Insta360 X5: How a 360 Camera Became a Shark Conservation Tool

The Insta360 X5 is already well-established as a solo travel and action sports camera. What conservation photographers are doing with it underwater is a different application entirely — and it’s producing footage that no traditional rig can replicate.

Letting Sharks Take the Picture

Working in partnership with the PADI AWARE Foundation, a coalition of shark photographers and marine conservationists has deployed the Insta360 X5 directly on the ocean floor — letting sharks interact with the cameras on their own terms. Shark photographer Ari Rabin-Havt, who combines the discipline with a career as a political analyst, described the approach: “You have to give them the choice… we placed the cameras on the ocean floor and let the sharks pick them up and take the picture themselves.”

The resulting footage — sharks handling a camera, circling it at close range, examining it with their snouts — provides perspective that even Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer Andy Casagrande IV can’t capture with a traditional housing rig. Rabin-Havt’s primary setup is a Canon EOS R5 II in a Nauticam housing for directed shots, but he uses the X5 specifically for the naturalistic, unmanipulated sequences.

The Conservation Program Built Around the Footage

PADI AWARE’s Global Shark and Ray Census turns diver-collected observation data into population science. The footage and sightings contribute to a citizen science database that researchers including Dr. Andrew Chin of James Cook University use to track species distribution and health. The PADI AWARE Shark and Ray Discovery Challenge, launching August 2, 2026, extends the program further — inviting recreational divers to contribute sighting data across global dive sites.

The camera’s 360-degree capture and durability underwater make it practical for deployments where dedicated housing would be too expensive or physically unwieldy. Tiger Beach specialist Roy Mauritsen has incorporated the X5 into his workflow specifically for the moments where a traditional rig can’t be placed.

Why the X5 Works for This Application

360-degree capture eliminates framing decisions when the subject determines the interaction. The operator doesn’t have to predict where the shark will go — every direction is covered. The X5’s build is rated to 10 meters, sufficient for the reef and open-water shallow-depth scenarios most of this work occupies, and its compact form factor is close enough to neutral buoyancy on the ocean floor to avoid spooking the animals.

The footage isn’t just scientifically useful. The PADI AWARE program’s explicit goal is using immersive visual storytelling to shift public perception — countering the fear-based framing that most media coverage applies to sharks and replacing it with naturalistic close encounters that show behavioral nuance. A camera that lets the shark decide the angle produces footage that scripted documentary production can’t replicate.

Source: PetaPixel

Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.