There’s a part of our job as photographers and guides that doesn’t get talked about enough… when not to share.
We live in an age where every image or video can go viral in seconds.
A post, a tag, a location pin, they spread faster than we can imagine. And with that comes a strange consequence… the more we share, the less wild some places become.
I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes.
Places that once felt like magic, where we were the only boat for miles, now fill with crowds, cameras, and drones.
Pantanal, Brazil.
The quiet that once defined those places is replaced by engines, by pressure, by human presence.
Years ago, off Baja, I remember being completely alone. Just our boat, the ocean, and the animals.
Now, the same waters are crowded with boats chasing the same story.
And I get it, it’s part of what we do. It’s our job to tell the stories of these places, to show the world that they still exist, that they matter, that they deserve to stay wild for generations to come.
But I’ll be the first to admit, I am guilty of over sharing.
I’ve drawn too much attention to places that once felt sacred.
My work has helped put them on the map, sometimes literally. And while I know my intention was good, that doesn’t erase the impact.
It’s a difficult truth to admit, but an important one.
Because when too many of us tell the same story, the story changes.
We mean well, but sometimes our love becomes pressure. Our storytelling becomes intrusion.
Our presence, multiplied, can slowly erode the very thing that drew us there in the first place.
So I’ve learned:
Sometimes it’s okay to keep a secret.
You don’t have to tag the location.
You don’t have to explain how you found it.
Florida bobcat… exact location undisclosed
You don’t have to post everything.
Some encounters should stay just between you, your friends, and the wild.
It’s not about hoarding or gatekeeping. It’s about protection.
Because no matter how much we care, human attention changes things, especially fragile, sacred places that weren’t built to hold it.
Giant Mako off California… exact location undisclosed.
I know no secret lasts forever.
But for the few that do, do your part to keep them quiet, keep them safe, for as long as you can.
The world doesn’t need every detail… Sometimes it just needs your silence.
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