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Eli Martinez

@sdmdiving

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Join us on a wildlife expedition, protecting and celebrating the diversity of wildlife, with a special focus on predators and endangered species.

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Yesterday we encountered a bear on the rocks by the point. He/she was napping but kept getting wakened by arctic terns that were very upset that it chose their nesting grounds to sleep in. The birds kept diving bombing the bear… pecking its head, face and nose, over and over. I shot this from a moving boat in nasty rolling swells. Got super lucky freezing this moment in that mess. #polarbear #churchill #wildandfree by @sdmdiving

Hi my name is Eli, I’ve been organizing wildlife expeditions for over 20 years. 😬 I cut together a reel of my work, for a presentation but also a way to say hello here on IG. So if you are visiting my page, it’s nice to meet you… by @sdmdiving

Hello cute little puffer fish!!!

We stopped by puffer cove to swim with hundreds of puffer fish today. It’s so much fun. Love these cute little aliens. #pufferfish #bajamagic by @sdmdiving

Feeding the sacred sika deer of Nara, Japan, was beautiful, fun, and a little chaotic. The moment the crackers came out, I was surrounded. They bumped me, pulled at my clothes, and a few even bit me when I wasn’t handing out treats fast enough. Their bites sting!

The experience left me thinking about feeding wildlife. I don’t believe in traveling to another country and immediately judging how local people interact with their animals. I have spent much of my life feeding sharks, and I understand that wildlife feeding can be complicated. It can create extraordinary connections between people and animals, but it can also influence behavior in ways we need to recognize.
These deer have been protected in Nara for more than a thousand years. They have lived alongside people for generations and are deeply connected to the city’s culture, history, and tourism. So I am not criticizing the people of Nara or pretending I fully understand this relationship after one visit. I am simply observing, asking questions, and trying to understand.
It was an interesting experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, definitely one I am still thinking about. Footage by @maritzamtzsdm by @sdmdiving

A rare sighting of a sailfish attacking a baitball off Mag Bay. Striped marlin is the main species we see on these dives. But we got super lucky on this day a few years back when a sailfish joined in on the hunt. Excited to get back there this December for another shot at seeing one of these guys. Insanely beautiful fish. #sailfish #wildandfree #baja by @sdmdiving

A throw back photo from when we crawled inside a trail, that had been carved out under the brush by anacondas. They used it to get access to the river. We slid in to photograph our anaconda to try and get a face shot of the resting snake. It was intense. Exciting and fun as well, but still intense. She laid there motionless, never moved, just watched us. You can sort of see the boat and the river behind her. I love the Pantanal. Image captured under permit. #anaconda #brazil #wildandfree by @sdmdiving

Right whale playing and smashing water. Right’s are easily the most exciting and amazing whales I have ever had the privilege of spending time with. They are extremely social and curious and just special. Sadly something is happening to them out there right now and science is trying to figure it out. Hundreds of whales died this season. Over 150 babies washed up on shore this season which was devastating to a very fragile population. I read one report that blamed the gulls for this, but I highly doubt that. My guess is something in the water has poisoned them. I hope this is figured out soon. We need all our whales. Images captured under government permits. #rightwhale #patagonia #wildandfree by @sdmdiving

One of the most beautiful and interesting animals I have ever encountered and photographed was a Malay civet. We were on a night safari in the Dermakot rainforest in Borneo, in search of clouded leopards. Sadly those cats were a no show but we did find this beauty hunting for rodents and frogs on the road. Managed a few proof of life shots. Would love more opportunities to photograph this amazing species. Just need to get back there to try it again… and find that clouded leopard as well. #civet #borneo #wildandfree by @sdmdiving

Great hammerheads off Bimini Bahamas. Still the greatest place in the world to encounter these elegant and wild looking sharks. #greathammerhead #bahamas #wildandfree by @sdmdiving

Cross foxes are easily one of the most beautiful colorations of the fox family. They are color variants of red foxes, and they are all different. I am hoping this winter will be a good year for foxes in Churchill. Excited to get back there in November to find out. #crossfox #wildandfree #churchill by @sdmdiving

Popcorn rays!!!

One of the most amazing behaviors we witness during the summer off Baja is when the Mobula rays gather in the tens of thousands for mating, feeding and socializing. When they gather together they often breach, sometimes one or two at a time. Science still has no idea why… and every once in a while they all decide to start jumping together. Hundreds of these rays all jumping, displaying one of the most unique and amazing behaviors you will ever experience. It is a thing of beauty. #mobularays #wildandfree #baja by @sdmdiving

The Boys are back!!!

A few summers back we watched these two sibling polar bears play fighting in the bay. They wrestled and played for over an hour. It was such an amazing experience, watching these two big bears going at it nonstop. It was an incredible day. #polarbears #churchill #wildandfree by @sdmdiving