scuba

I’ve been traveling around the Greek islands a week now. I sail, I savor every new acquaintance, I feel the love for my friends grow bigger and stronger, I explore the deep blue sea; my senses devour colors and voices, I fall in love passionately and, sometimes, with sublime innocence. I, supposedly the most energetic, the most fearless and dynamic (the epitome of adventure!) of all my friends, had never done scuba diving before in my life.

I took this picture on my first trip to the Honduran island Utila, at the time known for the cheapest place in the world to get your scuba diving license. It was scattered with locals whose original ancestors were British colonizers, Dutch Pirates, and Payan Indigenous peoples to name a few. Restaurants, cafes, and a woman making Baleadas at small kiosk lined the main street. By the time I made my way back to the island, 6 years later, it seemed that the Island had been re-colonized again by all of blond haired Europe and Australia.

Sharkman, real name Mike Rutzen, has earned worldwide fame for swimming with the predators without the safety of a diving cage.

The former fisherman is on a crusade to show that the huge fish are not bloodthirsty killers but are intelligent and sensitive creatures.

He also wants to highlight their status as an endangered species - their jaws can fetch tens of thousands of pounds on the black market.

To successfully swim with sharks, Mike has learned to mimic their body language, changing his posture in response to their actions.