Valerie is a marine conservationist, underwater photographer, videographer, scriptwriter, and painter. In 1969 she played herself in the film Blue Water White Death and has twice graced the cover of National Geographic. Valerie, together with her husband, has captured live shark footage and successfully tested mesh suits for shark bite protection and an electronic barrier against sharks. She is the recipient of the American Nature Photographer of Year (1997) and the Golden Palm Award at Antibes, France (1998).