Mike Coots was just 18 years old when he lost his leg during a shark attack in Hawaii. While the obvious next step might be to never return to the water again, Coots has become an advocate for sharks as well as a professional photographer and accomplished underwater photographer. His passion for the ocean predator comes through on his wildly popular Instagram account.

Coots was compeled to become active in shark conservation when he learned how important the apex predators are to ocean health and the tremendous number of them that are slaughtered every year.

“It would be amazing to see the U.S. support the shark protections proposed at the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, this September. We can all sign a document to voice our support for these protections.”

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