Age 7

At the age of seven, I discovered the passion that would shape my life.

The first time I pulled a massive bonito from the sea, something inside me awakened. From that moment on, I became obsessed with the ocean. Every day, I snorkeled, fished, and explored the coastline, often waking before dawn to fish alone while the world was still asleep.

But the fish were never meant to be eaten. I brought them home alive, turning my room into a small aquarium where I spent countless nights observing marine life in silence.

On certain days, enormous schools of silver fish flooded the harbor, erupting onto the shore when startled. I would dive into the chaos, covered in fish scales, searching for the single rare red bigeye hidden among thousands.

Those childhood moments sparked my lifelong dream of becoming a National Geographic Explorer.