At least some of the exemplary embodiments are a method. The method includes obtaining, at an underwater imaging device, a stream of images of geophysical surveying equipment, wherein the geophysical surveying equipment includes a target pattern having a calibrated image size. The geophysical surveying equipment is tracked using the image stream and the target pattern. The method further includes capturing from the image stream, a single image of the images of the geophysical surveying equipment, wherein the single image comprises an image of the target pattern having an apparent size. Based on the calibrated image size and the apparent size, a distance between the underwater imaging device and the geophysical surveying equipment is determined.