Marine photographer Brandon Cole of Spokane has a close underwater encounter with a tiger shark. (Courtesy photo: Jim Abernathy)

Brandon Cole’s images of dolphins, killer whales, sharks and other marine life rank among the best marine photography in the world, yet he lives in Spokane, nearly 300 miles from a saltwater marsh. In recording “Ocean’s majesty,” as he calls it, Cole has traveled the globe, logging millions of air miles to endure 16,000 hours underwater in some 9,000 dives. And yes, he’s survived some goose-bump situations that had nothing to do with cold-water immersion. But first: Why base out of Spokane, so far from the subjects in his pictures? “I’m a numbers guy,” said Cole, 43, noting that Spokane’s cost of living pales to the expense of most coastal locales/Rich Landers, SR. More here.

• Note: This story is featured in the SR's expanded Outdoors section today, along with photography and reporting of long-time SR outdoors writer Rich Landers.

Question: How close have you gotten to a shark, whale, porpoise or one of the other larger denizens of the sea?