TESSA SKILES

Tessa Skiles is a conservation storyteller, underwater cinematographer, and impact producer known for her immersive work documenting the fragile beauty of Florida’s freshwater springs and aquifers. Following in the footsteps of her late father, National Geographic Explorer Wes Skiles, Tessa has carved her own path as a filmmaker and explorer, blending scientific insight with emotional depth to reconnect audiences with the natural world.

As co-director of the upcoming feature documentary Underworld, Tessa brings to life a multi-layered story of legacy, loss, and discovery, drawing from tens of thousands of hours of archival footage and her own extraordinary explorations and discoveries. Her cinematography credits include American Amazon (PBS Nature), The Fellowship of the Springs (Amazon Prime), and numerous regional projects focused on springs conservation and groundwater protection. Tessa’s work has taken her into submerged cave systems, archaeological sites, and frontline communities facing ecological collapse, where she has served as a science educator, conservation photographer, film producer, and cinematographer.

Through Karst Productions, she has collaborated with PBS, Amazon Prime, the Smithsonian Institute, the Florida Springs Institute, the National Speleological Society, and numerous state agencies to elevate the visibility of unseen underwater ecosystems. Her creative leadership is also rooted in community impact, developing educational programs, building coalitions, and designing narrative campaigns that drive engagement and measurable conservation outcomes. Whether behind the camera or in a classroom, Tessa’s storytelling is bridging science, emotion, and memory to reveal what lies out of sight, and too often, out of mind.