At Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA), we love taking time to celebrate the amazing individuals who dedicate their energy and skills to protecting our oceans. This month, we’re thrilled to highlight Crystal Gray, an exceptional underwater videographer and committed ocean steward who lives in Oahu.

Crystal has been part of the ODA family since 2021, using her talents to film our cleanup dives around the island. Her excellent underwater footage not only showcases the efforts of our hardworking team but also raises awareness about the critical need to safeguard marine ecosystems.

She most looks like you see her in the photo above, wrapped in camera gear, but she also does whatever's needed and after cleanups you'll usually find her sorting and counting the debris:

There's another great photo of Crystal after a cleanup weighing the debris with a hand-held scale. After you read the article and watch her video interview, check it out in the photo grallery below!

Founder and President Kurt Lieber shares the following about Crystal:

I first met Crystal Gray in September of 2021, when she was volunteering with ODA to clean the waters around He’eia Peir in Kaneohe Bay.

Here's Crystal on her first ODA outing. Remember - it was during the pandemic (!) - but our volunteers did not forget the oceans.

Right after that, she was on our next cleanup with boat charter partners Island Divers to remove fishing gear from the reefs just offshore from a dive site called China Walls, on Oahu.  At that time, she was not only participating in the actual removal of the fishing lines, lures and lead fishing weights, she had a small underwater camera that she would pull out and take pictures with.

Here's Crystal on that second outing:

Being an underwater photographer myself, I talked with her about our need to have quality pictures that help us relay to our donors and volunteers the impact this abandoned gear has on the health of our oceans. I also suggested that she just focus on taking pictures and let the other divers focus on the removal of the gear.

She took that conversation to heart and spent her own money on newer and better camera gear. 

Pretty soon she was coming up with really nice pictures that we used for our website. Over just these last several years, Crystal has become one of our top photographers. Her images are stunning and have helped us get our point across about how damaging this fishing gear is if left in the water.

Not everyone takes constructive criticism well. Not only was she not offended, she asked me for more tips on how to get better!

Crystal has proven to me that she not only wants to learn but is willing to do all she can to make this world a better place.  She has put in literally hundreds of hours volunteering with ODA.  She is a delight to be around and work with! 

Dear Reader, after you read our Q&A interview with Crystal, be sure to look at the photo gallery below and watch her video interview!

Enjoy our Q&A with Crystal

Q: What drew your attention to the ocean and when?
A: I think most kids experience a fascination with the ocean, at least for a phase. Some of us never grow out of it! The luckiest of us get a shot at relocating 4,553 miles from their hometown to make the ocean a constant in their lives. 

So while I never had the chance to adorn my bedroom walls with the underwater scenes I longingly perused in the JCPenney’s wallpaper department (no worries, Mom — finding a future home buyer who happened to be as equally enamored with said decor as an eight-year-old in the greater Cleveland market would not have been easy) the wonder of those images sparked a lasting curiosity. This, coupled with something not quite a memory but akin to nostalgia that I can only attribute to a Florida family trip as a toddler, left a lasting impression. Someday, some way I would go.

Q: What are your favorite ODA expeditions?
A: Some of my favorite ODA dives have been just off He’eia Pier, located on the southwestern shore of Kane’ohe bay on O’ahu. Swimming mere meters out to dive down to modest depths may not sound like much of an expedition, but for those who have experienced near-zero visibility after being swallowed by a plume of sediment as a chemical-leaching tire is launched to the surface by a lift bag, you know. But the adrenaline-spiking conditions are hardly the most exciting aspect. 

The clean-ups at He’eia Pier have been some of the most rewarding dives because the diving community shows up in force. Dozens of volunteers cover shore support, underwater extraction, surface snorkel maneuverability, media coverage, and even contribute some engineering expertise. These impactful events are also an opportunity to connect with the community, in person and via news channels, to educate others on the devastating impact of marine debris. 

Here's Crystal with her fellow He'eia Pier cleanup volunteers:

Q: Do you have any funny stories to share from an ODA cleanup?
A: Just the other day, our small but mighty crew made swift work of filling two buckets full of line and lead. Once back on shore, the typical good-natured razzing ensued over ability to hoist the absurdly awkward weighted bucket up to the surface, and later, with proper upright row form, maintain the hanging scale's position steady long enough to capture photo evidence of our haul. After topside photographer Temple fired off a series of hilariously agonizing delayed shots, we had our total — an impressive 238 pounds of debris to be sorted and properly disposed.

Seven divers huddled behind the curated heap of fragrant refuse, holding the ODA-branded banner taut for the photo opp. Temple, with her keen eye for composition, paused and lowered the camera, suggesting we squat a bit. And so I did. 

Dan O., one of my all-time favorite dive buddies and cherished foodie friend, was positioned on my left, standing at similar stature. He turns to me and says, "That wasn't intended for us." Oh... Cue the cackling realizing we’re the two shortest folks on the crew. I cannot wait to see the group photo from this trip!

Q: Why do you like volunteering with ODA?
The people are everything. ODA seems to effortlessly attract awesome volunteers – warm, genuine people united by a shared sense of purpose. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has had the distinct pleasure of meeting Kurt. 

Incredibly humble despite his track record as an innovator and a visionary, this man exudes the spirit of aloha. He lives his values and holds those around him to a similarly high standard. This is the impetus for growth, and I can personally attest to the life-altering magic that comes from connecting with an inspiring leader and the passionate folks who choose to pour energy into protecting marine ecosystems. Over the last several years, Kurt has served as a mentor and a connector. He has pushed me to strive for artistic growth, explore new techniques to pursue more powerful image-making, and introduced me to several of ODA's greats — the wildly talented, established underwater photographers whose work has positively impacted Big Island and beyond.

Volunteering with ODA allows me to have fun underwater with friends while using my gifts and interests for the good of the ocean. What more can one ask for? I am filled with gratitude.

Crystal with her fellow ocean conservationists celebrating their debris removal!

Q: Your partner Michael also volunteers. Can you talk about the positives of volunteering together? Did one or the other start first with ODA or did you both “dive in” at the same time?
A: Where do I begin? Let me first share that Michael Del Pra's career trajectory and dedication to serving the Veteran population as a psychiatric nurse practitioner are the reasons we were afforded the opportunity to transition our lives to this beautiful island. I will admit I nudged him to apply with a mix of elation at the daydream of being able to dive every week and trepidation at the thought of spending one more winter in the Midwest. He was hired (I had no doubt this would pan out) and we made our journey with five Rubbermaid ActionPackers, one backpack each, and our rather confused cat.

Something you should know about Michael is his penchant for research. He will conduct deep dives (no pun intended) and can miraculously read, retain, and recite a broad array of information. I do not possess this admirable talent; perhaps that is why I am drawn to photography! It's all about balance. At any rate, we knew we wanted to dive as much as life would allow, and we knew we wanted to give back in our new community. All of this led to our interest in ODA before we ever left Ohio. 

Just months after arriving on the island, we met longtime volunteers Mark England and Marjorie Zensen on a local dive shop charter. They shortly after introduced us to the joys of shore diving, gifting us The Oʻahu Snorkelers and Shore Divers Guide and guiding us on our first of numerous outings. (Many new dive-crazed transplants will share a similar story of their friendship and generosity.) At some point after a stunning day diving the North Shore sites, our conversation turned toward dive-related ambitions, Rescue Diver certification, and of course, ODA. We were delighted to learn of their involvement and quickly integrated. 

Michael Del Pra and Crystal Gray cleaning the oceans side-by-side in this Ocean Defenders' debris cleanup at Hanauma Bay

To craft a long story backwards, that is how Michael and I came to volunteer with ODA together in 2021 and it has been such a rewarding experience for us! When we moved here, we only had approximately sixty dives under our belts. Since then, we've grown together as competent divers with a shared passion for cleaning and protecting the marine environment. We've also been so fortunate to experience the connection that comes with building our community of like-minded diving and boating friends that feel more like our chosen family.

Here's Crystal and Michael with the other ODA Oahu crew members with their Hanauma Bay "Catch of the Day": Q: Aside from diving with ODA, where else do you like to dive and why?
A: I tend toward macro photography when "fun" diving on O’ahu, primarily in search of nudis. That said, several of us chapter volunteers recently took a trip to Big Island to visit Mark and Marjorie. Diving was on the itinerary, of course! Words cannot begin to explain the overwhelming awe of a massive manta gracefully careening at your dome port (aka wide-angle lens) in broad daylight, followed by four of its friends.

Although she’s usually behind the camera, Crystal’s contributions have been pivotal, with her active involvement in countless cleanups making a tangible impact. We’re so thankful for her passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment to the sea. Stay tuned for her incredible videos in our future updates on ODA Oahu cleanups!

If you live on Oahu, and want to join Crystal and the other equally amazing volunteers in these important ocean cleanups, please reach out to us – we’d love to have your help.

Included in the gallery below are some of her great underwater shots in the waters of He'eia Pier which show the abandoned fishing gear and lines wrapped around the corals where they wreak havoc. Rest assured that is all gone now and the corals are free there!