APEX H2O

APEX H2O is a fine art collection consisting of intimate shark portraits photographed in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Fiji. The collection intends to celebrate the beauty and elegance of sharks while raising awareness of the critical need for their conservation. 

Sharks have been roaming the oceans for more than 400 million years, but populations of numerous species have drastically plummeted in the past decades due to systematic overfishing. Yes, sharks are predators, but they are far from 'mindless maneaters' and are sociable and intelligent animals. Sharks have gained an unfair and distorted image in the media and public that is far from the truth and hinders effective conservation measures and we need to do more to change people's perceptions. I hope this NFT collection can contribute to that. 

Each NFT in the APEX H2O collection comes with a shark adoption package from MY FIJI SHARK, a Fijian initiative that uses 100% of its proceeds to fund local shark conservation projects.

While diving in the Pacific Ocean off Fiji's coast, a sicklefin lemon shark accompanied by three pilot fish calmly passes by my camera. This species is one of eight that can be found in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve located off the coast of Fiji’s largest island Viti Levu. A unique conservation approach by a dive operator led to the creation of the first national marine protected area in 2014. By entering an agreement with the community that owns the traditional fishing rights to this area, sharks are protected from fishing and generate income for the local economy while staying alive. In exchange for a dive levy paid by every diver, the community refrains from fishing in the reserve, ensuring diverse and abundant marine life. Projects like this can actively help to protect sharks and make a true difference. Sadly, sicklefin lemon sharks (scientific name: Negaprion acutidens) are listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of Threatened Species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This species needs all the help it can get to rebound to sustainable population number and prevent it from possibly going extinct in the future.  
By purchasing 'APEX 3 // Negaprion acutidens' you will receive a sicklefin lemon shark adoption package from MY FIJI SHARK, a Fijian initiative that uses 100% of its proceeds to fund local shark conservation initiatives.


APEX 3 // Negaprion acutidens

This intimate tawny nurse shark portrait was photographed off the coast of Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji. Here, in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve, Fiji’s first marine protected area written into national law in 2014, sharks find a safe haven where all fishing is banned. This agreement between a dive operator and the Fijian community with the traditional fishing rights to the area is a win-win for everyone involved: the sharks stay alive and generate income, the village benefits from a dive levy paid by every visiting diver, and the thriving fish populations within the Shark Reef area spill over to neighbouring fishing grounds increasing overall fish biomass.  
Tawny nurse sharks (scientific name: Nebrius ferrugineus) are bottom-dwelling sharks reaching more than 3m in length. Unfortunately, their population trend is decreasing, and they are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the Red List of Threatened Species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Sharks have played a significant role in shaping our oceans over the last 400 million years and I find it hard to wrap my mind around the fact that they have been around even before the dinosaurs! Healthy oceans need sharks as part of the ecological balance and although powerful and majestic, they are also vulnerable animals that are threatened by anthropogenic overexploitation. Bottom line: sharks need all the help they can get.  
APEX 2 // Ginglymostoma cirratum comes with a tawny nurse shark adoption package from MY FIJI SHARK, a Fijian initiative that uses 100% of its proceeds to fund local shark conservation initiatives


APEX 2 // Nebrius ferrugineus

Being up close and personal with bull sharks (scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas) is an incredible experience. After I saw my first shark in the wild more than ten years ago, a passion was born. I embarked on a journey of photographing these animals and studying their role in the oceans which eventually led me to Fiji where I currently live.
This intimate portrait of an adult bull shark was photographed in 30m depth off the coast of Viti Levu when it passed me peacefully within a 2m distance in Fiji’s unique Shark Reef Marine Reserve, the first marine protected area in the country officially declared in 2014. Seeing the sharks’ eyes watch me as it curiously swam by was a powerful moment. Sadly, humans kill 100 million sharks per year and bull sharks are no exception: they are currently listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of Threatened Species with a decreasing population trend. Here in Fiji, divers pay a levy for accessing and diving in the reserve which directly benefits the local village traditionally owning the fishing rights to the area. In return, they refrain from fishing there making it a win-win for everybody - the sharks, and the people. 
We should be much more afraid of an ocean without sharks than of an ocean full of them as sharks are an integral part of a healthy and functioning marine ecosystem. Bottom line: sharks need all the help they can get.  
'APEX 1 // Carcharhinus leucas' comes with a bull shark adoption package from MY FIJI SHARK, an initiative that uses 100% of its proceeds to fund local shark conservation initiatives.


APEX 1 // Carcharhinus leucas 

I am a conservation photographer & filmmaker with a focus on the oceans and particularly sharks, interactions between humans and the environment, and a deep interest in how to bring about positive change using visual storytelling. 

Marine Biologist (M.Sc.), Science Communicator, Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and the Ocean Artists Society. German's Science Photographer of the Year 2016. Currently based in the Pacific.

Tom Vierus

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