#54: Stefano Ulivi - Diving and filming the Azores, shark conservation

In episode 54 we speak with Stefano Ulivi, a man of Italy who has devoted his life to raising awareness of ocean conservation through underwater filming. Stefano describes the underwater world of the Azores, an island group off the coast of Portugal, where he leads scuba diving tours and films the amazing animals of this special place. We hear of Pico Island, a relatively new volcanic island that hosts huge schools of manta rays and many species of marine mammals. Stefano shares his story of finding his passion for the ocean and his perspective on the evident decline in shark populations due to overfishing and poor management. We hear of trips to Tonga and Baja California where Stefano interacted with a 2-week old humpback whale and a 'tornado' of huge fish. Stefano shares a ton of enthusiasm for protecting the ocean that we can all be inspired by.

Thanks for sharing Stefano's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Stefano on his Instagram page and Facebook. There is also some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Burnout Suncare. A family-owned company based in Santa Cruz, CA that specializes in chemical-free, environmentally-friendly, reef-safe sunscreens for water sports athletes and health conscious families. Check them out at www.burnoutsun.com.