Carla Virgos | Freediver | Underwater Photographer & Videographer | London | Maldives
Originally from Spain, now based between London and the Maldives, Carla is on a mission to change the way people see sharks and the ocean.
In London, Carla works for a major international firm, looking across the cityscape and the River Thames, and in the Maldives, she is a ‘shark girl’ - a human who is more comfortable in water than on land.
Through her passion, Kandu (meaning “ocean” in Divehi - Maldivian language) was born. Kandu focuses on the ability to connect with locals, nature, and wildlife.
What do you value most in life?
I value many things, the main three being: I value nature, I value the ocean, and I value education.
However, as a Mental Health First Aider, my answer to what is kindness and respect. Each act of kindness is changing the way we see ourselves and others, as well as how others see us. As our kindness positively affects others, we feel more compassionate, confident, useful, and in control. We also find ourselves feeling more appreciative and optimistic. Furthermore, there is nothing as rewarding as giving back to others. Kindness and being generous can change the world. Moreover, one small act of compassion can make a significant impact on someone's life, including your own. And this for me is the most important thing. Kindness and respect.
For me, it has always been about respecting different cultures. Maldives is now my second home, which will soon become my main home. The reason I was welcomed so incredibly and learned so much was that I was open to receiving knowledge from the most senior locals and the youngest as well. They lead with kindness in their life. And this made me fall in love with this country even more. It’s not only the fact that we have the most diverse biodiversity, the most beautiful natural encounters and the best waters, but the locals’ kindness.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I took the traditional path. The path which is considered the “right” path according to society and the world we live in… I went to the University of Bristol, got a first-degree with Honours in International Business Management and then got hired by an international financial brokerage firm in the heart of London.
See I followed what we are told we need to do when we are kids, and this, a path that was supposed to be my destiny, had me unmotivated and unhappy. As I mentioned previously, I now spend time on social media, at events or on the islands doing my best to shed a positive and realistic light on ocean species, specifically sharks.
I am incredibly in love with all these creatures and have spent time with nearly all of the different species there are - bull sharks, tiger sharks, nurse sharks, reef sharks, oceanic white tip sharks… I found my purpose and place. And now, my life is divided between London and the Maldives, and I couldn’t be more motivated, more driven and more passionate.
It comes to show you that you can accomplish anything you want in life. That we are capable of changing the way people see life and the ocean. Replacing fear and ignorance with knowledge changed my life and will continue changing my life. Education changed my life.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
My upbringing was based on two concepts: education and freedom. These have made me the woman I am today. I grew up in a very international family. My mum is originally from Mexico and her sister lives in Thailand. As a young girl, I was always going back and forth from these places, learning about different cultures and different ways of life, but there was always one common factor wherever I went: the ocean.
One of my fondest memories was in Thailand, with my Uncle Tuk. When I was around 10, we used to wake up extremely early, hop on his small fishing boat and spend hours in the sea, fishing for what would be our dinner. Learning about the sustainable way he led his life and how this was not in any way harmful to the ocean. He told me stories about his time in the sea. At the end of the day, no one sees more marine life than fishermen!
Coming from Madrid, a city full of noise, extremely industrialised and filled with people, being exposed to this radical change of lifestyle and pace made me open my eyes to a lot of things: lack of education in the world we live in today, insufficient knowledge on the ocean, lack of respect for nature, unrealistic fears shaped by media when it comes to the ocean… the list goes on!
What brings you the most joy?
Seeing people happy. Seeing people responsibly interact with the ocean. Seeing people open to learning and changing their ways of thinking, but especially seeing people go from fearing the ocean, to swimming with sharks in open waters in natural encounters!
Education is the most powerful tool and seeing people become more aware of what is occurring in the ocean, brings me joy.
Who/what currently inspires you?
No matter where we live, the ocean influences all of us. In turn, our actions, with over 7 billion of us, add up to influence the ocean. Just think about it, the ocean provides us with our living basics: oxygen, fresh water, and food! Spending so much time around the water made me want to learn more about the marine environment and the animals that live there, especially sharks.
Finding out about the diversity of marine life, the importance of the ocean for the health of the entire planet, and that there is so much more out there still to be discovered intrigued me incredibly. The more I learnt, the more passion I developed for it.
One day, I took leave from my finance job in London, packed my bags, and booked a one-way ticket to the Maldives. Alone. With absolutely no direction or idea as to what my journey would look like. Now, I didn’t know this at the time, but this decision would later change my life.
I spent over a month hopping from local island to local island and fell in love. This destination lives in the shadow of the “resorts” and luxury world, but there is so much more to it. Not only does it hold the most incredible level of marine biodiversity: mantas, all the different kinds of sharks, whale sharks, fish, live corals... but with the kindest people. The knowledge these local individuals hold on the ocean, on the animals’ behaviours, their kindness and their willingness to learn and change habits.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
Well, I would love to change a million things! But what I have set as my small mission and purpose are these two things:
Making Maldive’s local islands a single-use plastic-free zone. Although by law in the entire country of Maldives, single-use plastic has been banned, realistically and practically it has not, and it is not a possibility for many of these local islands. The government can write on a piece of paper that something is banned, but if no education is spread as to WHY, or alternatives put in place, then local individuals cannot make this change!
The second thing that I’d like to change is the way people see sharks and the ocean. Sharks are among the top 3 most feared creatures in the world. But why? Shark bites are, statistically, so unlikely that in all functional reality you will never experience one.
So why are so many people afraid of them?
Well, let me tell you, it has a lot to do with the media. The media is mostly to blame for stoking this powerful fear of sharks, in ways that are disproportionate to the actual risk, whether, in films or articles. For example, let’s take the famous film Jaws, which we most likely all watched when we were kids (I mean I know I did) and it terrified us into adulthood teaching us to fear these “violent sea predators” and even the ocean.
Or let’s talk about social media, news reports and press articles, they all have something in common and it is that they sensationalize danger and harm, because they profit from shark hysteria. Think about it, most of the time there is ever a story about a shark, the piece includes terminology like “dangerous shark encounter,” “shark bites”, “fatal shark bite”, “dismembered legs” or even “shark kills human.” For anyone that has spent any amount of time scrolling through social media, it is no secret that it can foster a sense of discontentment, insecurity, jealousy, and even fear.
We all know, although it's sometimes hard to remember, that facts are not the foundation on which social media is built. So why are we judging an animal by what social media says? My purpose and mission are to shed a positive light on these INCREDIBLE creatures and to “reverse the Jaws” effect. As I mentioned before, I have been working in The Maldives spreading as much importance on education for a while now, it has just been in a more silent manner.
What projects are you working on right now?
This has now resulted in me opening up my own business called KANDU and spending more time over there on the local islands of The Maldives. I started speaking on the subject of “single-use plastic” - which as previously mentioned, by law, is banned in Maldives but the reality is that these individuals cannot afford to suddenly invest in flasks for their clients etc. But after a while, many owners got on board.
I launched a trip that was eco-friendly, the only one in my opinion on that island. No single-use plastic or plastic at all for that matter. I provide flasks for everyone. Our lunchboxes are made out of wheat straw and recycled plastic from the ocean. So is our cutlery. No straws. Limited noise pollution in the ocean. Low speed around animals. Education leading the expedition. All for the ocean. If we respect it and take care of it it will reward us back.
Without the help of my incredible local team, a group of Maldivian boys who are now my family, Kandu would not be possible. I am a firm believer in accountability, and I will forever be grateful to them: Nazykko (ocean expert, diver, freediver, and safety diver) & Ageel (photographer, videographer, and divemaster). They are the wisest men, have the best relationships with all the underwater animals and have an incredible capability of capturing the beauty of marine life. Ageel is absolutely fantastic with underwater cameras and always captures unique moments, and the Nazykko holds so much knowledge and confidence underwater. I also have a larger Kandu crew, from our boat captain to our safety divers and dive masters. They are now like my family, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
This is not a Carla stand-alone company. This is a business that I built out of passion, out of an idea I had, but with the best group of local experts in the Maldives.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
I’m on a mission to change the way people see sharks and the ocean.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
DREAM BIG! Remain firmly committed to your dreams. Remember that perseverance is key, no dreams happen overnight and without any effort. You have to stay focused and constantly moving to make your dreams come true. There's no magic wand that will do that for you.
Dream big and focus on your goals, not on your circumstances. Focusing on your circumstances will get you distracted and as a result, it will delay your dreams from coming true. So dream big because you can! Believe because you can! Achieve because you can! I am living proof of this! I changed my life from head to toe! It comes to show you that you can accomplish anything you want in life. That you are one decision away from changing your life. In my case, replacing fear with knowledge changed my life. Education changed my life.
INSTAGRAM: @carlavirgos & @kandu
