In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Maria (Mary) Bereozka, winner of the Scubaverse February video competition about her work and films.

Her winning video can be seen on Scubaverse HERE  www.scubaverse.com/february-2022-video-contest-winner-and-review/

Maria Bereozka Bio in her own words...

I am passionate about the underwater world.

My love for diving happened in 2018 and completely turned my life around.

I was born and grow up in the city of Minsk, Belarus and we don't have a sea. I lived in a not calm area and my mother would not let me play alone on the street. I just counted the hours until the program about the underwater world of Jacques Yves Cousteau. I dreamed of seeing all the beauty of the underwater world and visiting all these exotic countries. But my mother told me that this is all a fairy tale and I want too much...

At the age of 14, my mother died and I forgot about my dreams for a long time. After many years, I tried diving in Egypt and could not leave the sea. Now: I learned freediving on my own, without a computer and post-processing, with a $25 camera, and entered the top 100 underwater photographers of the 35awards 2020 international competition only thanks to online information and freelancing.

I have been living for the last 6 years in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I am in the top 100 underwater photographers and top 50 photographers in Egypt for the 6th 35awards 2020. I am in the top 70 underwater photography nominations, top 50 underwater photography, top 100 photography Belarus 7th 35awards. I was among the finalists of the underwater photo awards Fotovideosub 2021 - https://fotovideosub.es/participantes-concurso-de-fotografia-submarina-fotovideosub-2021/, and Siena Awards 2021. I shoot on a Go Pro 9 camera. I am a Rescue Diver.

I created my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7tKqgWuyuPKJ-Jaa9tcPw about the underwater world of the Red Sea, and my Instagram is 99% underwater content: www.instagram.com/mary_bereozka/