Speakers

Alan Wan

Diving Instructor / Underwater Photographer / Trip Organizer

21 years of diving experience, 18 years of scuba instructor, 17 years of oversea diving trips… been to places… Indonesia Maratua/Sangalaki/Derawan/Bali/Raja Ampat/Komodo/Banda Sea/Manado/Lembeh Strait/Sipadan/Palau/Similan/Deep south and central Madives/Fuvahmulah Tiger Shark / Yongnaguni Hammer head/Ishigaki island/Taiwan north east coast, green island, kenting..

Allen Huang

CEO of DIVESTAR

DIVESTAR founder ALLEN began to develop water sportswear equipment in 2010, has more than thirteen years of experience in the industry, on the laminating materials, especially neoprene diving material has a professional understanding of their own personal attempts to dive as well as experience the function of the diving suit. Currently he is AIDA Freediving STAR 3 level, ready for STAR 4, he has in-depth research on the craftsmanship of diving suit cutting and layout. He strives to provide more exquisite and good products for every customer who supports Chinese brands and Diving Star DIVESTAR.

Apple Chui

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Apple Chui (Aka “coral mum”) is a Research Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, PEW marine fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and a recipient of the GGEF Women Eco Game Changer Awards - Eco star of China 2019. Her research addresses two main questions: How will projected future climate change affect corals that are currently present in marginal coral environments like Hong Kong? And can we enhance coral population resilience and restore degraded coral habitats at ecologically meaningful scales? As a committed science communicator and devoted conservationist, Apple has been actively engaged in public outreach and education activities on marine and coral conservation. In 2018, Apple officially founded the now well-established non-profit outreach programme “Coral Academy” in Hong Kong (www.coralacademy.hk) that aims to reconnect people with our marine environment and inspire action in coral conservation.

Brian Kot

Assistant Professor

Prof Brian Kot is a registered diagnostic radiographer, veterinary imaging researcher and assistant professor in the City University of Hong Kong. He is generally interested in questions relevant to Diagnostic Imaging, Postmortem Imaging, Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, Conservation Medicine, Environmental Science, and have expertise in applying various diagnostic imaging tools to clinical and forensic practice for marine conservation and policy decisions, which allows the use of aquatic animals as sentinels of ecosystem health, working towards a ‘One Ocean-One Health’ ideal. His team applies diagnostic imaging on captive aquatic animals, as well as virtopsy on stranded cetaceans and sea turtles in Hong Kong and adjacent waters, to investigate their biological health profiles.

Chris Cheung

President of Hong Kong Freediving Association

Chris Cheung is the pioneer of freediving in Hong Kong, started competition freediving since 2014, he is now the deepest freediver in Hong Kong and withholding hong kong record in four disciplines ( CWT / CWTB/ DYN / DYNB) He is also the first AIDA instructor trainer in Hong Kong and President of AIDA Hong Kong and Hong Kong Freediving Association

Fan Zhang

Underwater photographer

Underwater photographer with 14 years of experience, currently focusing on blackwater photography. The Author of books such as "An Odyssey in Black Water" and "Blackwater Resembling Inner Space", in addition to collaboration with dozens of domestic and international publications. Has also published over 40 feature articles in "Chinese National Geographic."

Henry Li

Diving Instructor / Underwater Photographer

A local diving photography enthusiast who loves to explore and expand new dive sites in Hong Kong, he created the Instagram account @Hksouthside_diving a few years ago to share the underwater ecology of Hong Kong's Southern District and organized the Southern District Dive Tour to showcase the mysterious and spectacular soft coral gardens of the Southern District to local divers in the hope of renewing everyone's passion for local diving in Hong Kong and the awareness of preserving the local marine ecosystem.

Ireneo Reyes

Tourism Consul, Philippine Department of Tourism – Shanghai Office

Total work experience at the Philippine Department of Tourism for twenty – eight (28) years with double degree of Law and Business Administration. In 1995-2008, occupied several positions in Manila Head Office relating to marketing and promotion activities of various DOT - Overseas Offices in Asia and Europe with the Bureau of International Tourism Promotions; 2008-2016, assigned in Taiwan, China as Director, Manila Economic and Cultural Office - Tourism Affairs; 2017 until now, assigned in Shanghai, China as Tourism Consul of the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai, in charge of tourism marketing promotion and relevant affairs.

Jerome Kim

Award-Winning Underwater Photographer

Born and raised in Korea, Jerome Kim has been based in the Philippines for the last 22 years. He considers the Philippines as his most favorite dive spot in the whole Coral Triangle because of the great macro opportunities as well as big pelagic and school of fishes. He is a professional architect who designed Korean Embassy in Manila and constructed 100+ projects in the Philippines and abroad. He won more than 70+ awards from UW competitions in Korea, Philippines and Internationally. He was a featured Photographer on magazines such as Scubadivers, Scubanet, Underwater World, Sea&Sea Magazine, EZDIVE, Underwaterphotography.com, Scubashooters.net e-Mag, Underwater Macro Photographers e-Mag, UWPhotographers, DivePhotoGuide.com, Divers Alert, Ocean Geographic and more. He starts and co-organized Anilao UW Photo Shootout with Department of Tourism of the Philippines for 3 years and it became one of the most successful UW competition events in the world now. He also organized Okinawa Master Class and Underwater Dreamtour.

Joe Chang

AOI Exclusive Underwater Photographer

In Taiwan's Green Island, I have been conducting long-term research on sea slugs, including species identification, behavior, and their habitat. This has earned recognition in the International Marine Geography Competition. Ocean Geographic Honourable Mention Marine Pixels Honourable Mention Taiwan Olympus OMsystem Contracted Underwater Photographer Crest Brand ambassador Marine Soft Animal Identification Collaboration – Sea Slug Guest of TV program “30 Meters Underwater”

Kay Burn Lim

Award-Winning Underwater Cinematographer

Kay Burn Lim is an award-winning underwater cinematographer and has been involved in various broadcast productions as the director of photography. These include multiple episodes of documentary series such as “Great Blue Wild” and “Strange Creatures”. These shows have been aired by various broadcasters including Discovery, National Geographic (Japan, Asia), BBC Earth, Love Nature and Starhub TV. He was nominated for “Best Photography in a Documentary or Factual” by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (Canadian Screen Awards) for the episode “Guadalupe, Island of the White Sharks”. Kay is a brand ambassador for Fourth Element and heads the official GoPro Dive Elite program. He serves as a consultant for product design for camera equipment manufacturers such as AOI.

Kwok Tsz Ki

Professional Wildlife Photographer / Filmmaker

James has been observing and photographing local ecology since he was a child. He studied environmental science at university, which enabled him to specialize in exploring and documenting the richness of local biodiversity. James has won awards in various international and local eco-photography competitions, and has photographed a wide range of subjects, including birds, amphibians, reptiles and even marine life. In recent years, James and two young eco-photographers have started Frigatefilms, the first local eco-documentary production studio, to present different nature and conservation stories through images. James won the Champion of Standard and Wide Angle categories and the New Dive Photographer Award in the Hong Kong Dive Photography Awards on his debut in the competition.

Lin Qing

Producer / Professional Manager / Freelance Photographer

Started photography in 1985, started to participate in film production in 2003, and started water shooting in 2006. Producer of "Dream Wavers", China's entry for the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Cinematographer for "Eternal Flame", the official movie of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games of the International Olympic Committee. Photojournalist for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Cinematographer for the official documentary of the 2010 Asian Games. He has received awards from WPY, Ocean Art, Our world underwater, UPY and other photography competitions.

Marco Angelo J. Ancheta

Executive Director of Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving

Melody Dong

Experienced Diver

DIWA's Advanced Open Water Diver. This program is dedicated to providing children who are diagnosed with autism the opportunity to build skills, knowledge, and confidence to explore the underwater world. Through this charity program, we not only provide instruction but also strive to shape meaningful connections with these children. Our goal is to ensure that all children, regardless of their diagnosis, can experience the underwater lifestyle and, in doing so, build bonds that will last a lifetime.

Raymond Chan

SDI TDI ERDI Instructor Trainer

Raymond has over 20 years of diving experience and is a SDI TDI Instructor Trainer and Instructor Reviewer, having dived caves and shipwrecks in over 10 countries. He has also made a personal record dive to 175 meters using a Hammerhead closed circuit rebreather at Song Hon Cave in Thailand.

Sally Kwan

PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, PADI & MFI Mermaid Instructor, Underwater Portrait Photographer

I am a certified scuba and mermaid instructor, and an enthusiast of underwater portrait photography. After graduated from Fine Arts, Instead of being a full-time artist, I pursue a combine my two interests: creativity and diving. And I came up with this surrealistic job; I could dive while also satisfying my desire for creation. In the teaching process, I discovered more elements to develop underwater portrait photography. Especially teaching mermaids allows more people to get in touch with and participate in my hobby. 16 years in Scuba Diver experience (since 2007) 10 years in Underwater Portrait Photography experience (since 2013) 8 years in Mermaid experience (since 2015) 7 years in free diving experience (since 2016)

Samuel Chung

SDI TDI ERDI Instructor Trainer

SDI Scubility Instructor Trainer Ex Diving Co-Founder Samuel Chung became a Scuba Diving Instructor in 2003 and has been training scuba diving instructors overseas and in Hong Kong for the past 10 years. 16 years ago, he came across Scuba Diving for the physically challenged and since then, he has been integrating Scuba Diving for the physically challenged into the training of Professional Divers, and in 2021, he founded Ex Diving, which aims to continue to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities through scuba diving training.

Takuya Torii

Mr./Corporate Messenger Boy of INON INC.

Takuya is a corporate messenger boy of INON INC., manufacture of underwater imaging gears. During his 20 years’ carrier with the company, he has been driven to develop and serve global market by interacting with enthusiastic people seeking their underwater photographic equipment to showcase beauty of the ocean. He often shows up different dive shows to meet enthusiastic people fascinated in the ocean, diving and underwater imaging, to get inspired himself as one of those people, and to deliver corporate message as well as collecting market needs. This time, he introduces latest compact strobe, unique GoPro system including compactible wet lenses as well as easy and useful accessories for popular TG series. Let’s join to update your “grocery list” during DRT Show Hong Kong.

Vania Kam

Underwater Photographer / DIWA Underwater Photography Examiner

- “Vania is a macro and wide-angle shooter, who demonstrates a diverse ability and eye that makes for a dynamic, colorful and bold portfolio.” (Lia Barrett, Photo Editor of Dive Photo Guide) - Over 30 local and international awards from various renowned competitions such as UPY, Nature’s Best Photography Asia, United Nation World Ocean Day, Ocean Art, DEEP Indonesia and Olympusphere HK. - Vania’s photos are published and exhibited worldwide such as Smithsonian Museum (Washington D.C.), National Geographic and Milk Magazine (HK). - Vania also shares her love of the Ocean and her passion in underwater photography around the globe as a guest speaker in HK DRT, Shanghai DRT, Taiwan DRT, Malaysia DRT, Thailand TDEX, Queen Mary Hospital (HK), and Hong Kong Camera & Imaging Festival.