Mikki McComb-Kobza
Joined Atlas Obscura in 2026
I’m Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza, a shark biologist, explorer, and conservationist who has spent more than two decades studying some of the ocean’s most extraordinary predators and exploring wild places around the world.
I’ve followed sharks and scientific questions across the planet—from the remote waters of Cocos Island and the open North Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the Amazon, Australia, Africa, and beyond. My fieldwork has put me alongside great whites, great hammerheads, tiger sharks, bull sharks, and some of the ocean’s other extraordinary predators—and even 24 hours beneath the sea living and working as an aquanaut.
As CEO and Chief Scientist of Ocean First Institute, I lead research, conservation, and education initiatives designed to protect sharks and our oceans while bringing people directly into the process of discovery. I believe some of the most powerful conservation happens when we leave the familiar behind, get into the field, and experience the natural world for ourselves.
I’m a Fellow of The Explorers Club, an inductee into the Women Divers Hall of Fame, a TEDx speaker, scientist, educator, and expedition leader. I've spent my career moving between research vessels, dive boats, classrooms, laboratories, remote field sites, television studios, and stages—with one goal: helping people see the ocean differently.
For me, exploration isn't about collecting destinations. It's about going somewhere that changes what we know, asking questions that haven't been answered, and coming home with stories and discoveries worth sharing.
The wilder the place, the bigger the question, and the more sharks involved, the better. Come explore with me.
