Marine Life & Conservation
Wendy Benchley gets onboard with Beneath the Waves
Beneath the Waves announces the newest member of its Board of Directors, Wendy Benchley.
“Wendy is globally recognized as a leader in ocean and shark conservation, and her experience will be massively valuable to our growth plans,” Dr. Austin Gallagher, CEO and Chief Scientist, writes. “The word ‘shark’ is synonymous with the name ‘Benchley’.”
Benchley is a renowned global voice for protecting sharks and safeguarding our seas. Wife of the late Peter Benchley, the author of “Jaws” and a well-known voice for ocean conservation, Benchley has been a voice for sharks and the ocean since “Jaws” was released in the 1970s. As an avid scuba diver, she has witnessed dramatic changes to our ocean’s wildlife and its habitats. This has motivated her vigorous efforts to help shape smarter, stronger environmental and marine policies with government officials, NGOs and other civic leaders.
Benchley serves as a Board member for WildAid, where she plays a prominent leadership role and is actively involved in highly effective global work to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products, including ivory, rhino horn, pangolin and shark fin. Benchley is on the Board of Blue Frontier, a leading national grassroots group – with links to 1,400 ocean organizations – that builds solution-oriented citizen engagement needed to protect our ocean, coasts, and the communities that depend on them.Benchley served as a trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) throughout the 1980s and ‘90s; she is currently a Trustee on EDF’s Advisory Board.
Of her new Board position with Beneath the Waves, Benchley writes, “Austin and his team of advisors and research associates have built a first-class shark and marine research organization that is at the intersection of shark conservation and marine protected areas – a bullseye for the ocean work I am passionate about…They not only do the cutting-edge science, but it is directed to have impact immediately. Their work in the Bahamas so impressed other governments in the Caribbean, such that Beneath The Waves has been asked to help them assist with creating large MPAs to preserve sharks and their vulnerable marine environment.”
Beneath the Waves’ Board regularly evaluates its composition to ensure it includes the appropriate experience, perspectives, skills, and motivations necessary to drive growth – both within the non-profit and within ocean conservation. Benchley is an impressive addition, and is already making a large impact for the group’s work.
For more information about Beneath the Waves please visit their website by clicking here.
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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