Time to e-meet Jeimylee Camacho - @sharkbait_05 marine biologist and shark lover, who is passionate about sharing her ocean knowledge with the world!
I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Miami Beach, FL. Growing up, I was always surrounded by water. I can remember the days of having horrible storms or King tides, the streets would flood, and I would see so many fish flooding in. That is the moment I believe in having fallen in love with the ocean. From there on out, you might as well have called me a mermaid. I was always in the water; you couldn’t keep me from it.
Q:) Where did your love of the ocean and sharks begin?
My love for sharks started in High School when I entered the Marine Biology program. I was able to join their Shark Club, where I was able to go out with the University of Miami and help tag and do research on sharks. My first trip out, I was excited but nervous. I stayed with the Shark Club all four years of high school.
From there, I went to Florida International University to get a BS in Marine Biology. I lost touch with my love for sharks and found another new interest. In my senior year of getting my BS in Marine Biology, I joined the Ecotoxicology lab, where I ran a small project on the shoaling behavior of Sailfin Mollies as adults and juveniles when a predator is present and not present. This opportunity not only opened a new world for me by introducing me to the freshwater system and toxicology, but I started to question how toxic chemicals could affect sharks.
What caught my interest in sharks was the mystery of them and how many different types there are. Not knowing much information about them and seeing how misunderstood they are. They are believed to be monsters of the ocean. They ”infest” the water. I have always believed that Sharks do not infest the water; that is their home. If anything, we infest their waters. I am currently starting in my field by looking into graduate schools. My focus is between shark behavior and conservation. Maybe I will be able to find a way to infuse both.
Q:) What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into marine science?
I am just graduating from Florida International University with a BS in Marine Biology. I would say that it is never too late to study Marine Biology, and anyone can do it. When people hear marine biologists, they don't imagine someone like me. They imagine an older white male in a lab coat. Well, I'm here to break that perception. When picking classes, I one hundred percent, believe that one should get to know their professor.
Ask around about them. Talk to students that have taken that class before and try to get a feel if that professor suits you. Not only if they are a great professor, but if they can be a help to you with you're future endeavors.
I have taken a class not really necessary for me to graduate, but I knew this professor would be great to ask for a letter of recommendation when I apply to graduate school.
Q:) Imagine you woke up tomorrow as a shark (or other ocean creature)! Which species would you be and why?
My favorite shark is the Hammerhead shark. Well, I guess you can say the whole family is my favorite. So if I wake up tomorrow as a shark, it would be the hammerhead shark. I just find it so cool that they have evolved to have a T-shaped head and have such good visual perception. I envy this because I am practically blind. So having a great vision is a dream of mine.
Q:) Do you have a very favorite diving memory or reason you keep going back into the water?
When it comes to diving, I have one diving memory that I will never forget, but it's not for being in the water but the situation that surrounded it. I continue diving when I get a chance because I love to go back home and show my niece the wonders of the ocean.
Knowing that I can explain and catch her interest at six years old means that I can do the same for anyone. The last dive I was on, I wasn't as excited because I had gone a year before, and I felt like it was dead, nothing exciting to see. Oh boy, did this reef show me how wrong I was! I saw LIFE, and I was so happy to see how much could change in just a year.
Q:) What's you future goal with sharks or goal in future career endeavours?
My future goal is to be able to communicate with everyone, from little kids to adults, the importance of sharks and our oceans. I want to be able to answer their questions on shark behaviors and conservation without hesitation.
I am currently turning my Instagram page into an educational page for shark information.
Most importantly, I want to be able to show my niece that sharks and the ocean are not to be afraid of but respected. It brings me so much joy that when it comes to science projects and ocean questions, I am her first call.
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