Aaron Gekoski is an internationally acclaimed photojournalist, award-winning photographer and film maker who documents our complex relationship with the natural world. His images and articles have appeared in publications including National Geographic, BBC, The Guardian and The Times.
His work has featured in many of the world’s leading photographic competitions, and he is a previous winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature Photographer of the Year, Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year and others. His work has also been featured in books including HIDDEN, BBC Green Planet, The Evidence Project and Photographers Against Wildlife Crime.
As a film maker, Aaron produces and sometimes fronts short- and long-form documentaries. His films have been shown on Al Jazeera, Smithsonian, Apple TV, Sky, Amazon and National Geographic, and he has also fronted online series for ScubazooTV.
For Insider Divers, Aaron leads trips with the same mix of curiosity, field experience and storytelling. He shares the magic of destinations like Timor-Leste with guests while helping create unforgettable encounters with blue whales and other ocean giants.
Awards
Winner
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year
- Nature Photographer of the Year
- International Photography Awards
- Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year
- Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
- US International Awards
- International Nature Film Festival
- Deauville Green Awards
Featured in
- European Wildlife Photographer of the Year
- Siena Awards, BigPicture, Jackson Wild, WildScreen, Underwater Photographer of the Year
- Travel Photographer of the Year
- New York Festivals TV & Film
Portfolio
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Reviews
The Timor Leste Expedition 2025 was a mindboggling beautiful experience. It‘s a dream come true to swim with bluewhales. Thank you Aaron, Simon and Evan and the whole crew for making this possible. Aaron took so much time to organize everything and manage the challenges of a third world country, all the while giving good attitude and great nature talks.
Also really appreciated the NGO visit!!
I had encounters of a life time.
I joined insider divers for their Timor Leste trip. The whole expedition was superbly organised by Aaron and Simon.
The initial booking was made very easy, and payment options favourable. Local conditions are basic so it was great they took care of everyting.
I was very happy with the logistics, and planning. This will only get better with the further trips plan ned.The tour leaders were awesome. Simon and Aaron were the perfect mix of efficiency and relaxed fun.I would have no problem with recommending them for your holiday needs.
My trip to Timor Leste with Insider Divers was more than I could have asked for both in terms of the wonderful group of people I met and the amazing in-water experiences we had with the whales.
Prior to booking Simon was very upfront about expectations and communicative throughout. Aaron took expert care of us throughout the trip and handled all glitches smoothly and expertly. Loved the photo talks and the photo sharing.
I would highly recommend!!
Q&A
When did you start exploring the ocean and how did your passion develop from there?
I’d always been fascinated by marine life and documentaries. Coming from the Midlands in the UK, I didn’t get much chance to explore the ocean properly until my mid-20s, when I started diving and learning about conservation.
The following 20 years have been spent travelling and absorbing as much as possible, sharing stories of our natural world as both a photojournalist and film maker. Working for ScubaZoo TV, I hosted the From Below dive show, which brought educational and entertaining marine content to wider audiences.
What was your best moment in the wild thus far?
The first four days of last year’s trip are very hard to beat: blue whales with calves, a pod of 15 sperm whales, a tiger shark attacking a turtle, and a pod of killer whales. Our group couldn’t believe their luck.
What do you like about being a group leader?
The opportunity to meet interesting characters from all over the world and to share the magic of Timor-Leste with them. There’s nothing like seeing guests’ faces after they’ve had a great day out on the water.
What are the most important things you are trying to achieve for your guests?
Simple: to try and get them underwater encounters with the largest animal to have ever lived. And maybe see some other ocean giants in the process.