Documenting Aquatic Life for Ocean Advocacy
By Kayli Corbin
Photography by CLIENT PROVIDED
Imagine yourself immersed in the all-encompassing vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Deep, dark, water teeming with life surrounds you. You take a slow breath of live giving oxygen from your scuba gear and appreciate the wonder that arises in foreign places. In the distance, you see a large creature approaching. Upon further investigation, you’re able to identify a shark. Is your immediate reaction fear? Does your mind race with Jaws like imagery? Are you fearful for your safety and concerned that you might be this shark’s next victim?
If so, your experience is not uncommon. An innate fear of sharks can be attributed to their portrayal in media like the Jaws Series and news distribution about shark attacks. Their sheer power and propensity for harm as an apex predator has historically left even those with nerves of steel concerned for their wellbeing. Lisa Hackett has dedicated her life to challenging fears around sharks and educating people about their grace and general good-natured interaction.
Her story starts with marrying a sailor and adventuring across the Pacific Ocean. They found themselves in the world’s largest shark sanctuary and Hackett’s passion for scuba diving pushed her to take an initial step in overcoming her fear. Her first dive with sharks was filled with hesitation and uncertainty. With each diving experience she gleaned insight into the shark’s behaviors and broke down the established fearful perception she had.
After countless dives with sharks in the year she lived in the South Pacific, Hackett and her husband grew the courage to complete their first night dive. Hackett shared, “It was just my husband and me with hundreds of hunting sharks. Our lights stimulated the food chain by attracting zooplankton, which in turn attracted fish, the shark’s favorite prey. The sharks treated us like honored guests and followed us around the entire dive, enjoying the effects of our lights. They treated us with total respect. They never even touched us. Swirling around in the dark with hundreds of sharks, my heart in my throat, completely trusting them, is something I’ll never forget!”
These interactions sparked a passion and love for sharks that prompted Hackett to launch Magic Ocean Media to share her experiences with the world. Ocean advocacy is something of incredible importance to Hackett and her husband. Magic Ocean Media was born when Lisa was gifted a powerful 4K video camera for Christmas from her husband, Brian. She shares, “The underwater world of the South Pacific Atolls is a stunning playground for a new videographer. I shot hundreds of really disappointing fish videos over the next few months as I practiced shooting videos underwater. But when the golden moments happened, I was ready.”
Dedication, practice, and a love for the ocean challenged Hackett to broaden her skills and has culminated in her most recent project, Shark Love. This awe-inspiring video gives insight into her experience as a diver and more specifically with the sharks of the Pacific. Check our magicoceanmedia.com to watch this video and be sure to like and follow her Facebook page @magicoceanmedia for more fun insider information.