Karim Iliya is an underwater photographer, drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Maui, Hawaii. He grew up in the Middle East and Asia and developed a curiosity for the natural world which has taken him into the midst of battling whales, exploding volcanoes, ice worlds of the Arctic, and many of the fascinating places that humans and animals make their home. Karim aims to use photography and video to show a unique perspective and uncover new worlds underwater that few have the opportunity to see, and to tell stories about people, places, and animals in order to better our world. His passion is in documenting whales, big cats, and other threatened animals in an effort to protect our delicate ecosystems on Earth. He spends much of his time underwater freediving and scuba diving filming marine ecosystems and the animals that live within them.  Karim has been published in National Geographic Magazine for his humpback whale photography.