Kim McCoy

Hails from: Mt. Juliet, TN, USA
Currently lives in: Friday Harbor, WA, USA
Favorite Place: Himalayas
Passions: Animal protection, environmental conservation, international travel, scuba diving, martial arts, paragliding, and yoga
Favorite Shark: a tiger shark named Emma ♥

What shark are you most like and why?
Tiger shark, because I have a reputation for being aggressive, but I'm actually soft at heart.

How did sharks drag you into their watery world?
As a Pisces, I've always been drawn to the water. As a kid I would tie a garbage bag around my legs and swim, pretending to be a mermaid. Scuba diving in Australia brought me face to face with a huge shark and I was captivated. As it glided through the water I impulsively followed, losing all sense of direction and going deeper and deeper.  I entered the shark's world and mind completely and if my dive buddy hadn't chased after me and brought me out of my dream world I'd still be there.

If you could tell people one thing about about sharks and/or the oceans, what would it be?
I'm always fighting for the underdog, and sharks are the ultimate underdog of the natural world – completely misunderstood and much maligned.

Short Bio:
Kim is a passionate animal and environmental advocate with a B.S. in Business Administration and a J.D. specializing in International Environmental Law. During law school, Kim served as Editor in Chief of the internationally acclaimed Animal Law Review, where she supervised a staff of 50 and graduated with honors.  Prior to her career with Sea Shepherd, Kim interned with the National Center for Animal Law, the Center for Environmental Justice (a Sri Lankan NGO), and the International Environmental Law Project, with a special focus on CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In 2006, Kim founded the MENSA Animal Law Special Interest Group. 

Kim is an avid scuba diver with a special fondness for diving with large sharks.  Her experiences traveling and living overseas (particularly in developing countries)—coupled with a strong desire to put an end to animal cruelty and suffering—led her to choose a vegan lifestyle nearly five years ago. As the former International Executive Director of Sea Shepherd, Kim is deeply committed to the defense and conservation of marine animals worldwide and believes firmly in the merits of aggressive, nonviolent direct action as an effective and necessary means to accomplish these goals.