way to "be worthy of the encounter" — a motto that defines both his ethic and his aesthetic.
Melesan’s work blends artistic vision with environmental advocacy. Originally trained in economics and management, he left academia to pursue full-time photography, documenting marine life with a style that bridges fine art and natural history. He is particularly noted for his black-and-white underwater series, as well as his award-winning films exploring coral bleaching and human impact on reef biodiversity.
His photographs have been recognized by major international competitions, including the Underwater Photographer of the Year, Siena Awards, Ocean Geographic, and Wildlife Monochrome Awards. In 2023, he won the National Geographic Traveller Photography Award and placed third in the UPY Black & White category.
Melesan is also the creator of the Sound of Silence film series, a six-part exploration of marine silence, fragility, and resilience across the Indian Ocean, blending immersive soundscapes with minimal narration to evoke emotion and awareness.
His work has been published by The Explorers, Nature Conservancy, and Oceanographic Magazine, and regularly featured in festivals including Jackson Wild, SUNCINE, and Ocean Film Festival World Tour. In 2025, he joined the Jackson Wild Collective.
Driven by a deep sense of responsibility, Melesan considers photography not just as an art form, but as a way to "be worthy of the encounter" — a motto that defines both his ethic and his aesthetic.