USD Magazine Fall 2014

ill Hepp’s love affair with sharks began in the crys- talline waters of Belize. TORERO  NOTES J There, less than a year removed from USD — and in the midst of a Peace Corps stint — she was offered a chance to dive with scientists researching the elusive whale shark.

Shark conservation is paramount for alumna by Andrew Faught [ l e v i a t h a n ] THE OCEAN, SO BLUE

At first, the Gulf of Mexico didn’t reveal its mysterious denizens. Then, in the dis- tance, massive brown forms began to take shape. “When you first see them, it’s like ghosts coming out of the deep blue,” says Hepp, a senior officer of international

oceans with the Pew Charitable Trusts, the nonprofit known in part for its environmental initiatives. “As they get closer, it’s like they’re moving in slow motion. They hang there and look at you. They’re just beauti- ful creatures.” By day’s end, scientists count-

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