An interview with Luca Martinez By Denise Pietsch
All media © Luca Martinez

“It’s when you love something first that you’ll even care to protect it.”

If the Everglades hired a social media manager, it would be Luca Martinez. At only 18 years old, Luca has captured the attention of millions with his slow-motion shots of an alligator set amongst vibrant green fronds and hypnotic Reels dredged from the depths of Florida’s Everglades. But his mission isn’t to collect likes and shares. Luca’s story is one of environmental stewardship through the lens of a camera and hope through the illumination of beauty.

When we talk about coral reef decay over a lifetime, we’re often asking those who started diving in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Luca’s life work shows us the ugly truth of crippled coral off the Florida coast, a dramatic decay in the health of reefs he has been exploring since childhood.

“I went back [to Pickle’s Reef] recently, maybe a few years ago, and the reef was completely white. It was completely bleached. Dead. I mean completely just – how do I explain it? Just flattened. It was a graveyard.”

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