I never formally studied photography. And besides looking at the world, I love tasting it, too. So, when the time came to choose a degree, I chose food. I got into Culinary Art School. Soon I realised I didn’t actually want to be in a kitchen. It was too far from where I could see the joy people experience through food.
In search of what to study next, I followed my passion for nature and decided to pursue a degree in Ecotourism Management. After graduating, I worked and collaborated with animal and ecosystem conservation projects. From contributing to turtle conservation in Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) to managing operations of a jaguar conservation and eco-tourism project in the Pantanal wetlands (Brazil) to working aboard a marine research vessel in the Great Barrier Reef and off-the-beaten-path guiding in Patagonia. Everywhere I went, I portrayed the animals, the landscapes, the people - and their smiles.
— Silvia A Earle, sea explorer and marine biologist