Article: Should Shark Week Focus on Conservation?

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I have tried to market one of my series ("Munching & Mating in the Macrocystis") to a few cable outlets and have been told it was "too educational" for their audiences. Comments like this absolutely astound me... and make me shake my head at what American "culture" has become. I gave up watching TV nearly two years ago... too few things I cared to watch. I just wonder if "educational" programming is desired in other countries where the populace is more interested in learning something than being scared or "entertained."
 
I waTch Shark week with my 2.5 year old. He loves fish, sharks and whales. As a matter a fact he has a stuffed shark that he sleeps with. I figure if we don't watch the "sharks eating people" episodes alot of the other programs really show these animals doing amazing things. He loves watching Great Whites breaching. Criticize all you want but if keeps his interest and inspires him I have to be happy about it. He even grabs as many books about sharks as he can when we go to the book store. Beats all Ive ever seen
 
This year I thought would be the first that I actually watched some of "Shark Week." I avoided it in the past due to the sensationalism, and did away with TV altogether the last two years. I had heard there would be a much greater emphasis on education about shark depletion and conservation... but I've always had something better to do at night than going to our HOA common room to watch the show. I hope that it has listened to those of us who want the REAL story about sharks presented to the public rather than the hyper-sensationalized nonsense.

I've dived in waters with great whites present for over 40 years now. Although I did have one swim by me a few years ago, all my appendages are still intact. I just wish the local shark population was. Back when I started diving SoCal in the 60s, blues and makos were very common sightings... now they are so rare, the boats rarely offer "shark dives" any more.

Dr. Bill,
Did you see the Blues and Makos in the waters surrounding Catalina? How deep was the water? In the 60s would it have been common to see a Blue or a Mako at Ship Rock or at Casino Point? I think of them as being deep water sharks.
 
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In Talking with Jim Abernethy last week, he mentioned something pretty interesting about white sharks( if the Abernethy name is not familiar, he is one of the world's top Shark videographers and experts on their behavior...see www.thisisyourocean.com ) ... Jim says that when he has done free swimming with great white sharks, they are so timid around scuba divers, that it is very hard to get good footage....if you get in a cage, the whites feel more protected, and will come in closer....As Ambush Predators, they are apparently not big on confrontations, even with people :)
 
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