Eli Martinez

October 12, 2016

My Perfect Moment; I was ONE with nature…or was I?

Eli Martinez

October 12, 2016

I have so many favorite moments in the water. It is difficult to find my most memorable one. However, one particular story that I have shared many times, is a story where I felt like I was one with nature. It was perfect, it was beautiful. Until that is… I realized the fish I shared my moment with, were actually assholes.

It was a perfect day in the Bahamas; beautiful, deep blue water, hot, sunny, with flat calm conditions. We were looking for oceanic whitetips off Cat Island. We had been chumming for a while, but no whitetips. I decided to go on a scouting snorkel to see if I could find any sharks skulking around. This was pre gopro era, and the only camera I had was my big bulky Equinox camera. So I decided to go without it. My captain suggested that I swim in the direction of some sea birds that were out in the distance. The birds were pretty worked up, so I started my swim towards that activity.

There was not much shade on our little boat, so the water felt amazing. I snorkeled out around 100 yards from our vessel and I could see the birds getting closer. I was hoping they were following a shark, but marlin or schooling tuna would be amazing as well. The birds were flying in my direction, so I started scanning the area. I would pop my head up, look at the birds, see where they were, then look down to see what they were following. They got closer and still nothing.

I just kept looking, scanning and finally I could see a few fish hauling ass towards me. The group got bigger and bigger. Finally a school of about 20, 3 foot rainbow runners approached me and started circling me. Underneath them was a group of about 10 tunas (about the same size). On the outside of them were three dorados that also joined in the spin. They all circled me, over and over. I was totally blown away. They were within touching distance, but I didn't try to touch them. I crossed my arms and stopped swimming to enjoy this perfect amazing moment. I was glad I didn't, but at the same time, I was wishing I had a camera. It was so magical.

Moments later, a huge oceanic whitetip approached me. The swirling fish parted and the shark swam up to bump me. I put my hand on her head and gently guided her away. She swam around me and tried to bump me again. I put my hand out and guided her away again. She approached me for a third time. As I picked my hand up to put on her head, she winced and swam away from my touch. This time, she swam around me and dropped down into the blue abyss. The entire entourage of fish that was with me followed her and disappeared.

I was left alone in a daze of what I had just experienced. It was easily one of the most amazing moments I have ever had in the water. I have shared this moment with people countless times. It was perfect and beautiful, just everything we all dream of when we think about the ocean and the animals that live there. I was thankful for this gift…that is until, I really understood animal behavior. Then it hit me like lightning. Those dirty buggers were all there because they wanted to eat me!

Now, I see clearly what happened that day. Those game fish were out hunting for food. They probably were rounding up baitballs, which is why they had the birds excited. The oceanic was tailing them to join in on their action. And maybe to eat one of the distracted tunas or rainbow runners, while they were feeding on the baitball. I showed up, all by myself and the game fish found me. They started circling me to attract the oceanic in. Their plan was for the oceanic to kill me and they would grab a free meal, courtesy of the oceanic whitetip.

They left when they realized I was formidable prey and it was not worth the risk of injury. It is fight or flight in their world. Well, I ain’t gonna lie, I was a bit heart broken when I realized it was not this perfect zen moment with all these fish. Instead it was a tribal dance of death. Whatever it was, I still dream of something like that happening to me again, because even though those fish wanted to eat me…it was still was so great, almost getting eaten by those awesomely beautiful assholes.

Eli Martinez

October 8, 2016

Advice for the budding professional Shark Diver…or whatever you want to call yourself

Eli Martinez

October 8, 2016

“YOU ARE SO LUCKY. How do I get a job like yours and do what you do?”
That’s a question I get asked all the time. I get emails like that nearly every week.

And I’m always a bit hesitant in how I respond—because the truth is, I don’t really know. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up here, doing what I do for a living.

But if there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty, it’s this… LUCK, had nothing to do with it.

Editing and Laundry in between trips. The work never ends. — *"Editing and laundry—hotel floor edition. The behind-the-scenes hustle never stops."*

When I step back and look at what I do—and what I get to do—I’ll admit, it’s pretty exciting and fun.

But what people don’t see are the years, the countless hours, and the behind-the-scenes hustle it took to make this life work.

I get emails all the time from people asking to intern or work with me. And honestly, I think it’s cool that they’re reaching out. But most of them don’t really know what it is we actually do. They’re under the illusion that I spend all my time on or in the water.

They want to shadow me, learn about shark behavior—and more specifically, they want to learn how to feed sharks.

But what most don’t realize is that I spend about 75% of my time at a desk. Behind a computer. Writing, editing, marketing, responding to emails. It goes on and on. Sometimes 10–12 hours a day… every day.

When I think about it, why would anyone know that part? I don’t exactly post about it. What ends up on the website or on social media is the excitement—the life of a professional shark diver. You see us out there, playing with sharks, swimming with orcas, photographing polar bears.

That’s what you’re supposed to see. Not the boring stuff—me sitting at a computer for 12 hours straight, editing a video or updating social posts.

So… how did I get here?
Again, I’m not really sure. It’s all kind of blurred into one long, wild adventure.

I’ve never really had an official job title either. I guess if I had to write it down, it would look something like:
Professional Shark Diver / TV Host / Photographer / Dive Guide / Teacher / Magazine Editor / Storyteller / Marketing Rep / Toilet Scrubber / Mail Boy.

I wear a lot of hats here at SDM—and I genuinely love every part of what I do.
Except the toilets. Don’t really love that crap (no pun intended).

We’ve been in business for 13 years, and it took a very long time to get to where we are today.

There were so many nights I’d lie awake, trying to figure out how to keep things going.
We weren’t making it. I’d ask myself:
Why am I doing this?
Why am I still trying to publish this magazine?
How am I going to pay for this boat charter?

But somehow… it worked.

We made it.

And quitting? That was never an option.
Even when I questioned it.
Even when it would’ve been easier.

Because I don’t really know how to quit.

That part of me—the drive, the determination—it all stems from my bull riding days.

When I was riding bulls, I wanted to be great. So I trained hard. Like, really hard.
I didn’t have natural talent, and I didn’t have a coach. I had to be both student and teacher, and gut it out the hard way.

To be a great bull rider, you have to keep your feet in the fire—all the time.

There’s one story I always remember:
I was at a practice buck-out, riding a bull, and I got thrown off after just a few seconds. I landed face-first in the dirt. A second later, the bull stepped on the back of my neck and shoved my face even deeper into the ground.

Luckily, the arena had just been plowed, so the dirt was soft. In a weird way, it kind of acted like an airbag—an airbag filled with bullshit.

I got up, did a quick damage check.
My neck hurt like hell—red, raw, and missing some skin. My face was sore and completely caked in dirt. A little blood in my nose, but nothing broken.

And I was furious. Not from the pain—but because I bucked off.

I grabbed my rope, dusted some of the dirt off my face, and threw my rope on the next bull in the chute. I was ready to ride again.

Everyone around me was telling me to take a break, to catch my breath. They wanted to make sure I was okay.

But I didn’t want to wait. I was okay.
Physically, at least. My pride was bruised, sure… but that failure lit a fire in me.

I was more determined than ever, and I wanted to channel that negative energy into the next ride.
So I did.

And that’s still how I live and work to this day:
I take the sting of failure and turn it into fuel.

That grit inside me—that’s what drives me.

It’s what’s kept me on this journey and allowed me to live this life and do what I do.

It took a lot of work to get here. And I guess if I can do it… anyone can.
Anyone can become… whatever it is that they want to become.

But it does come with a price.

Long hours.
Rough seas.
Freezing oceans.
Shitty travel days.
And so many missed family moments you’ll never get back. That’s one of my biggest regrets in life.

But the highs… the highs make it all worth it.

Those magical moments you carry with you forever—
Sunsets that you will never forget.
New friends from around the world.
Landscapes so beautiful they don’t seem real.
And the privilege of sharing time with some of nature’s most incredible animals—both big and small.

I’ll finish this rant with this:

This life is amazing—and it’s worth everything you’re willing to put into it.

If you want to work with sharks, then chase that dream.
Find a way to make them your life.

But know this:
You’ve got to be willing to do the work.
To make the sacrifices.

You can’t give up when things get hard—because they will get hard.
You just need to find your own kind of grit.

Wishing you the best of luck...
Even though, in the end…luck has nothing to do with it.

Eli Martinez

October 4, 2016

Shark Diving can contribute to Shark Science!

Eli Martinez

October 4, 2016

There has always been a love hate relationship between shark divers and shark researchers. Researchers have been very vocal about there dislike (some, but not all) for shark diving. Of course, Shark Divers have been very vocal about their dislike (again some, but not all) for shark research and their methods.

I admit I have been very vocal in the past about my dislike for shark research. Although, like I have mentioned in the past, I get it and I understand the need for some of it. And some shark researchers have also been VERY vocal in their thoughts on me and shark diving; how I am invasive and shouldn't touch sharks or feed them, molest them…It goes on and on.

Not that I don't respect shark researchers (the legit ones) for their importance and contribution to shark protection. And yes, I have been involved with shark tagging programs in the past. But I am just too huggy, kissy with sharks for me to ever be comfortable with it.

I know shark research is important. But there is so much more to be learned, beyond just hooking sharks, taking blood and measuring them. A lot could be gained by visiting shark diving sites and just observing, especially popular ones like Tiger Beach. These places are great laboratories for sharks; how social they are, their hierarchies, mating behaviors, healing abilities, the relationships between species, etc. - So many stories, so much science. But, as I have been told, this is not a natural setting so it would not be real science.

However to prove my point on how important these dive sites are, I was finally able to contribute to shark research. On December 2nd of 2014 I filmed one of our resident tiger sharks, New Girl with fresh mating scars. She showed up with two chunks taken out of her tail fin. I remember seeing her, thinking that was not good. She arrived that day super skittish, which is normal behavior when a shark shows up with fresh scars. It takes them a little while to settle down. She never did come in close though. In fact that was the only dive we saw her during that trip.

Less than a year later (October 12, 2015), she showed up completely healed. Which was wild because I had no idea they could do that. (and before it is questioned, yes it is the same shark, I know this is her, because she has a very unique color pattern on her left side that easily identifies her.)

What this shows is that sharks (or some species of sharks) can regrow sections of their fins back. It is known that they heal quickly, but that fins can regrow is pretty new. It makes sense since shark sex is so violent. I had documented this in my journal (I do this with my tiger sharks here). and got lucky enough to record it on video. So I shared it with the research community, asking if this was commonly known. Some forms of it were known, but for the most part It was not.

Although, this is research that has not been published and probably never will. Don't really care about that. All I know is that footage I captured was passed along the researcher channels and discussed. Which excites me, because it proves that shark diving sites can contribute to science, beyond just hooking them. Maybe some researchers will still disagree with me on that…some, but hopefully not all.

Eli Martinez

September 29, 2016

Guadalupe is White Shark Heaven!!!

Eli Martinez

September 29, 2016

Guadalupe bound…We left port, thankfully with a good crossing. Something, I was extremely happy about. My last major crossing had us in 15 foot seas. The ocean was screaming at us and it felt like we would never see land again. Nothing worse than being locked down in your bunk for 20 hours straight, not moving because you just felt like crap. The good and bad thing was I found out what my super power would be if I had one; Projectile vomiting. Disgustingly, I was amazing at it!

Thankfully this wasn't a crossing like that…Nope this was a heavenly crossing. We made good time and all of us were anxious to arrive. I was excited to see what the next few days of diving with white sharks would be like.

Our trip last year was good, but the whites were in and out, with a lot of down time in between visiting sharks. I was really hoping this years action would be better….and it was!

Typical Guadalupe with rolling clouds from our 2015 trip

We dropped our anchor into flat calm seas. As I looked around the first thing I noticed was that there were no clouds. There are normally clouds rolling off the top of the volcanic mountains here, but today there wasn’t. The skies were clear, the sun was out and the visibility looked amazing. Within an hour of arriving, our first shark show up and the mad dash for gear began. Shortly after that a second shark, then a third. Once we started diving, it just never stopped. From about 9 in the morning till the last divers entered the cages in the evening - the sharks never stopped rolling in.

September is such a great time to be here, because its the middle of the season. It’s good for both small sharks and the big boys. And on this trip, we had them all…from small, 10 foot sharks, to 17 foot, 3,000 lb. monsters. It was a dream. The stress of running a shark diving trip is that you are always worrying that no sharks will show up. The smiling faces and full camera cards told me that this was not going to be one of those trips.

The white sharks performed like rock stars. They cruised by our cages, over and over again, trying hard to take the hang baits off our shark wranglers. The sharks are getting smarter, you could see them trying to figure things out. They kept changing their approach strategies, using speed and stealth to steal the bait away. It was awesome. We had quite a few half breaches as the sharks would rocket up from underneath the cages to surprise our wranglers. Everyone got a show - Those that were in the cage and our guests that were topside. We all had a blast watching the cat and mouse game that was going on.

By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted and cold from hours spent in the cages. It is hard sometimes to explain to people who are there for the first time just how special a day like this is, because these kind of days are so rare. I was just thankful it happened on my watch.

Of course in the morning when we kicked off our 2nd day, I was half expecting it to be back to old Guadalupe, where the sharks come in, hang around for 10-30 minutes and then take off. But nope, when the cages were dropped (at 8am), within 20 minutes our first shark showed…and again, it was going off! The rest of the day played out like a repeat of day one. The only difference was we lowered one of the cages to 30 feet, to get a different perspective of the sharks. Those rides are always so much fun.

The day was just amazing, the sharks never stopped coming in. I shot over a thousand photos in a two hour session. Most ended up crap, but what was great was getting the opportunity to shoot that much. I got out of the water cold and happy, excited to see what day three would bring…BUT, our captain dropped a bomb on us. Tropical storm Frank was headed our way. So, we finished up our day of diving, pulled the cages and headed home.

We had one more day of diving left and even though everyone was not thrilled with leaving, riding home for 18 hours through a tropical storm was not something anyone wanted to do either. So we left and thankfully everyone was very happy. The two days in the water were so great no one really felt let down. I was excited for everyone and yes I admit, secretly even more excited about beating the storm for a smooth crossing home. Which meant, that my super hero, secret identity was not revealed on this trip. Till next season Guadalupe…You were amazing.

A video from our trip by one of our guests Steve Crawford. So much fun.

2016 WHITE SHARK EXPEDITION GALLERY

Eli Martinez

September 28, 2016

Our new website...Hell Yea!

Eli Martinez

September 28, 2016

Well, I finally did it. I updated our website.

This has been one of those projects that has given me hell for years—costing thousands of dollars, endless frustration, and disappointment after disappointment. For almost a decade, I pretty much gave up on the idea of building a new site. I stuck with the original, flawed as it was, because at least it was ours.

But every time I looked at that old site, it bugged me. I knew it could be better. So after one last, desperate search for help, I decided: enough was enough. I was going to build it myself.

I built our original website for Shark Diver Magazine years ago, after being let down by the first round of web developers. And here’s the thing—most web developers I’ve worked with try to get too fancy. They get excited about the latest tech trend or some new design tool, and instead of giving me what I need, they end up overcomplicating it. And, well... it usually ends in a mess.

I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I was determined to get this thing done.

Thanks to a good friend (shoutout to Jero), I gave Squarespace a try. After a full day of fumbling through it, I picked a template I liked and just started building. Slowly, it began to feel like something I could actually be proud of.

The first priority was getting back to the core of what SDM is all about—who we are and what we do: travel, adventure, and wildlife. From there, it was about creating a better experience for you—more content, more stories, and a gallery of images. We’ve got thousands of photos sitting on hard drives, collecting dust. So many moments worth sharing. Creating galleries was always something I dreamed of doing, and now it’s finally happening.

Next, I tackled the blog. The old setup made blogging a total pain. I love writing, but it was just too clunky. Now, this new blog page is user-friendly—well, at least for me—and I plan to use it often.

So this is what you’re seeing now: the new look and feel of SDM Adventures. We’re currently using sdmdiving.com as the main URL, mostly because I’m still figuring out how to connect sdmadventures.com. And there’s way too much history with sharkdivermag.com to let it go entirely. Eventually, I’ll migrate everything over—but for now, it’s baby steps.

My first attempt as web designer. — My first attempt as a web designer.

I’ve been blogging on sharkdivermag.com since 2005. I haven’t yet figured out how to bring all those old stories over here, but maybe I’ll find a way to link them. There's a lot of history there—too much to lose. Again, baby steps.

And speaking of history…
Sadly, the old website is now down—and with it, all the years of blogging I’d been doing since 2005. That one hits hard. I had documented our journey in real time—our early trips, our wins and struggles, the animals, the people, the behind-the-scenes stories. So many memories. So many moments now lost in cyberspace.

It’s something I’m not happy about. But I’m not giving up on them just yet.

I’m going to dig into the Wayback Machine, see if I can recover some snapshots. I’ll check old backups, hard drives, even see if our former hosting provider has anything archived. Maybe—just maybe—I can link some of those old stories back into this new home. Baby steps. Always.

But if none of it comes back, then this blog becomes something even more important. A clean slate. A tribute to what came before. A place to keep telling the stories that still matter. Because there are so many left to share—and I’m not done yet.

Now, the store—that’s been the hardest part. For some reason, it’s always been a stumbling block. Every time I hired someone to help build a store, it turned into something bigger. I’d ask for a simple store, they’d want to redesign the whole site, and I’d say yes (so yeah, this mess is kind of on me). Thousands of dollars later… no working store.

But not this time. I’m building it myself. And when it’s ready, I’ll proudly share it with you.

current site on SharkDiverMag.com — The final look of our website SharkDiverMag.com (2016), before we moved over to SDMdiving.com.

The store will include our shirts, rash guards, back issues of the magazine, and something I’ve always wanted: an art gallery of prints, featuring some of the most powerful moments we’ve captured over the years.

For now, I’m just excited to share the new site with you. It looks great, it feels right, and I hope you enjoy it and come back often. I’ll be updating it regularly, and the blog will feature both written and video stories. There’s still so much left to share—so many animals, places, and moments worth remembering.

To all our friends who’ve been with us from the beginning—this is for you.
Thank you for sticking with us through it all.

Eli Martinez

September 23, 2016

La Jolla Shores is Freaking Shark Diving Heaven!

Eli Martinez

September 23, 2016

La Jolla Shores has always held a special place for me. It was the site of my first beach dive, and, of course, it’s full of sharks.

The first time I swam here was in 2006. As the editor of Shark Diver Magazine, I had already published stories about La Jolla Shores and its thriving leopard shark population, so I was eager to experience it firsthand. I finally got my chance when we included the location in the documentary I produced, Summer of the Sharks.

For this dive/snorkel, you walk into the surf zone, and just a few feet beneath the waves, you’re surrounded by these beautiful little sharks. As a shark diver, it doesn’t get much better than that. My first dive here in 2006 was an unforgettable experience, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I made it a point to return every year since.

What makes La Jolla even more special is that leopard sharks aren’t the only stars of the show. The waters here are home to an impressive variety of shark species. You can encounter tope sharks, horn sharks, grey smooth-hounds, angel sharks, and the big stars of La Jolla—the seven-gill sharks.

I’ve been lucky enough to see them all, except for the elusive swell sharks. But no matter where you swim here, there’s always a shark nearby, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to remind you why La Jolla is one of the best places in the world for shark encounters.

The leopards weren’t the only reason I came out here. I was also after tope sharks. Swimming among the grassy sea beds is where the topes tend to gather. These sharks are a true conservation success story. Once nearly wiped out, their numbers have rebounded thanks to the enforcement of the gill net ban along California’s coastline. Their return is not only great for the ecosystem, restoring balance to these waters, but it also adds to the excitement of an already incredible dive site.

I’ve been coming to this area since 2006, and while the sharks are always here and the diving is relatively easy, it’s not without its challenges. The ocean almost always has a strong surge, which wreaks havoc on visibility. Most of the time, I’m swimming in what feels like a muddy soup, trying to capture footage of these beautiful little sharks through the haze. Photography here is especially challenging. The constant movement of the water, shifting sand, and low visibility make it difficult to get sharp, well-lit images. Even with proper settings and adjustments, it’s a game of patience and luck.

This year, I finally got lucky. The stars aligned, and I had the rare opportunity to film them in near-perfect visibility. The surge was still there, and the sand was stirred up in places, but for once, I could see the sharks clearly, gliding effortlessly through the water. It was the kind of dive I had been waiting for.

We spent a lot of time playing with the leopards. Over two days, my friend, Margo Adamson, and my buddy Keith Brooks, and I logged about five hours in the water with them, and it was just pure fun.

Dive Tip. If you want the best chances of seeing them, I recommend diving during low tide. The vis is better during high tide, but they tend to scatter. During low tide, they gather in large groups, making for much better photography and filming opportunities.

The topes were a bit more challenging to film since they stay a bit deeper. On my second day, I went out later in the day, hoping for a chance to find them. Thanks to my friend Margo, who dives here practically every day, locating them wasn’t an issue.

They put me on them quickly, and I got to work trying to frame shots in fading light. Since I shoot with natural light, it was tough. The topes are much more skiddish compared to the leopards, so tracking them down, sneaking up to get a proper composition, and adjusting settings in low light made for an added challenge, but it was all part of the adventure.

Thankfully, the water here is super shallow, allowing plenty of natural light to filter through. With the great visibility we were lucky to have today, the photos turned out even better than I had imagined.

As I was heading back in, the SDG girls had one more surprise for me—a Pacific black sea turtle. This was a huge moment for me. I rushed over to photograph it, and like a supermodel, it stayed in place, patiently letting me take shot after shot.

I’ve set a goal of photographing all eight species of sea turtles, and so far, I have four. This is actually a shared goal between my daughter, Sophie, and me. The plan is to film them together one day, and now that I know where to find a black turtle, I can bring her back here to experience them firsthand. The one we found is a resident in these waters, which makes it even more special.

Photographing leopard sharks off La Jolla Shores was fun but challenging experience. The shallow water, ocean surge, and unpredictable lighting conditions pushed me to adapt on the fly. Looking back, there were a few things I could have done differently.

Here are five key lessons I took away from the experience…

1. Use a Faster Shutter Speed to Freeze Movement. I shot the leopard sharks using 1/320s shutter speed, which wasn’t quite fast enough to fully freeze their movement in the water. These sharks are constantly gliding, and between the motion of the surge and their natural speed, a faster shutter speed would have resulted in sharper, crisper images.

Lesson: A shutter speed of at least 1/500s–1/1000s is ideal for photographing moving sharks in natural light.

2. Avoid Auto ISO—Even in Changing Light. I’m usually against using Auto ISO, but in this case, I used it due to the rapidly changing light conditions. Some areas were only three to four feet deep, which meant a lot of light bouncing off the sandy bottom. This caused exposure shifts that I thought Auto ISO would help compensate for, but instead, it led to inconsistent noise levels across my shots.

Lesson: Manually Control ISO whenever possible, even in dynamic lighting. Instead of Auto ISO, set a base ISO and adjust in real-time as needed.

3. Work with the Surge, Not Against It. The constant water movement at La Jolla made it difficult to frame shots without the ocean pushing me around. At first, I tried to resist the surge, which only led to more camera shake and missed shots. I eventually learned to go with the flow—literally. By drifting with the water, I was able to anticipate movement and time my shots more effectively.

Lesson: Let the surge guide you into position rather than fighting it. Time your shots during the brief moments when the water steadies.

4. Use a Lower Angle for More Impactful Compositions. Most first-time shark photographers make the mistake of shooting downward, which flattens the subject and makes the image less dynamic. I made sure to position my camera lower in the water and shoot upward whenever possible. This approach separated the sharks from the busy background, improved contrast, and created a more engaging composition.

Lesson: Get low and shoot upward for a more dramatic and visually appealing shot.

5. Patience Beats Pursuit Every Time. Leopard sharks are curious but easily spooked. The more I moved toward them, the more they swam away. When I finally stayed still and let them come to me, they got comfortable and allowed for much closer shots. This not only resulted in better images but also let me observe their natural behavior without disturbing them.

Lesson: Let the wildlife come to you. Staying still increases your chances of getting close, natural shots without chasing the subject away.

Photographing leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores was a learning experience.

It reinforced the importance of controlling shutter speed, managing ISO manually, adapting to ocean movement, and being patient with wildlife. Every dive teaches a new lesson, and next time, I’ll be better prepared to capture these beautiful sharks with even sharper, more dynamic images.