Hello there, my name is Kelly King and I am 24 years old. I live in Chesterfield, Virginia, right outside the state capitol of Richmond, Virginia. Chesterfield is a pretty town, but it is missing one of my favorite things: the ocean! When I was little, I loved visiting the beach. I would spend hours looking for cool shells and swimming. As I got older, I learned to scuba dive! Diving let me spend time underwater with the incredible animals that live in the sea. My favorite animals are sharks, and my favorite shark is a whale shark!
Whale sharks are an endangered species, which means there are not many left. Scientists called marine biologists are experts on ocean animals, and they are working hard to figure out to help whale sharks survive. I am actually not a marine biologist, though... I am a photographer! I use a special underwater camera to take pictures of whale sharks. When I take a picture of a whale shark, scientists can identify the shark by looking at the spots. The photos are used to track the sharks, which helps the scientists see where the sharks travel.
I am traveling to Mozambique, a country in southern Africa, to work with marine biologists to help whale sharks. The leading whale shark marine biologists in the world work in a town called Tofo beach, Mozambique. Every year thousands of whale sharks visit the coastline of Mozambique, which means I will have lots of opportunities to take pictures. The government of Mozambique has protected whale sharks, making it illegal to fish for them. The government also protects many coral reefs called marine protected areas (MPAs). These MPAs are like national parks in the ocean. I cannot wait to explore all the protected places in Mozambique with you!
