The Ghost Net: A Sea Turtle Rescue Off Costa Rica

Several years ago, while diving offshore in Costa Rica in search of new images, my team and I came upon a sight that has stayed with me ever since. Adrift on the surface was a ghost net, a mass of abandoned fishing gear and debris that had become a deadly trap. Entangled within it were several olive ridley sea turtles, bound in the netting and struggling to survive.

There was no hesitation. We entered the water and began the careful work of cutting them free, easing each turtle from the tangle of line and debris until it could return to open water under its own power. As always, I had my camera with me, and I documented the entire rescue as it took place.

When I later shared the footage, The Dodo, one of the world's largest animal and nature media channels, reached out to produce their own edit of the encounter. Upon its release, the film reached an audience far greater than I had ever anticipated.

Video featured by The Dodo.

Encounters like this are at the heart of why I create. The ocean has given me a lifetime of inspiration, and moments such as this are a powerful reminder of how fragile that world truly is. It is a sensibility I carry into every photograph I make, and the reason so much of my work continues to return to the sea and the life within it.

If this story resonates with you, you will find these same waters and creatures throughout my Ocean and Underwater collections.