Sharkwater (2006) Film by Rob Stewart

Published by Paula Thake on December 4, 2023

This incredible film was released in 2006 and, being the self-proclaimed shark nerd that I was since my childhood, it became the first movie I watched all by myself at the cinema. I left the movie theatre in tears, horrified at how terrible the plight of one of my favourite creatures is. Motivated by his life-long fascination of sharks, biologist Stewart makes his mission crystal clear from the very beginning of the documentary; he intends to ensure the protection of shark species worldwide by changing the deterred image humanity has of them and exposing the massive scale of exploitation they are subject to.

Stewart starts off by bringing the surprisingly timid and cautious nature of these animals to light, thereby breaking the devastating image created by the film Jaws and several others. Using his fantastic film-making skills, he achieves this through footage of some of his own very peaceful encounters with large sharks, such as Tiger sharks. This exploration of the fundamentally non-violent nature of sharks is further emphasised through interviews with leading shark scientists and behavioural experts, including Dr. Erich Ritter, who also address how sharks maintain the health of our oceans and marine food webs.

After introducing us to this new and amiable portrait of sharks, Stewart embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the inconceivable threats they face. He joins forces with Sea Shepard’s Paul Watson to fight shark poachers who illegally kill the animals for their fins and sell the meat to the Taiwanese mafia. This is the truly heart-breaking and eye-opening part of the movie that shook the world and prompted conservationists around the globe to take action and save sharks.

We must learn that the picture we paint for ourselves about certain animals is subjective and that the reality is often quite different. Sharks are a perfect example of a severely misunderstood creatures and their current strife a manifestation of our detrimental attitude towards the natural world.

Rob Stewart dedicated his life to saving sharks and remains a pivotal figure in raising awareness about them. His untimely death in 2017 in a diving accident has only prompted his family and the Shark community to fight harder for the protection of these profoundly important creatures. To honor Stewart, the rest of the Sharkwater team worked hard to finish the prequel of the film he was in the process of producing when he died; Sharkwater extinction.

Apart from providing its viewers with a truly eye-opening experience, Sharkwater is a visually stunning adventure, taking us to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and other beautiful destinations. So if you have no movie plans for your night in, we highly recommend this game-changer that will leave you with a completely different picture of these animals and our oceans!

By Paula Thake