In 2022, Gibbs Kuguru was one of two adventurers seeking out great white sharks nearby South Africa’s famous Seal Island. A favourite hunting hotspot for sharks in search of seals, the island provided the perfect opportunity to witness these apex predators engaging in what is called a breach – a surprise attack method comprising of unbridled power and deadly speed. To see sharks in this state, Gibbs and his companion hauled a decoy seal attached to the back of a boat. 

With the great white shark’s almost 50% success rate when it comes to hunting, Gibbs was taking a risk most wouldn’t dare to even consider. But for the expert shark wrangler, it was just another day at the office.  

The mission of the day? To witness the colour of the sharks while in the heat of a hunt. Gibbs had heard stories about sharks going paler while hunting and he set out to find out for himself. As the surface of the sea broke into crests of white waves and a shark leapt out of the sea – breaching in pursuit of the decoy seal, Gibbs let out a victory whoop. The shark’s colour palette was captured perfectly, and the experiment was off to a brilliant start. Afterall, there were times it would take weeks to observe a shark.  

 

Becoming a Shark Scientist 

As a Kenyan shark scientist and geneticist pursuing his Ph.D. in genomics at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Gibbs has dedicated his life to exhilarating days like this.  Growing up in Nairobi, he had a sense that sharks were monsters to be feared but he has since discovered his gift for seeing far beyond gnashing teeth to recognise this predator’s more underappreciated qualities. Take for example, the fact that they are without bones, their rare regenerative capabilities – and of course their ability to change colour. Most comfortable at sea amidst chum and bobbing boats as well as working in a lab, Gibbs unearths the allure of these creatures while securing their future for generations to come. 

For Gibbs, swimming with sharks was never in the cards. His path had led him to a more traditional pursuit of medical school in the US. But his unease with this occupation was clear even to his study adviser who pointed him towards a job in South Africa with a company that took tourists out for cage-diving expeditions among sharks. 

Despite being a less than talented swimmer and harbouring a natural fear of sharks, he took a chance on the callout in 2012, relishing the chance to take a break from medical school. After just a single dive where he came face to face with his fear, Gibbs knew he had to pivot to seek out his newfound fascination for sharks.  

 

A Career of Discoveries 

Six years came and went as he plunged into dark, watery depths to be near the biggest predatory fish in the world. Gibbs began to feel a tug to have a deeper understanding of the animals he had created a kinship with. He resolved to travel to his home country of Kenya to begin leading his own research efforts. It was here that he conducted studies on cartilaginous fishes and identified gaps in support for work like his. From here, Gibbs became an advocate standing up for the study of unknown and underreported life underwater.  

In sanitised labs and open seas, Gibbs discovered how overfishing and climate change has led to the near extinction of sharks, that sharks have individual personalities and unique associations with other ocean wildlife – and that some of their behaviours are even attuned to the moon! 

When it comes to sharks, Gibbs Kuguru is a researcher, PR agent, and most importantly, an ally. In a fearless chase for the truth about sharks spanning from South Africa, the Netherlands and beyond, we celebrate Gibbs Kuguru as a member of our #KeDiaspora with a heart for wildlife and a mind trained firmly on the future.