We were snorkelling with whales when suddenly I spotted a familiar shape in the depths. An Oceanic Whitetip shark! My heart jumped of excitement. I had never seen one in the wild but I knew those beautiful, large white tip pectoral fins were unmistakable. I started swimming towards it. For so long I had wanted to see one and there it was, when less expected, just quietly cruising below us in the sunrays. Sharks are very misunterstood. Many people experience fear and ignorance towards them. I wish they have a chance one day to meet the sharks the way I do. I have been lucky to be in the water with many species and each encounter was peaceful. And they are such a key specie for the health of our oceans. It breaks my heart that millions of them are killed every year for their fins. IUCN red list: Critically endangered.