This is a guest post by Lia Barrett
When I was asked to cover the Caribbean Freediving Cup in Roatán, Honduras, I jumped at the opportunity. Not because I was an expert in capturing freedivers, but more because I definitely wanted to be! I’d been itching to get my lens on a group of people who could ditch the standard scuba gear and roam freely underwater seamlessly. So when the competition was over and records were done and dusted, I drafted those who were interested to do a closed shark dive with Waihuka Dive Center.
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The point of the shoot with sharks was to, as many fellow underwater photographers try to do, show humans interacting peacefully with sharks. But I admit this particular scene was mayhem, as about 15 freedivers were all dipping down at different parts of the reef to interact with the sharks. World Champion and World Record holder William Trubridge was definitely the most in tune with how to swim with the Caribbean reef sharks, as he is a seasoned veteran in shark swimming. Colombian National Record Holder Sofia Uribe Gomez managed to be in the right spot at the right time for a midwater snap as a shark definitely larger than her petite stature gave her a drive by. But in general, I found it very difficult to shoot, as the divers, in their eager pursuits and athletic speeds caused the sharks to move away from them. Not to mention, I was spinning circles just looking to see who was diving down.
Not completely satisfied with the material I had gathered thus far, I opted to do one more dive with Tunisian National Record Holder Walid Boudhiaf. I thought that concentrating on one person would make things a lot easier. And in getting the logistics of the shoot together, I solicited the aid and modeling skills of Esteban Darhanpe, the competition’s organizer. As a resident of Roatan, I urged him to sacrifice his porch furniture and an old lamp to the cause, which I thought would add a bit of humor to the scene, as well as give the subject matter a place to sit where the sharks could come to them.
Because I wanted the scene to look more realistic, and I knew that the freedivers would freeze to death due to a lack of body fat, we opted to portray them in above water clothing, hiding wetsuits underneath, for it also seemed fitting to add an element of surrealism in the scene. Plus, the clothes hid their weight belts, which they needed in order to stay down.
We had safety divers on hand giving the divers air when needed, and we all completed a deco stop together on the line, freedivers included. The biggest challenge was the heavy furniture. Especially because we were contending with really strong current. Thank goodness we had a team of professionals who were quite tough. The biggest loss of the day was Esteban’s new freediving fins, which swam off with the current, but hopefully he is over that by now!
But as I continue to share these images, I am happy to have people look at them and raise questions about humans interacting with sharks. It sparks conversation, which hopefully leads to greater awareness. And I like the accusations that this is photoshopped, because for those of us who were there, as we held that furniture for the toughest stop I’ve ever had on a line, the memories and the chuckles make the assertions laughably enjoyable.
Thanks to Waihuka Shark Dive for taking us diving; the Roatan Marine Park for safety divers; The Caribbean Cup for the freedivers; and Prawno Apparel for the Sponsorship!
