Marine Biologist in Miami: Sunset Portraits of Gabriela Ochoa

There’s something really special about photographing someone who’s completely in their element. That’s exactly what happened during my session with Gaby — a brilliant marine biologist in Miami who also happens to be one of my childhood friends.

Woman smiling on a sunny beach path with palm trees and greenery. She wears a white shirt, hoop earrings, and exudes a joyful mood.

We grew up together in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and from a young age, Gaby was always sweet, smart, and passionate. Fast forward to today, she’s leading groundbreaking research on shark movement ecology as a PhD student at Florida International University — and she still has the same kindness and humor that made everyone love her back then.

Woman smiling in sunlight, tropical background with palm trees and greenery. She's wearing a white shirt, exuding a warm, relaxed vibe.

We did this portrait session at Hobie Beach in Virginia Key around 7pm, right before sunset. The goal was to capture a mix of content for her personal brand: photos for LinkedIn, her website (ilili.org), Instagram, and even for upcoming conference features. As a marine biologist in Miami, she needed imagery that showed her both professionally and personally — someone who can speak science to a crowd one moment and laugh at a dark joke the next (yes, she's a bit of a troll in the best way🥰).

Smiling woman with long dark hair in a brown sweater and white pants, arms crossed. Background is a plain, light-colored wall.

Smiling woman on a sunny beach, wearing a white top, open shirt, and patterned shorts. Ocean waves and sand in the background.

Smiling woman in a white shirt sits on a sandy beach, ocean in the background. Bright, sunny day with a relaxed, joyful mood.

We started with a few land shots, but quickly moved to the beach — Gaby’s natural habitat. I made her laugh by saying random things like “Bring out your inner sea goddess” or joking about the influencers posing near us. That’s the energy I wanted: natural, confident, and full of joy. A scientist completely in her element.

Smiling woman with long hair, wearing a white shirt and necklaces, on a sunny beach. The ocean is visible in the background.

After high school, her dedication carried her across continents: she earned her Marine Biology degree at Texas A&M University and then a Master’s in Biodiversity Conservation at the University of Exeter in England. Each step cemented her expertise and commitment. She spent years working with marine conservation groups in Honduras (like the Roatan Marine Park and MarAlliance) to protect coral reefs and megafauna, gaining invaluable experience.

In 2020, she channeled all that knowledge into founding Ilili (ilili.org) – Honduras’s first nonprofit led by a local woman focusing on sharks and rays. Today, Gaby is back in the tropics as a PhD student at Florida International University (FIU), researching the movement ecology of sharks and mentoring younger scientists.

A smiling diver stands in shallow water at sunset, holding a mask. She wears scuba gear, with a calm sea and distant horizon as the backdrop.

Woman in wetsuit by the sea, hands on hips, smiling. Background of calm water and clear sky. Brightly lit with a relaxed vibe.

Woman in a black top stands with hands on hips by the sea at sunset. She looks to the side, with hair blowing, exuding confidence.

Young woman in a black top stands confidently by the sea. Her dark hair is windblown, and the horizon is visible under a clear sky.

She’s deeply involved in the community, whether she’s training citizen scientists on a Honduran island or presenting her research to international audiences. In fact, she was recently invited to speak at a major marine science conference held at the New England Aquarium in Boston. There, she shared her work from Ilili, gave a talk on shark conservation, and even had the chance to scuba dive inside the aquarium — an unforgettable experience that blended her love for science, storytelling, and the sea.

Woman in scuba gear stands in ocean at sunset, holding a diving mask, smiling. Water and sky create a serene backdrop.

a 30 year old women wearing scuba dive gear nixie in the ocean of miami

Through it all, she remains the same warm, down-to-earth girl I met in first grade (29 years ago). And getting to photograph her — doing what she loves, where she feels at peace — was an honor.

I love you my dear friend, keep shining!!!❤️