As a former Lead In-Field Coordinator and contributor of much whale shark encounter data, Clara has earned her stripes (and spots...) as a true whale shark hero!
Clara comes from a small island in Spain, Mallorca. She grew up spending most of her time in the sea with her father, fishing and snorkelling. Seeing large fish and megafauna was her childhood dream and lead her to an undergraduate in Environmental Sciences and then an MSc in Marine Ecology.
After visiting the Maldives twice, she fell in love with the country and decided that she wanted to come back to help protect the whale sharks and develop sustainable tourism. Clara has participated in cetacean research projects, fisheries management projects and has helped in a chimpanzee sanctuary and veterinary hospital. Until recently, she has been working in nature reserves as a guide, focusing on sustainable tourism and conservation.
When she is not working, Clara is travelling around the world on the lookout for megafauna, or at home practicing water sports, hiking or climbing. She will always have one of her multiple cameras on her and when she spends more than a week without being able to see the ocean, she becomes “land” sick.