gabriella gerbasi underwater photo freediving with a shark in the bahamas

Welcome to My Life in Shades of Blue!

Gabriella Gerbasi January 5, 2023

Gabriella Gerbasi - Ocean child passionate about ocean conservation and sustainability. I’m a waterwoman living life in shades of blue. Whether it’s freediving, spearfishing, scuba diving or boating I try to spend as much time as I can in the water.

The sea is my second home. The ocean is central to my existence, it is where I go to exercise, to explore, to fish and feed myself. For me, the ocean is a source of energy and power. It calms my mind and recharges my body. When I’m in the water, I experience joy and contentment. I delight in the sea, I can taste the life in the water.

Giving Tuesday - Ocean Lover's Edition

Gabriella Gerbasi November 28, 2022

Give back to our oceans this Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It’s a day that encourages people to give back in whatever ways they can. Shop My Life in Shades of Blue - Coffee Table Book and Dive Merch where profits go to Ocean Conservation.

scuba diving with dad in cayman islands, underwater photo

Happy Father's Day

Gabriella Gerbasi June 20, 2022

Happy Father’s Day! I was amazed by scuba diving, the fact that I could spend up to an hour underwater looking at squid, turtles, stingrays, colourful fish and shipwrecks sounded too good to be true. At 12 years old, I got my PADI Open Water Diver certification in the Cayman Islands so dad and I would be able to dive together around the Caribbean. I haven’t been able to get the ocean out of my head and my heart ever since.

florida spearfishing tournament, florida spearfishing, girls who fish, girls spearfishing, women spearfishing, waterwoman, amberjack, gulf of mexico

Join me in the Florida Spearfishing Tournament

Gabriella Gerbasi April 10, 2022

Join me in the @floridaspearfishing tournament. An event that allows people from all over the state of #Florida to compete! Spearfish all the time like you normally do, except now when you get a fish you can enter it to win prizes.

I’ve always felt inspired by the sea women of Jeju and the Ama divers who represent the feminine strength and resilience as a self sufficient sisterhood of diving women, mothers and grandmothers. These women are treated like heroes by the people of their island because they support their families, they fish and harvest what they eat and provide in the most natural way possible.

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Most Epic Valentine's Day Ever - Diving in Costa Rica

Gabriella Gerbasi March 4, 2022

I woke in Pavones, known as a surfer's haven, and got ready to go diving. On our way to the boat CJ picked some flowers and that immediately put a smile on my face. There’s just something about wearing flowers in my hair that makes me feel like a real island / coconut girl. I mean it was a Monday morning and I was wearing a bikini on a remote beach in Costa Rica with flowers in my hair next to the jungle. It felt pretty amazing.

Dolphins

We were on the boat for a while before getting to our first location of the day. On the way there, we saw a pod of dolphins swimming right next to us. For those who know me, I love dolphins and the symbolism associated with this creature. Dolphins have been a symbol of protection and good luck since Ancient times. To encounter a dolphin at sea has throughout the ages in cultures around the world been considered a good omen and a great symbol of good luck. The Dolphin is an emblem of living our true purpose of living a creative life, filled with joy and fulfillment - living a life on purpose and contributing to the greater good of all. Needless to say that I felt pretty lucky and aligned in that moment.

humpback whale in costa rica, pura vida, pavones costa rica

Humpback Whales

A few minutes later, we were putting our wetsuits on and getting our dive gear ready when our captain noticed a humback whale swimming right next to our boat!!! I don’t think I ever had the chance to be so close to one of these giants. We saw the whale swim up and down, coming up for air a few times before finally diving into the depths.

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A post shared by Gabriella 𓇼 Ocean | Travel (@ggerbasi)

Personal Best Cubera Snapper

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A post shared by CJ Duffie | Spearfishing Guide (@cjduffie22)

CJ then got in the water, saw this monster cubera snapper and stoned it. I took some underwater pictures of him and listened to him tell the story of what happened below the surface.

This 60 pounder would have gotten dragged him around if he didn’t hit the off button. These fish usually destroy gear and break hearts, but not this day! When he saw this fish, he knew it was going to be hard to play tug of war and keep this fish from rocking up.

He was using his @neritic_diving enclosed track reel gun, pulling the trigger just as it turned its head. He watched as the shaft entered the the head of this animal, immediately sinking without twitching.

We then jumped in the water for a quick mermaid shoot and then headed back home while seeing more dolphins swim by. It’s like they were escorting us back safely.

The day couldn’t have been any better! The view was amazing, the weather was perfect and I was with my person enjoying the ocean.

valerie taylor, diver, spearfishing woman and shark conservationist. Playing with Sharks

Discovering Valerie Taylor - A Living Legend and Pioneer in Underwater Filmmaking and Shark Research.

Gabriella Gerbasi February 28, 2022

My new hero! ‘‘Playing with Sharks’’ on the life of Valerie Taylor, a living legend and true pioneer in both underwater filmmaking and shark research.

I learned that most of the great environmentalists and conservationists, they all started with hunting. Because they are the only ones who were out, involved in these things, seeing firsthand the impact of what we do out of the water on marine life. Divers, surfers, fisherman and hunters are some of the best ocean advocates I’ve ever met. We want to protect what we love and share it with the rest of the world.

Valerie set the standard by being the first glamorous female to go out and have these dangerous adventures. She was a revelation to me. She was strong and she led the way.

Sustainable Spearfishing

Gabriella Gerbasi February 23, 2022

Nowadays, we are almost completely divorced from our food sources; it is a recognized symptom of modern life. This is one of the reasons why I like spearfishing so much. It allows me to prepare an entire meal with my own hands, breath and body.

The Siren Call

Gabriella Gerbasi September 21, 2021

Last time I went to the Bahamas, I played mermaid with my friend Charyse and we made this creative underwater video with The Musician. A full-scale sculpture of a mermaid and baby grand piano hidden underwater by David Copperfield just off the coast of Rudder Cut Cay hidden about 12 to 15 feet below the surface.

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Everyday is World Oceans Day - Give Back to our Oceans

Gabriella Gerbasi June 9, 2021

My goal with My Life in Shades of Blue is to bring awareness to ocean conservation and empower action through art.

My Life in Shades of Blue - Photo Book

Gabriella Gerbasi March 1, 2021

It’s not easy to describe the way I feel towards the ocean, it’s been my safe place, my peace and my passion.

My Life in Shades of Blue is a compilation of some of my favorite pictures and sayings about the ocean.

All the profits from this book will be donated to Oceana. Oceana is dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans. Oceana seeks to make our oceans as rich, healthy, and abundant as they once were by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world’s marine life.