Born and raised in South Texas, Eli Martinez has become a formidable entity in the shark diving community, pushing and changing what is known about sharks and the way sharks are seen. He is also no stranger to the dangers posed by extreme sports or big animals, having spent 6 years as a rodeo bull rider.
His love of adventure and nature is what inspires him. "I want to show the beauty and excitement of the shark species, as well as to help destroy the myth that sharks are mindless monsters. Eli draws his inspiration for all of his projects from the action sports genre; having spent some time experimenting and enjoying; rock climbing, surfing, mountain biking. His love for animals and nature is where his heart truly lies and dispelling “shark myths” is his life work.
Eli has spent countless hours under the sea interacting with many of the most dangerous shark species, studying their behavior and discovering their true nature.
Eli has been featured in magazines and newspapers around the world for his work, and has worked as a host/cameraman/ safety diver for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic channel, CNN and NBC's The Today Show. The image of him high diving a shark was seen by over 40 million people world wide.