[caption id="attachment_4201" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo by Paul Spielvogel"]
[/caption] Scuba Diver Girls have been watching the work of Paul Spielvogel for some time now. He is an amazing photographer with a lens focus on Sharks. Here is a little bit about himself from his facebook profile:
"I am a "SHARK JUNKY," Staff Photographer and General Counsel for SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE ("SDM"). I have been SCUBA DIVING since the age of 16 and have earned numerous dive certifications including DIVE MASTER. I am following my dreams and passions by seeking ultimate adventures with Sharks in their natural habitat. With camera in hand I am always chasing the elusive "perfect shot". I am a regular contributor to SDM and currently have my own column entitled "PHOTO FRUSTRATIONS - THE MAKING OF A SHARK PHOTOGRAPHER". I work hard but play harder and I am "LIVN' THE DREAM" with SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE." Also read the following Q&A from
iDivesharks.com to get to know Paul a little better! SDG will be publishing Paul's work in future blog posts, so we thought it would be nice if you got to know him! You've only got to surf the web within the 'Sharky Circles' of facebook to see the recurring imagery of this shark diving nut, so much is he endeared to sharks that his email start with 'sharkjunky'. A dedicated family man, a talented photographer and all around cool chap to have in any situation folks, it gives me great pleasure to introduce, the inimitable
Mr. Paul Spielvogel. 
iDS: "Hey Paul, it's great to have you here on iDive Sharks. Firstly, could you tell us a little about yourself? PS: First, let me say that I am glad and proud to be a member of the iDiveSharks community and I wish you the best of luck with the iDiveSharks website. I grew up in Long Island, NY and then migrated to South Florida at the age of fourteen. My dad was a free-lance pharmacist so we moved quite a bit during my high school years. I attended four different High Schools and graduated from Boca Raton High School-Class of '75. After my High School years I returned to NY to attend Long Island University where I received my B.A. Then I was off to Houston where I attended South Texas College of Law and obtained my J.D. I met my wife, Janet, on her first day of law school; we passed the bar, got married, opened a law office in The Woodlands, Texas and had three children. I run the real estate division of our firm and Janet specializes in family law. iDS: Could you tell us a little about how long you've been diving? Where and when did you learn? PS: I have been diving since 1971 when I was first introduced to SCUBA at the age of fourteen by a family friend while living in South Florida. The minimum age for a SCUBA certification back then was sixteen. So, on my sixteenth birthday I drove to the local dive shop, Boca Marine, signed up for SCUBA lessons and became a certified open water diver. I am currently a PADI Dive Master. iDS: What kind of diving genre's are you into? PS: For the last seven years my diving profile dramatically changed to being Shark specific and I now hold myself out as a "Shark Diver" as well as a "Shark Photographer". I never thought I would be a shooter because I felt that the photographers missed so much of the activity around them because they were always focusing their attention through a lens. Now, I am one with my camera and I rarely enter the water without it. iDS: Sharks! So how are you connected with shark diving? Is it purely from a personal diving ambition or are you involved with any operations? PS: I had never really experienced a true up-close and personal shark encounter with any of the marquis species until I met Eli Martinez and became involved with
Shark Diver Magazine in 2003. Though I had observed numerous species of sharks from a safe distance those brief encounters left me unsatisfied and wanting something more. In the eighties while diving in the Maldives I asked our Dive Master to show me something spectacular and he did not disappoint. He led our group to a ledge 130 feet down where I got my first glimpse of Grey Reef and White Tip Sharks. I was mesmerized and my time in the water just seemed to stand still. If it weren't for my dive computer, I probably would still be there. Then, on a later trip to the Galapagos Islands, I found myself for the first time in the company of Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. It was amazing but I was still felt like an outsider and not really a part of what I was seeing. Though I have had the good fortune to be able to travel to some really wonderful and exotic places early on in my dive career like Fiji, Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia and numerous Caribbean and Bahamian Islands, the dive operators back then were more accustomed to appealing to the everyday tourist, not a thrill seeker like I was becoming. Many of the guides were basically afraid of sharks and considered a good trip to be one where there were no shark encounters. I attended Sea Space, a dive trade show in Houston, Texas to catch up with old friends in the industry, make my rounds to see what was new and just enjoy a day surrounded by diving enthusiasts. That's where I first met Eli Martinez, Editor and Publisher of Shark Diver Magazine. Eli had a booth advertising his magazine and shark expeditions. He had so much energy and he shared his ideas and concepts about taking diving to the next level. On the last day of the show, Eli and I spent hours talking "shark". By the end of the day, I was hooked and agreed to join him on a Great White Shark expedition to Guadalupe Island. I also signed up to take my two sons, Aaron and Adam, and my nephew Jason. It was at that same show that I also met Lawrence Groth of Great White Adventures, an enthusiastic shark fanatic who had made a name for himself as the go-to guy for the white sharks. Lawrence was to be our dive operator for this expedition. As if the trip was not wow enough, Gavin McKinney, a well known a cinematographer who was part of an IMAX production team shooting SHARKS 3D was also scheduled to be with us. This unforgettable trip ended up being a life changing experience for me and the kids. Since that trip to Guadalupe, Eli and I have done extensive travel together and it was his influence that helped me develop my passion for Underwater Photography. Working with Eli and Shark Diver Magazine afforded me numerous once in a life time opportunities by exposing me to the work side of Shark Photography which I thoroughly enjoyed. Through my association with Eli, I met many skilled underwater photographers such as Andy Murch whom I now consider my mentor much to Andy's frustration since he says I am a work in progress.
Another day in the office, Paul with a Great Hammerhead Shark © Wolfgang Leander iDS: What is your general response to people when they ask 'the' question once they find out you're a scuba diver; "But what about Sharks"? PS: I love being asked about Shark Diving. Sharks are always a topic of discussion in my office, on facebook, and in social settings. When clients or their children see my shark photos proudly displayed on every wall in my office or they read the articles in the Shark Diver Magazines in my lobby, they are naturally curious, or envious, or both. "I always wanted to do that" is a very common response I hear from the adults. They ask if I am afraid when diving with sharks, or more often, they wonder why am I not afraid to enter the water when I know sharks lurk below. My initial response is that it is natural to fear the unknown, but I am on a quest to learn all I can about as many different species of sharks as my time in the water will permit. I let them know that I differentiate fear from respect, although they do go hand-in-hand to a degree, and that I understand I live on land, and they live in water, so I am a guest in the shark world. By emphasizing that this is a passion for education, and not just thrill seeking, the topic changes from questions about why do I dive with sharks, to what have I learned? That usually leads to discussions about the different types of sharks I have encountered, the different destinations I have traveled to, and my disapproval of people who kill sharks for sport or who waste a species for a food delicacy. I hope that by sharing my shark photography and diving experiences and opinions, I make a difference, however small it may be, not only to entertain, but to make those who listen understand that we can and need to co-exist with all animals, of all shapes, sizes, and locations. iDS: What are your hopes for the future with regards to shark conservation? PS: I support Shark Conservation knowing that sharks need our help and protection. To diminish the shark populations would obviously have a major impact on our ecosystem resulting in devastation to our planet that is un-thinkable on so many levels. Although there are many great conservation groups and individuals, there is a need to unify their efforts to achieve common goals "for the sharks". There are strong differences of opinion amongst the various conservation groups for how to effectively protect our marine life. My friend, Jeff Schreiber authored a blog titled "
Conservation Attenuation" which was posted to address the in-fighting and bickering amongst the various shark conservationists. The bottom line of this most welcome blog was that we all need to get along, that there are common goals, and that the individual groups and people are more powerful working together for a common cause to the benefit of our sharks. He noted that the message of Shark Conservation is getting lost due to the bickering and infighting. I embraced this writing and I am hopeful that Jeff's message gets through to all concerned. It is definitely a good read; short and to the point. We as a group are powerful and if we in fact find our common ground we can be much more successful in the never ending fight to protect sharks. We all have something to contribute whether it is money, articles, protests, letters to the editor, images and/or videos that make a visual impact. What we do, no matter how little, can and will benefit sharks and make a difference. I personally am a strong believer and advocate of eco-tourism which I am very much a part of and I recognize and know that a live shark is worth a thousand times more than a dead shark. iDS: Do you have any tips you would want to share with folks looking to get into shark diving? PS: YES! Do your research. Know your limitations. Do not be afraid, but be respectful of the animals and their environment. Choose a dive operator with a good reputation. Subscribe to Shark Diver Magazine and join us on one or more of our shark specific dive expeditions. iDS: Living or Dead, is there someone you would want to dive with and why? PS: The obvious answer and probably answered by more than seventy-five percent of the diver population depending on age would be hands down Lloyd Bridges who portrayed Mike Nelson in the series Sea Hunt. I never missed an episode and I actually own the complete re-mastered DVD series. There are others, of course, like Jacques-Yves Cousteau, whom I enjoyed following his adventures aboard the Calypso. These are the two individuals that have influenced me the most as to why I wanted to be a diver and of course why I am a diver today. iDS: Do you have a particular and favored Shark Diving Destination? PS: I always joke with Eli that I am in charge of the Tropical Division of the magazine because I hate the cold! So, any tropical destination that guarantees me sharks is the destination for me. I have made numerous trips to the Bahamas and in particular, Tiger Beach. The Dolphin Dream is a favorite dive operator, the water is warm, the sun is hot, the water is blue, and there are sharks. I have had good luck with getting some really great shots of Tiger Sharks, Great Hammerheads, and Lemon Sharks. The subscribers who join us really add to the enjoyment of each trip because we all share the same goals of fun, friendship, and adventure. Other favorites would include Mexico and in particular, Playa Del Carmen for the notorious Bull Sharks.
[/caption] Scuba Diver Girls have been watching the work of Paul Spielvogel for some time now. He is an amazing photographer with a lens focus on Sharks. Here is a little bit about himself from his facebook profile: "I am a "SHARK JUNKY," Staff Photographer and General Counsel for SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE ("SDM"). I have been SCUBA DIVING since the age of 16 and have earned numerous dive certifications including DIVE MASTER. I am following my dreams and passions by seeking ultimate adventures with Sharks in their natural habitat. With camera in hand I am always chasing the elusive "perfect shot". I am a regular contributor to SDM and currently have my own column entitled "PHOTO FRUSTRATIONS - THE MAKING OF A SHARK PHOTOGRAPHER". I work hard but play harder and I am "LIVN' THE DREAM" with SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE." Also read the following Q&A from iDivesharks.com to get to know Paul a little better! SDG will be publishing Paul's work in future blog posts, so we thought it would be nice if you got to know him! You've only got to surf the web within the 'Sharky Circles' of facebook to see the recurring imagery of this shark diving nut, so much is he endeared to sharks that his email start with 'sharkjunky'. A dedicated family man, a talented photographer and all around cool chap to have in any situation folks, it gives me great pleasure to introduce, the inimitable Mr. Paul Spielvogel. 