Matt Segal learned to dive in the Cayman Islands at age 15; as a Southern California native and resident, his familiarity with the water made SCUBA a natural transition from snorkeling and body-surfing.

After assisting with coral reef surveys in Jamaica, Segal began underwater photography (and photography in general) in Maui. After encountering two whale sharks, rare for the area, he was hooked - underwater photography became a passion.

Since then he has taken a camera underwater on every dive, traveling to Micronesia, Melanesia, the Caribbean, and the local California coast and offshore islands, while also participating in the Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society and acting as the administrator for the Wetpixel online community.

At 22, Segal completed a Master's in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southern California.