Underwater cameras were not used. The Williamson brothers had developed a system of watertight tubes and mirrors, like an upside-down periscope, and were dependent on the clarity of water and sunshine to provide the necessary light.
The actual undersea footage was shot in the Bahamas due to the unusually clear water. When this film was remade by Walt Disney 38 years later, they came to this same spot for their undersea footage.
The first motion picture filmed underwater.
J. Ernest Williamson sued the Universal Film Manufacturing Co. for breach of contract, and was awarded $3715 in November of 1917. Williamson's contract had called for $150 per week for eight weeks, but a jury decided he was entitled to extra compensation since the film took almost 40 weeks to complete.