Lagoon Child

It was the sharks that brought me to this lagoon. This lagoon called me to it the moment I learned of it's existence. The first time I sank into it's waters I stayed submerged long after the sun left me and even longer after the moon joined me. It was at this lagoon that I found my partner. It was at this lagoon I spent many moments of my pregnancy resting my bones and visiting old friends, the stingrays for which each now had a name after seven years of visits. Whispering my hopes and confessing my fears to "Big Mama", my favorite ray who I've known since the beginning of my time at the lagoon. “Big Mama” has had the most pregnancies over the years compared to the other females. I’ve spent many of my favorite moments gently placing my hands on her back feeling her little ones kick against my palms. Always congratulating her on her hard work when she would show up suddenly deflated, having recently given birth. It felt full circle in this moment floating on my back as she continued to cover me and my baby like a warm blanket, comforted by the thought that she now has the chance to do the same with me. It is here that I will continue to bring my son, my lagoon child, as he grows to learn about the importance of embracing your inner wild. /// 'Lagoon Child' | April 2022 | Edition 1/1 NFT Kori Burkhardt is an underwater photographer, expedition leader, & shark biologist based in French Polynesia. Capturing the ocean's wildlife by completely immersing with them, her goal is to show the ocean in a beautiful, yet still powerful, perspective. As co-founder of conservation and research organization Mao Mana Foundation, her mission commits to protecting sharks and all marine wildlife.