Marine Life & Conservation
A dream comes true for Calgary diver as she swims with great whites for TV show
Being human bait for great white sharks was a dream come true for Calgarian Samara Sinclair.
Last month, the 13-year scuba diver enjoyed the experience of a lifetime when she spent three days with the apex predator in the Pacific Ocean — part of that time in a deeply-submerged, open cage.
“It was totally the defining moment of my life,” said Sinclair, 35, who’d previously never seen a shark in her many diving adventures.
“I always wanted to see a shark underwater — I went from nothing to everything.”
Sinclair’s encounters have been captured for the TV show Wild Obsession on the Animal Planet channel, to be broadcast in Canada on the 8th December.
In a written submission explaining why she should be paired with her animal obsession, the great white shark, the scuba diver outswam a host of other hopefuls to land the coveted small screen position.
That selection took her to Ensenada, Mexico and a 20-hour boat voyage into the open Pacific in search of great whites.
Sea sickness couldn’t dull the excitement, said Sinclair — particularly when the film crew sprang a daunting surprise on her.
“Instead of being just a surface cage, one of the cages was a submersible that went to a depth of 50 feet and was wide open,” she said.
“I think I remember being thrilled at the increased exposure to the animals, but then I realized how exposed I was — the space in the bars are enough for a person to squeeze through.”
Accompanied by a camera operator on the first day, Sinclair said waiting for sharks got kind of boring.
Holding a dead bait fish in a hand extended outside the cage, she was suddenly jabbed in the side by the cameraman.
“Suddenly, there’s an enormous great white right beside me,” she said.
A second day of filming proved uneventful, leaving Sinclair despairing she might have to be content with her one limited encounter.
But the third and final session became a near-frenzy of dorsal fins and massive sandpapery hides.
Four great white sharks up to seven metres in length rose from the depths to circle Sinclair in her open cage.
“The sharks actually could get inside if they wanted to — there were a couple of moments when they came close to the open doorway,” she said.
“I wondered ‘should I close the door,’ then they veered off.”
Sinclair had descended with an underwater camera, but the quartet of sharks possibly sizing up prey meant she had to leave the shooting to the TV crew.
“I kept twisting my head back and forth to keep sight of them,” she said.
“I couldn’t use my camera, that’s how preoccupied I was.”
But Sinclair said she didn’t hesitate to face off with the sharks because “I’m scared of everything else except animals.”
If anything, the experience bolstered her stand on shark conservation, primarily through halting the harvesting and consumption of shark fins for soup.
It was heartening, said Sinclair, to see Calgary city council take up the issue earlier this year “but disappointing when they shelved it.
“A big deal for me is starting to think of these animals not as man-eating monsters but rather as mysterious and beautiful and part of a healthy ecosystem.”
Source: www.calgarysun.com
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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