“I took this photograph on June 2013 while I was on vacation with my family, in Oslob, Cebu. Oslob is one of those unique places where magical things really do happen: at a near daily basis, young whale sharks gather to be fed by local fishermen, seemingly without fear of being caught or harmed in any way. It really is a true marvel, both in a sense that whale sharks do not usually exhibit this kind of ‘tame’ behaviour and the economic blessing the small town had experienced from the flood of tourists that come pouring in to watch these friendly giants (as they are sometimes called) interact with the local fishermen.

I found this particular sight stunning. The action of the man feeding the whale shark is in itself representative of people giving back to nature, but the ‘free wifi on board” sign really takes the cake (there was no wifi on board, though). Humans CAN interact with the environment in ways that do not involve its destruction or harm, and my passion is directly related to this.

It has been a dream of mine to study marine biology and conservation. I want to see healthy human communities living alongside equally healthy natural communities of flora and fauna. It’s a long shot, and I acknowledge that, but if I can in any way help this cause I will contribute as many years of my life to do so. I will investigate causes, educate people and help to prevent future destruction of natural environments. This is my passion.”

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My passion is to draw. It makes me feel calm as if I’m deep under the water and at the same time it leads me to a never-ending discovery and imagination, just like the Universe.