While most of us settle for drier surroundings, Ikuo Nakamura's heart is clearly in the sea. We escort the renowned underwater cameraman on assignments throughout the world.

Part 1: From the fridged sea off Hokkaido to the balmy sub- tropics of Okinawa, Nakamura shows the sheer beauty of marine life throughout the 1000-island Japanese archipelago. Employing state-of-the-art equipment, he braves ice blocks10 meters thick and captures for the first time the spawning secrets of the hatahata, a type of sandfish whose numbers have recently decreased drastically.

Part 2: Nakamura takes to the sea off Western Australia for a look at a rarely seen aquatic galaxy of marine creatures, many of which are unique to the region. Here you can flirt with an Old Wife, tease a Harlequin fish, and swim in the shadow of an albino Greenland whale on holiday from Antarctica.

Part 3: The temperate waters off the coast of the Izu peninsula, southwest of Tokyo, offers spectacular visuals of aptly named aquatic oddities like the Razorblade Fish, Black-banded Stargazer and Bearded Wasp. Equally intriguing sights are found thirty meters down, at the home of the rarely seen Yellow Goose Fish, otherwise known as the "anima ted dish rag" for its ability to blend in with the ocean floor.