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Colombian national freediving record holder Sofia Uribe Gomez charmed by a Caribbean reef shark. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Snorkeling with whale sharks off Coral Bay in Western Australia was both remarkable and humbling, for these gentle creatures make the biggest of humans look tiny. Photo: Lia Barrett
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A gentle nurse shark swims a few feet below a scuba diver off Caye Caulker, Belize. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Freedivers sit back for a fun approach to coexistence with sharks. Photo: Lia Barrett
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A freediver dives down to 70 feet to check out a group of Caribbean reef sharks off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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I swam with this lone whale shark circling Sail Rock in the Gulf of Thailand by myself for 15 minutes. To this day, it is still one of the highlights of my underwater encounters. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Scuba diving with a couple of pregnant reef sharks off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Freediving world record holder and World Champion William Trubridge channels the streamline movement of the Caribbean reef shark off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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William Trubridge soaks in a moment as a reef shark passes over him off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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A lazy leopard shark resting on the ocean floor in the Similan Islands, Thailand. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Exemplifying his respect for his comrades in the sea, freediver Walid Boudhiaf walks among the Caribbean reef sharks as a mark of mutual existence. Photo: Lia Barrett
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A rare glimpse at a Caribbean rough shark (Oxynotus caribbaeus) photographed below 2,000 feet off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, from Karl Stanley's submarine. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Caribbean reef sharks off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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William Trubridge and an intimate encounter with a Caribbean reef shark. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Tunisian national record holder Walid Boudhiaf swims alongside a pregnant Caribbean reef shark off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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A Caribbean reef shark that has been observed living with a fishing hook in its mouth for over a decade. Photo: Lia Barrett
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Caribbean Freediving Cup organizer Esteban Darnhape enjoys a moment with our comrades of the sea after May’s competition off Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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An up close and personal view of a Caribbean reef shark off of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
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At around 2,000 feet, this curious six-gill shark came up to visit me at the dome port of Karl Stanley’s submarine off the island of Roatan, Honduras. Photo: Lia Barrett
Sharks are commonly misunderstood. Captured for their fins, demonized by Hollywood and sensationalized in the media by the rare shark attack, these incredibly beautiful animals have had their fair share of hardships in this world. As a scuba diver and an underwater photographer, I am familiar with conservation efforts and discussions surrounding the need to protect the diminishing populations. However, I understand that for the average person who is not exposed to the admirable efforts to protect sharks, and who has never been swimming or diving with them, sharks are scary. Therefore, I believe that as a photographer and a diver, I have a duty to join the efforts of others in my field to help deconstruct some of the harmful misconceptions that are leading to their demise.
In my experience, showing people images of humans with sharks naturally ignites a line of questioning that organically leads to me saying, “Sharks don’t find us particularly tasty.” Upon further explanation, my hope is to alleviate some of the present fear, and to encourage them to experience these incredible animals for themselves.
See more of Lia Barrett’s photography on her website.
