Keri Coles with her camera (Copyright kericoles.com)
Keri Coles with her camera (kericoles.com)

It’s with a heavy heart that we reach out to share the very sad news that our friend and colleague Keri Coles passed away earlier this month after a brief but courageous battle against cancer.

Keri was a spectacular photographer who worked with us since 2012 on a number of occasions: photographing rallies and non-violent direct actions, as a truly amazing and creative intern on our Arctic campaign, and as an onboard photographer on the People Vs Oil ship tour in 2015.

On that ship tour, Keri fought through intense sea sickness to shoot the iconic images of Musqueam activist Audrey Siegl facing off against Shell’s Arctic drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer. Sailing aboard the Esperanza with the first all-Indigenous delegation in Greenpeace history, the ship travelled up the West Coast of Canada to Haida Gwaii, to mobilize communities and raise awareness about the dangers to Indigenous Peoples’ traditional waters posed by Shell’s plans to begin exploratory drilling for oil in Alaskan Arctic waters (as well as from new oil pipelines from the Alberta tar sands).

Her iconic shot, Audrey vs. the Machine, is still used across Greenpeace’s international campaign work to protect the Arctic, and has been featured widely in magazines and in Naomi Klein’s documentary, This Changes Everything. Her powerful visuals and the campaign as a whole helped propel the People vs Oil movement to victory. Mere months later, Shell abandoned its Arctic drilling plans.

Audrey vs The Machine in Pacific Ocean. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Keri’s iconic Audrey vs. the Machine shot: Audrey Siegl, a Musqueam woman from British Columbia, Canada, who is also a renowned public speaker, drummer and singer, stands in a Greenpeace rhib launched from the MY Esperanza holding her arms out in front her, defiantly signalling Shell’s subcontracted drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer, to stop. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles

Anyone who had the privilege of knowing Keri will remember her giant, infectious smile that lit up any room. She loved to host dinner parties and lead us all in song and dance around her piano. She was so dedicated to environmental and social justice causes that she was about to embark on a new journey doing a Masters of Journalism so that she could write and report on the issues that mattered most to her. In fact, just before she was diagnosed, she was named New Journalist of the Year at the B.C. and Yukon community newspaper awards. 

She leaves behind a beautiful 11-year-old daughter Ella and husband Gene; parents Griff and Pat Tripp; brother Shawn Tripp (Nicole and sons Graden and Nolen); and Grandmother Florence Keeler. Our hearts and thoughts are very much with them all during this tragic time. 

Keri, we will always be grateful for the time we spent working and dancing with you, and mourn the loss of the future projects we had planned together. 

Rest in Power, dear friend. 

With love, 

Your Greenpeace family.

You can read more about Keri’s remarkable life and accomplishments, and leave a message for her family, here.

Please enjoy some or our other favourite shots from Keri, as we say goodbye and remember her loving contributions.

Action against Shell's Oil Rig in the Pacific Ocean. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Two swimmers backed by 2 rhibs launched from the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza jump in the Pacific Ocean in front of Shell’s subcontracted drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer, holding a floating banner that reads “People Vs Oil”. Meanwhile, the radio operator from the MY Esperanza warns the Polar Pioneer that swimmers are floating ahead of them, communicates the nature of the protest and requests that they slow down or change course. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Action against Shell's Oil Rig in the Pacific Ocean. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Two swimmers backed by 2 rhibs launched from the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza jump in the Pacific Ocean in front of Shell’s subcontracted drilling rig, the Polar Pioneer, holding a floating banner that reads “People Vs Oil”. Meanwhile, the radio operator from the MY Esperanza warns the Polar Pioneer that swimmers are floating ahead of them, communicates the nature of the protest and requests that they slow down or change course. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Indigenous Delegation - Vancouver. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Featuring Taylor George-Hollis from the Squamish Nation, Candace Campo from the Shíshálh Nation, Audrey Siegl from the Musqueam Nation, Victor Thompson from the Haida Nation, Robert Holler from the Anishinabe Nation (also a fire-keeper at the Tsleil Watuth Sundance sweat) and videographer Mike Auger from the Woodland Cree Nation in Alberta. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
People Vs. Oil - We Are Ready. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
People vs Oil – First Nations delegates on the Esperanza. Activists on board the MY Esperanza are getting ready to oppose Shell in Canadian waters in the most original and inspiring ways. This is #PeopleVsOil determined to protect our coasts and #SaveTheArctic
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
"Shell No" Indigenous Kayaktivists - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Candace Campo and Taylor George-Hollis hold a banner saying “Shell No” in solidarity with the Paddle in Seattle kayaktivists. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Esperanza Helicopter Deck Gathering - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
My Esperanza as it travelled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. Haida Gwaii guests and the Indigenous delegation gather on the Heli deck.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
People vs Oil Banner - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Among those most severely affected and threatened by oil developments are the coastal First Nations of British Columbia. They are on board the Esperanza to connect with each other and with the rest of the world, and bring us a single message of hope: people will prevail, and our coasts will not be devastated. Haida Gwaii community members and MY Esperanza Indigenous delegation hold a banner saying PEOPLE VS OIL.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Banner Painting with Kids - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
A banner painting workshop hosted on MY Esperanza with kids from a Haida Gwaii community. The banner says, “People vs Oil”.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Good Shell - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
A young girl holds a shell up to the camera during a visit to the Island of Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Haida Gwaii Welcome. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Haida Gwaii community members welcome Greenpeace and the Indigenous delegation to strengthen community resistance to extreme oil. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Haida Gwaii Carver's Studio - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Christian White is a traditiona Haida carver and is from the Dadens Yahgu’7laanaas Raven Clan and his Haida name is Kilthguulans (Voice of Gold). Facemasks and tools on a work table.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Christian White - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Christian White is a traditiona Haida carver and is from the Dadens Yahgu’7laanaas Raven Clan and his Haida name is Kilthguulans (Voice of Gold). The Indigenous delegation and crew of MY Esperanza visited Christian’s studio while visiting Haida Gwaii.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Flying Eagle - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Wildlife shot from My Esperanza as it travelled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. Eagle in flight with mountain range in the background.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Coastline - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Wildlife shot from My Esperanza as it travelled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Young Bald Eagle - Pacific Coast of Canada. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Wildlife shot from MY Esperanza as it traveled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. An immature bald eagle gets ready to take off in flight.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles
"Defend our Coast" Action in Canada. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Activists project messages reading “No Pipeline” and “No Tankers” onto the B.C. legislature in Victoria, on the eve of the Defend our Coast. Thousands of people from across Canada plan to gather for the action to stand up for Indigenous rights and defend the west coast from Enbridge and Kinder Morgan tar sands pipelines and tankers, and to tell the B.C. and federal governments that our coast is not for sale. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Action at British Columbia Parliament to Deliver Message to Greens and NDP Parties. © Keri Coles / Greenpeace
Greenpeace activist, Laura Yates, climbs British Columbia Legislature flagpole to deliver a message to the BC Green and New Democratic Parties. The activist raises a banner reading “People Power 1, Kinder Morgan 0. Change is coming.” underneath BC’s provincial flag. The action is carried out in occasion of the announced alliance between the BC Green Party and BC NDP. Greenpeace hopes that this alliance will bring positive changes for the people of B.C. and that together the two political parties will make good on both their promises to stand-up for people and the planet and against the Kinder Morgan’s destructive pipeline plans.
© Keri Coles / Greenpeace
"Defend our Coast" Action in Canada. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Four thousand people from across Canada gather at the B.C. legislature in Victoria to protest tar sands pipelines, tankers, and the threats they pose to the west coast. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Esperanza - Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
My Esperanza as it travelled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
Esperanza at Night - On Route to Haida Gwaii. © Greenpeace / Keri Coles
My Esperanza as it travelled up the famous Inside Passage of British-Columbia, connecting peoples and movements of resistance as well as showing the wildlife at risk of an oil spill. MY Esperanza under a star-filled sky.
© Greenpeace / Keri Coles