I have been very fortunate to be able to explore and work under the waters of Mexico since my teenage days. When I met Patricio and he introduced me to what he does today after so many years of producing nature conservation images, I was lured by his work Los Rituales del Reencuentro. I immediately let him know about my interest in participating. To me Blue Whales were always puzzling and fascinating; I have seen them on almost every trip on the waters of the northern Mexican Pacific. Nevertheless, 59 nude women holding each other by the feet to form a Blue Whale silhouette compares to nothing I have ever seen or tried to capture with my camera. For me today there is a Before and After this conservation effort made possible by these brave women screaming at us with their bodies.

www.robertocharce.smugmug.com

For more than two decades I have traveled along the Gulf of California while diving with sharks, with huge schools of fish, and within vast algae forests, but nothing compared with the impressive size of a Blue Whale. When I was invited to join the The Human Blue Whale project I never thought anything could rival the magnificence of such an encounter but I was wrong. I have been very touched by the courage of 59 women who have posed in front of the lens of several cameras to leave a message about the threats man poses to the to the largest species that ever existed on earth.

www.octavioaburto.com

I could write for hours about the challenge and joy that was my role in this wonderful exercise, but I will not. I think most of you can imagine how hard it is to try to direct a group of 50-something women, floating naked in the water, with a megaphone, using numbers to refer to the different parts of the anatomy of a whale, and dancing with the playful tides and currents. Suddenly, the chaos disappeared and a human whale floated in front of me. For a minute or so there was silence; every woman floated still, hands and feet woven in the ancient shape of the blue whale, my voice in the megaphone just a memory in the sheer cliffs of the island. It was a magic instant that nobody will ever steal from me or from the women, who I am sure they felt it as deep as I did.

However, the true revelation came when I had the opportunity to interview some of the women in a more intimate setting. I was deeply moved by the quest of liberation of the older women; by the feeling of unity to protect the blue whale of the younger; by the vivid memories of their first sight of a whale; or by the primeval strength of their rebellion against our male-dominant society.

I don’t think it is easy to convey with the written word the deep impression that human emotions can have in our minds, and thus, I want to thank all these women for the lesson they gave me that afternoon.

Let their passions and bodies speak out loud for the conservation of the blue whale.

www.jaime-rojo.com

From the first meeting with Carlos Sanchez, He believed that the human blue whale was possible. He’s support, enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the region and its biodiversity was crucial in the evaluation of locations for the shooting, He’s roll in the logistics that day make everybody confident.

I first learned about The Human Blue Whale project almost a year ago, when happenstance placed Patricio and I at the same table at a conference in Mexico. I did not know him then, aside from his photographic works, which I admired. During lunch, I asked Patricio what was on his mind. An hour later, he had shared his special vision of Los Rituales Del Reencuentro, and some details of what we would be the production of the Human Blue Whale. It was easy to commit to helping him that very day.

I have always believed in the power of photography, but what is even clearer to me now is how effective it can be when artists find innovative ways to share the message behind an image. I am grateful to be taking on the challenge of packaging this project and delivering it to broader audiences.

www.neileverosborne.com