Colombia’s Marine Life Through the Lens of a Camera: An Interview with Mariana Rivera
BY LAURA DE LUCA
Park ranger from National Parks of Colombia. “Coral reefs are among the most ancient and fundamental animals in the ocean. They are at the base of the food chain for most of the life in the ocean. Due to climate change and increasing acidity levels, coral reefs are under a big threat. In National Parks of Colombia, park rangers are developing projects to regrow and recolonize areas where corals have disappeared in an attempt to maintain these ecosystems healthy.”
Deep in the waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific coasts of Colombia, magical and awe-inspiring marine life thrives; from majestic humpback whales, hammerhead sharks and huge groupers, to leatherback turtles, sea snakes and colourful coral reefs. The beauty of Colombia’s marine life has been captured by Mariana Rivera - a colombian biologist, underwater photographer and documentary film-maker. Mariana has participated in the production several documentaries. Two of the most recent ones are: Dive Tierra Bomba Dive and Expedición Tribugá (Tribuga’s Expedition). She also co-founded, jointly with David Betancourt, an underwater photography production company called Coral Studio.
Mariana spoke to us about her experiences during the production of the documentaries, the power of photographs and films for creating conservation awareness and the threats facing Colombia’s marine life nowadays.
1. What drew you to the ocean and to capture images from the marine world?
I've always been into nature. I was actually into rainforests for a very long time and I worked in the Amazon rainforest for a couple of years. In 2016, I had the chance to move to the Philippines to work as a volunteer field researcher in a whale shark conservation project from LAMAVE (Large Marine Vertebrate Project), which is an NGO and Research Institute. I completely fell in love with the ocean and established a deep connection with it. This is the point where I knew that my purpose on this planet was to do photography and conservation. So, I moved to Australia to study documentary filmmaking. Then, I returned back to Colombia and I spent all my savings (working as a waitress) on underwater photography equipment without having any real plan on what I was going to do next. In Colombia I met David, and both of us were inspired by the ocean and wanted to dedicate our lives to it. So, we moved to Santa Marta (Colombia) and founded Coral Studio.
2. You’ve participated in two productions filmed in Colombia - a short film called “Dive Tierra Bomb Dive” and the documentary “Expedición Tribugá”. How was this experience for you and which memories do you hold most dear?
Mangroves from above. “Mangroves are very complex and fragile ecosystems, they live in between the salty water from the ocean and freshwater from rivers and lagoons. Their roots filter the salty water and release tannins which give the fresh water its red color.”
These two projects have been incredibly life changing and rewarding. We got a chance to work with amazing people, both in the crew and while filming on location. In “Dive Tierra Bomba Dive” we experienced the first-hand problems that the community in the island of Tierra Bomba (Caribbean coast) have to face in their everyday lives. You can see that people really don’t want to destroy the marine ecosystem that provides them a livelihood, however sometimes they don’t have a choice due to the depletion of fish populations. So, they end up using damaging fishing techniques like dynamite. On the other hand, “Expedición Tribugá” took almost 5 years to complete and more effort but everything was done from the heart. As a team we would go the extra mile because we were absolutely committed to the protection of this place. The Gulf of Tribugá (Pacific coast) is one of the most biodiverse and unexplored places in the world with some of the last remaining untouched ecosystems on the planet. Sadly, this place is under threat due to the proposed construction of the second largest marine port in Colombia.
When you arrive in Tribugá you can feel its power, from humpback whales jumping out the water to the endless rainforests. You realize you are so small next to nature. There are so many memories while we were filming in Tribugá, especially when we were trying to film the whales. For several days we struggled to take good shots of the whales underwater because it was so murky. It was the last day and it was our final chance, we spent the whole day trying to get the shot. I jumped into the water with my camera one last time, swam towards five 20 meter whales and when I looked down, there was this massive whale swimming right under me. As soon as I pressed record, it appeared on my camera: “battery exhausted.” I thought, “No way.” But I also thought, “screw it”. I completely forgot about the shot and I just stared straight down at these beautiful, harmless and graceful beings swimming perfectly under me. It was completely mesmerizing!
3. Can you describe to us how a filming day was for you and the people you worked with? How difficult is it shooting underwater?
A filming day can be very different. You can be out on the water for weeks and not really get the shot that you want because you depend on the weather conditions like wind, currents or how murky the water is. There might be even a hurricane nearby. So, it is very likely that you won't be able to get into the water. You can spend whole days just waiting to get in and that can become one entire day of work. However, you can have amazing days as well. You can jump in one day, have a 20 meter visibility and see sharks and rays around you, and then, the next day you can swim for hours and not see anything. It's really all about luck and consistency. Every day is different, but I guess that's also what makes it exciting and it’s part of the experience as well.
4. How do you feel was the response of the general Colombian public after seeing these two productions? How big was their impact?
The target audience for Dive Tierra Bomba Dive wasn’t really in Colombia but in Europe. It was more strategic because the goal of the documentary was to fund a campaign to help cover the costs of Yassandra’s university (the protagonist of the film - a young Colombian environmental leader that lives in the island of Tierra Bomba). This was achieved rather quickly. Yassandra wishes to continue raising awareness on her island about the importance of coral reefs and find ways to preserve them through tourism. Also the directors of the film, the Right to Roam, got support from PADI and Paraiso Dive Cartagena to certify more than 10 kids from the island to become dive instructors. This way, they could start participating in coral reef monitoring projects and make a living from the reef without destroying it. The impact was big at a local level. On the other hand, Expedición Tribugá had an important worldwide impact. Many people from Colombia and around the world wanted to get involved, asking us what they could do, how they could spread the film and even organizing film screenings (which was a bit difficult due to the COVID pandemic). We even had the chance to speak to amazing people like Cristina Mittermeier. I felt part of a global movement and a family. When you actually do something with love and good intention, you literally reap what you sow. The film also helped the Gulf of Tribugá to be declared as a “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue and to open new lines of research in Colombia’s universities to understand this unexplored world. This is just a first step of our ultimate goal to declare Tribugá a marine protected area, not only for Colombia, but for the world. We are definitely at a point where protecting the last remaining vital ecosystems must be a global issue.
5. Which issues do you consider are the most challenging when it comes to protecting the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific coasts?
Mangrove roots in the Colombian Caribbean. “Mangroves are essential breeding ecosystems for a large number of species like birds, crabs, oysters, fish and sharks. They are also one of the most efficient carbon-absorbing plants in the world and thousands of people worldwide depend on them.”
There are so many complex challenges for both the Caribbean and the Pacific coasts. On the one hand, the Pacific has been one of the most neglected parts of Colombia, leading to a broad range of social issues (lack of schools and hospitals, no electricity or drinking water). Paradoxically, this neglect is precisely what has maintained these pristine ecosystems from human interventions, and also preserved the understandings and lifestyles of the local afro and indigenous communities who have inhabit this place for many generations. Then, there’s the other side where the Colombian government wants to step in to “solve these problems” by constructing a large-scale port that will, according to them, “boost” the economy of the region. However, this Western economy-based solution will undeniably be at the expense of huge environmental impacts and the livelihood of the local communities. In the end you don’t know what’s worse, the government neglecting these places or interfering. A great challenge in Colombia is dealing with the disproportionate levels of greed and ambition driven by money. Not only the ecosystems are destroyed, but human lives have no worth. Colombia is the most dangerous country to be an environmental activist and it's only getting worse. Many environmental activists have been killed in Colombia, including Juana Perea, who led ecological and social initiatives in the Pacific coast, including the opposition to the construction of the port in Tribugá.
Unlike the Pacific, the Caribbean coast is more prosperous in economic terms. However, the gap between the rich and poor is only getting wider. Local fisherman do not have the same opportunities nor support from governmental institutions and end up using unsustainable fishing techniques such as dynamite. Meanwhile, large international commercial fishing boats throw their trawl nets into national waters (many times illegally), swiping everything that is alive and leaving nearly nothing to the local communities. I also believe that one of the biggest issues in Colombia is that people inland don't know what's happening inside the ocean. A connection with the ocean needs to be established and one way to do this is by showing people what is underwater. This is why Coral is so important to me. It’s taking the “unseen” to be “seen”.
6. Why is the participation of local communities and the inclusion of local knowledge in decision-making processes regarding coastal management so important?
Symbiosis. “A venomous dart frog (Oophaga histrionica) from the gulf of Tribuga was used for many generations of indigenous and afro descendants for hunting. They would spread the venom of the frog on the tip of the arrow right before shooting it at their prey. A drop of venom can kill a human in a few hours, but the people here know that it only has an effect when entering in contact with the blood stream.”
You cannot think of conservation or protecting the environment without considering the people who live there, because they are the ones who are actively protecting these places and understand their history, cycles, dynamics, uses and meanings. These communities know how live in balance with nature, and it is us who must change our understanding on how we see nature and how we relate to it if we want to protect it. We are part of nature and not something isolated from it, and once we start to see it not as something we use or something that's there for us to use, we will begin see nature as something sacred that must be respected and protected. This is something that only local communities can teach us and we must learn to listen to them.
7. How can films and photographs help to create awareness about conservation issues? What does the word conservation mean to you?
I believe that behind a powerful image there needs to be a powerful story. An image by itself does not create awareness or impact; you need to give a context and decide how you want people to connect with these photographs. Photographs have the power to connect with emotions and penetrate the rational layers of the mind. Emotions in the end are what make us act from a place of coherence. For me, conservation is connecting with nature. It’s not about saving the world, if you connect with nature, you're already doing conservation. You don't need to be participating in a massive project. It's about becoming vulnerable and humble again, and not putting yourself above nature. Every action you do in your everyday life is a conservation action.
8. Do you have any advice for women who want to become underwater photographers and filmmakers?
Yes. Don't think too much about it and just go and do it! I bought all my underwater equipment without even knowing how I was going to make it work. But as soon as you start making these little steps towards that direction, things start to happen. Also, talk to people and share your ideas; by putting ideas into words you are already manifesting them, and you never know what people can give you in return. You just need to trust in yourself, and trust that this is your path and what you want to do. As soon as you put that intention and set your goals, things start to materialize.
A white tip reef shark. “Shark populations have decreased over 90% in the last 100 years. Sharks are at the top of the food chain in the oceans and this means they have shaped the ocean and maintained its balance for over 400 million years. Most species, like this white tip reef shark are not the deadly man-eating machines we perceive sharks to be. If we learn to respect animals’ territories and their lives, we will be on a way to a better future for all.”
9. Where can we find your work and is there anything else you would like to add :) ?
You can find my work on my instagram @la_mar.iana and on the website of Coral Studio. I'm also a part of Her Wild Vision. This is a really cool platform of amazing women conservation photographers, which is definitely worth checking out. I hope that my experiences serve as inspiration to other women. As women, we have a big advantage which is our intuition, our profound sensitivity, I don’t mean in terms of feelings, but rather as a pathway which allows us to achieve a deep connection with nature. We are creators of life, we give birth and simply for this reason we have the possibility of connecting with nature on a much deeper level. What I’m trying to say is: trust your maternal instinct, trust your intuition and trust yourself as a woman. Once this connection is made with the Earth, everything else will start to blossom.
