Ocean Conservation
Leyte, The Philippines March 2024
A self driven expedition to Southern Leyte in The Philippines in search for finding whale sharks in the wild, as a way of putting eco tourism on the map ~ in the hope to find whale sharks during their natural migration, as opposed to those which are lured by tour companies offering food. Feeding whale sharks disrupts their migration patterns. Freediving down to 10metres, keeping up with fast-cruising whale sharks and finding creative ways to finance this trip was physically demanding and required taking a leap of faith. I had to trust that the universe would present myself and my fellow ocean photographer friend, with the encounters that we were hoping for.
The largest shark in the ocean is drawn into the bay here in Pintuyan. This series shows local spotters who scan the surface of the water looking for a shadow of a cruising shark. Making a connection with locals in areas that I travel to is hugely important to me. How can we begin to open our minds to new perspectives if we don’t show an interest into how others live? I believe that learning and living compassionately is the best way to improve our attitudes towards the environment. Our aim was to provide education on eco tourism and ways to interact with whale sharks in a manner that does not harm their migration and feeding patterns in the hope that this area of The Philippines does not turn into the dangers that are happening in other areas of the world to whale sharks.
Project Hiu
Lombok, Indonesia July 2024
I collaborated with Project Hiu, the non profit behind repurposing shark fishing boats between Lombok and Sumba who’s mission it is to stop the overfishing of sharks and destruction of the coral reef eco-systems by tackling the problem at a grass roots level. Going to the very fishermen who are forced to spend weeks at sea, hunting sharks for a livelihood, and repurposing them by hiring the shark boats and offering snorkelling tours to tourists who get to learn about the dangers of the shark fishing trade. I was able to document the day trip Project Hiu is running, to meet the shark fishermen and hear their stories and photograph the healthy and vibrant coral reefs promoting coral conservation and protection.
