50 years ago, the movie Jaws was released. The thriller by Steven Spielberg about a giant Great White Shark on fictional Amity Island was so frightening that a generation (or two) of potential ocean swimmers and innumerable sharks were forever lost.
With the summertime screening of Jaws in 1975, millions of people were so spooked by the thought of swimming with sharks that they never again thought of swimming in the ocean or open water. They completely lost their desire to venture beyond the shoreline, immediately and forever.
Concurently, with the release of the blockbuster, the hunger and interest in killing sharks – the feared man-eaters – was global and pervasive. Sharks were hunted by any means possible while most were caught in nets. Their numbers dwindled and continue to dwindle.
As United Nations Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh writes, “Despite being the most feared animal in the ocean, they are also one of the most crucial for ocean health – and yet one quarter of the world’s shark species are now at risk of extinction. There are 18 passionate shark protectors who are conserving through art, science, community and stories.”
- Randall Arauz – read more here
- Cristina Zenato Fundación – read more here
- Mundo Azul – read more here
- Trisha Gupta – read more here
- Cristina Cely – read more here
- MISS (Minorities in Shark Sciences) – read more here
- Divya Karnad – read more here
- Madison Stewart – read more here
- Shalise Leesfield – read more here
- Gabriela Ochoa – read more here
- Stefanie Brendl – read more here
- Lee Crockett – read more here
- Sharklab-Malta – read more here
- Gili Shark Conservation – read more here
- Hong Kong Shark Foundation – read more here
- Yolarnie Amepou – read more here
- David Shiffman – read more here
- Rachel Brooks – read more here
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.