Mike Coots

Age 32, currently living in Kauai, Hawaii.

www.mikecoots.com
www.mikecootsblog.com

In one swift move, a tiger shark took Mike Coots’ leg while he was surfing off the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1997. Coots caught a wave to shore and friends rushed him to the hospital. As he labored through months of recovery, he discovered a new hobby that eventually turned into a successful career: photography. Today, Coots’ clients include major hotels, surfing-related businesses and both the Hawaii and Kauai visitor bureaus. In addition, he continues to surf daily, now with a prosthetic leg. After Coots began to learn about sharks’ plummeting populations, he became a shark advocate with The Pew Environment Group. He has travelled to the United Nations and the U.S. Capitol to advocate for shark conservation. Coots also worked to help pass Hawaii’s 2010 ban on the possession and sale of shark fins –- the first state to take such action. Coots was featured on Discovery Channel’s SHARK WEEK in 2012.