PWYL was founded in 2018 in the small coastal settlement of Coral Bay in North Western Australia, by a small group of people working in ecotourism and wildlife photography. At the time, there was a lot of negative focus on sharks in the media and among the public. The prevailing sentiment being that they were dangerous, a nuisance, and damaging to fish populations. 

This was particularly true for a resident shark to the Nyinggulu Reef, the Tiger Shark, which became a particular focus of bad press and public aggression. As people who were spending our lives in the water with these sharks, we knew that there was another side of the story that needed to be told. Whilst sharks can be dangerous given the right circumstances, they are also magnificent animals that are remarkably tolerant of us in their environment. They are extremely valuable species that are critical to maintain healthy oceans and reefs (including fish populations) and their numbers are declining rapidly.

So, we decided to show these animals the love and respect they deserved and educate the public on the value of sharks, garner support for their protection and ultimately help to re-shape the negative narrative against sharks. We were blown away by how many people felt this love too. What started as a passionate side project, soon developed into a greater mission. Over time we found more of the animals we loved were facing challenges created by our species and so our focus has broadened to where we are today; a company working to protect marine wildlife around the world, and empower and inspire others to do the same. Ultimately, it is our love of wildlife that ultimately compels us into action to protect the things that give us so much joy and which ensure a healthy and stable natural environment.