Fiona Ayerst (born 20 September 1965) is a wildlife photographer based in South Africa notable for underwater photography.[The Telegraph, 21 September 2011, Pictures of the day, Retrieved 15 August 2014, "...Underwater photographer Fiona Ayerst captures pictures of bull sharks off the coast of Mozambique, southern Africa..."]
Biography
She has swum with many species of shark, photographed them, including the macropredator
tiger shark[June/July 2009, Magazines.co.za, Riveting Shark Encounters: Fiona Ayerst recounts her magical experience with the Leander free-diving duo and gentle tiger shark in the warm silky waters of the Bahamas , Retrieved 15 August 2014][Note: while Tiger sharks have attacked humans in the past, such incidents are rare, and these sharks are a near-threatened species which Ayerst argues deserve protection] and the massive but tamer
whale shark.
[11 Alive (TV News), Retrieved 15 August 2014, (see photos 7 and 8) "...Fearless sea-snapper, Fiona Ayerst,45, from Mossel Bay, South Africa is so dedicated to capturing up-close pictures of sharks that she literally goes head-to-head with the ocean's top predators. ... eye-popping picture she snaps a friend cheekily swimming in front of a whale shark in just a bikini...."][4 August 2009, Time magazine, , Retrieved 15 August 2014, "...A 40-foot whale shark and a brave snorkler swim off the South African coast. ..."][Meera Dolasia, 3 July 2009, Dogo News, Er . . . . . . . Is That A Shark Behind You?, Retrieved 15 August 2014, "...Fiona Ayerst were out diving and admiring the beautiful marine life in the warm Indian Ocean waters, when Fiona, who was slightly behind Sam, noticed this Whale Shark following her friend...."] Her images have won awards in numerous photo competitions.
[18 October 2012, Africa Media, Africa Media’S Principal Photographer, Fiona Ayerst’S Image Chosen In The Top 50 Of The Save Our Seabirds International Photo Competition- “Oceans Of Life” , Retrieved 15 August 2014, "...multi- award winning photographer, Fiona Ayerst , ... images nominated for an award in this prestigious competition, October 2012....Fiona's image of a pygmy seahorse ... Sulawesi,Indonesia on a night dive ... only the size of a tiny fingernail..."] She writes for several magazines, and works as an editor for
Beyond Blue magazine.
[August/September 2009, Magazines.co.za, Being the winter edition, I have some great articles lined up to both thaw and chill you in these core winter months , Retrieved 15 August 2014, "..Fiona Ayerst, professional underwater photographer and editor of Beyond Blue magazine, reveals the elusive frogfish,..."][June/July 2009, Magazines.co.za, Fiona Ayerst, professional underwater photographer and editor of Beyond Blue magazine, reveals the elusive frogfish, Retrieved 15 August 2014] She is a proponent of protecting sharks and ocean environments.
[Getty Images, Shark photographer Fiona Ayerst , Retrieved 15 August 2014, "..'Seeing as human beings kill over 100 million sharks each year, and they only kill less than ten of us each year- I am not especially worried about them....(Photo by Fiona Ayerst/Barcroft Media / Getty Images)..."] Her images have appeared in magazines and newspapers worldwide, such as
Time magazine,
[ as well as on magazine covers and coffee table books featuring wildlife photography. She won South Africa's 2003 Wildlife Photographer of the Year. She gave a TED talk in 2012 titled My journey into water.][28 March 2012, The Gremlin News & Information, Mossel Bay photographer talks at TEDxSeaPoint, Retrieved 15 August 2014, "..Fiona Ayerst – a professional photographer who gave up the law in order to follow her passion for the sea – called her talk 'My journey into water.'..."] She is a director of Africa Media.
External links
