SCENE 01 / UNDERWATER LIGHTING
Underwater Lighting
Submersible lighting for your Mexican underwater production.
Here is how this works in practice. Underwater lighting needs specialized waterproof fixtures to illuminate subjects beneath the surface. Mexico is uniquely positioned with the iconic Baja Studios 17-million-gallon ocean tank in Rosarito—built for Titanic and used by Pearl Harbor, Master and Commander, and others—plus the Caribbean clarity of the Riviera Maya and the rich Sea of Cortez at Los Cabos.
Here is the short of it. We supply pro submersible lighting systems and qualified dive crews across Mexico City, Baja California, Jalisco, and the Yucatán. Our team sets up dive-rated LED and HMI fixtures, battery systems, and skilled underwater gaffers, with full support for Baja Studios tank work and CONANP planning for marine covered areas.
Capabilities
Underwater Lighting Services
Professional submersible lights and underwater cinematography support.
01
Lighting Equipment
- LED submersibles
- HMI underwater
- Video lights
- Strobes
- Color-correct units
Dive-Rated Lights
02
Dive Support
- Lighting technicians
- Safety divers
- Equipment handling
- Surface support
- Communication systems
Expert Teams
03
Applications
- Feature films
- Documentaries
- Commercials
- Music videos
- Underwater fashion
Any Production
04
Locations
- Baja Studios ocean tank
- Riviera Maya
- Los Cabos & Sea of Cortez
- Puerto Vallarta
- Cenotes & pools
Mexican Waters
Light the Depths
Capabilities
Our Process
Production Planning
Knowing your underwater lighting needs, depth needs, and creative goals.
Equipment Selection
Choosing appropriate submersible lights and support gear for your shoot.
Production
Executing underwater lighting with skilled dive teams and safety protocols.
Support
Non-stop support across your underwater production with tech expertise.
On Location
Underwater lighting across Mexico — Fox Baja Horizon Tank submersible HMI banks, Yucatán cenote shaft-light through Sistema Sac Actun, Sea of Cortez Cousteau-heritage video-light kits
Here is how this works in practice. We set up underwater lighting across Mexico through submersible HMI, LED, and video-light pros for tank, ocean, and cenote work. Fox Baja Studios Rosarito's 17-million-gallon Horizon Tank. The list covers purpose-built by Cameron for Titanic 1997, used since on Master and Commander, Pearl Harbor, Deepwater Horizon, Pirates of the Caribbean. Runs permanent rig-mounted ARRI M40 / M90 HMI banks in underwater housings (Hydro Flex, Aquatica. Plus custom rig-house submersibles built for the tank's steady use). For surface-supply tank work, power packs banks feed surface-to-submersible umbilical cabling rated to tank's full depth. Video-light inventory: Keldan Video 8X CRI/8M LED Kits (8,500-lumen submersible to 200m), Light & Motion SOLA Pro 18,000, BigBlue VL15000P (15,000-lumen), Kraken Hydra 8000 — all dive-rated and HSE-compliant.
Here is what that looks like on the ground. Cenote lighting strategy in Yucatán's Sistema Sac Actun (376km world's-longest underwater cave network. This covers Cenote Ik Kil, Suytun, X'keken, Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, Cenote Azul) handles God-ray shaft-light through cenote ceiling openings with reflector + bounce-board fill. Plus full umbilical-fed submersible HMI for deep-cave Maya ceremonial-site work at Chichén Itzá Sacred Cenote Xtoloc and other INAH-permitted archaeological cenotes (Cenote Divers Tulum + Diveritage Cozumel as in-area dive coordinators).
Here is how the picture comes together. On the ground, Open-water lighting in Sea of Cortez (Cousteau's 'world's aquarium'. The list covers Cabo San Lucas + La Paz hammerhead schooling, mobula ray fever May–July), Cabo Pulmo Marine Park, Cancún + Cozumel + Playa del Carmen Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (second-largest barrier reef on Earth after Australia), San Ignacio Lagoon gray-whale Jan–Mar (Eschrichtius robustus mother-calf. Natural-light only under CONANP protocols, no artificial lighting permitted within proximity). SEMAR + SEMARNAT + CONANP permits, STIC + STPC union, IMSS workers-comp, ATA carnet (SAT/Aduanas).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What underwater lighting options do you offer?
We give LED and HMI submersible lights rated for many depths, scaled for the Baja Studios 17-million-gallon ocean tank as well as Riviera Maya cenote and reef shoots. LED units run cool. HMI delivers powerful daylight-balanced output for the largest setups.
How deep can you light underwater?
Our gear is rated for many depths—many units to 100m or more. Depth needs depend on the specific production needs, and we select appropriate gear to match.
Do you provide dive-qualified lighting technicians?
Yes, our underwater lighting technicians are qualified divers skilled at Baja Studios and Mexico's Pacific and Caribbean dive sites. They can operate lights underwater while keeping proper dive protocols.
What about color temperature underwater?
Water absorbs red light fast with depth. We use daylight-balanced lights and can add filters to compensate. Color fix is easier with proper lighting than trying to fix in post.
Can you light large underwater areas?
Yes, we can deploy many units for large-scale underwater lighting setups, including the massive Baja Studios ocean tank stage. This enables the kind of dramatic underwater scenes major Hollywood shoots have shot in Mexico.
What Mexican waters do you work in?
Here is the breakdown. We work the iconic Baja Studios ocean tank in Rosarito, the Caribbean clarity of the Riviera Maya, the Sea of Cortez at Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific, and the Yucatán cenotes—plus pool stages in Mexico City for controlled work.
Related Services
Productions in Mexico that need this often pair it with Underwater Filming, Volumetric Capture, and High Speed Filming for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Camera & Cinematography and Underwater Camera Operators.
On Set
Need Underwater Lighting?
Tell us about your underwater production and we'll illuminate the depths.