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St. Petersburg, FL--Rose and Lornie Mueller, along with being successful jewelers at Lithos Jewelry, are avid scuba divers and amazing underwater photographers. They began diving in 1988 in the Cayman Islands, while on vacation. Since then, they have logged in more than 1,200 dives, all around the world.

The first dive went great for Lornie (left) but less so for Rose. She got five feet in and turned around. The guide sent her back to the boat. When Lornie arrived after his dive, he was exuberant and expected this would be the first of many dives. Rose wasn't so sure. When they returned to Montana, where they lived at the time, Rose took a Navy diving course at the local dive shop. She was claustrophobic and found that diving with a metal detector helped her symptoms, offering her something to focus on. "Like Linus and his blanket," says Rose. In time, her focus moved to being behind a camera and she became quite proficient at underwater photography.

Diving has proved to be a long-term adventure for the Muellers over the years. "We spent a week diving in original pearl beds in French Polynesia," said Rose. Often their locations are remote, requiring a lot of travel just to get to the diving location. "We've been to the Philippines twice before, and then we went to the Southern Island. It took three days to get there. It was a hard trip."

Rose Muller not only conquered her claustrophobia but went on to become a highly talented underwater photographer.

The Muellers generally travel alone, and are often dropped off by a guide and left to their own devices. "In New Guinea, we were dropped in the middle of a tribal war; the two sides didn't care, they left us alone." The Muellers used to go diving five times a year, with two trips going to really remote places. Their schedule isn't quite so rigorous these days, but still extensive, offering the couple a rare glimpse into underwater life. 

Diving in remote locations allows the couple to see rare life under the sea, such as this coral. Rose is at left, Lornie at right.

"Everytime we go, we see something different," says Rose. "We recently saw mating Mandarin fish for the first time. Lornie saw a lobster laying eggs in Cozymel, Mexico. In the Philippines, we saw two green turtles, on had the other in a headlock."  Rose's favorite place to dive is Palau in Micronesia. "It's the greatest diving in the world, beautiful, pristine, with fishes that have not been netted. So much life there. The current keeps it very healthy, with soft and hard corals, the variety is amazing." See more of the Muellers' photos here.

Lithos' customers also appreciate the couple's interest in diving. "Our clients live vicariously through us. Clients love our photo books; the experiences bond us to our clients. It works for us to an extent. People really enjoy it." (More on Lithos Jewelers and the Muellers here.)

Another side benefit of underwater photography was mastering Photoshop. "When we became serious about photography, Lornie got into it as well. We have tons of camera equipment, and he learned Photoshop, which we were able to apply to our jewelry business."

Lornie gets the best angle.

While Rose still dives with her camera, she's also learned to cope without it. One time, her camera flooded, forcing her to dive without it. "I was seeing with a whole new perspective," she recalled. "It tested me. I'd never gone without my camera."

For the Muellers, one interesting facet of diving is that generally it's considered a young people's sport. "When we dive in a group, often the others will look at us and think we can't keep us. Then, after the dive, they've all been on board 45 minutes before we surface. It's really funny. Their perception is so different than what actually happens. It doesn't matter how old you are, but how old you think you are. We're excited to dive. And it's the same with jewelry; we love our work. When you're a jeweler and are not excited about jewelry, that's the end."

Back on dry land, Rose and Lornie enjoy spending time with family, especially their granddaughters.