Freediving with sharks in Roatan, Honduras – in pictures

Roatan is the largest of the Honduras Bay islands, on the edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world. The surrounding sea is vibrant blue, with visibility from 30 to 40 metres, healthy coral systems, colourful tropical fish, warm water and incredible deep drop-offs close to the shore, which make this a popular diving location. There are also several wrecks. Photograph: One ocean One breath

The site where Cristina and Eusebio freedived is aptly named Cara a Cara, Spanish for ‘face to face', and is about 3.5km (2.2 miles) off the south-east of Roatan. There are often between 10 and 20 sharks swimming in this one location. Photograph: One ocean One breath

'The first few freedives with up to 20 sharks encircling us were exhilarating,' says Christina. 'It was difficult to know where to look when there were sharks all around us and coming very close to inspect us. However we felt more comfortable as the day progressed. The sharks are purely inquisitive and we are not part of their food chain, although we were always aware that we were in their environment and they are ultimately instinctive wild animals, so we maintained a watchful eye for any signs of danger or threat.' Photograph: One ocean One breath

'We freedived with between 18 and 20 Caribbean reef sharks while at this dive site. They are very confident sharks, swimming within a hair's breadth of you. It was difficult to keep an eye on all of them at once,' says Christina. Photograph: One ocean One breath

'The beauty of freediving is that you don’t have the cumbersome and noisy equipment of scuba, which can deter marine life from coming closer. Creatures such as sharks are far more curious about freedivers, who appear more fish-like underwater.' Photograph: One ocean One breath

The closest free diving centre to Roatan is Apnea Total Utila on the nearby island of Utila. It offers courses year-round. Photograph: One ocean One breath