Sharks have presided over our ocean for over 400 million years · Shawn Heinrichs
Humans only protect what they love. So how could we expect people to rally behind a campaign to save these widely feared and misunderstood creatures from the brink of extinction?
Exploited excessively by humans, many shark populations have diminished by as much as 90 to 99% · Shawn Heinrichs
In recent years, it has been estimated that as many as one million mako sharks are caught every year by these largely unmanaged, and sometimes illegal, fisheries.
Sharks will nose the camera in response to the electrical signals it emits · Shawn Heinrichs
Churning up waves around our small boat, the sharks came in hard and fast, all teeth and adrenaline.
Shark scientist and documentarist Riley Elliott connects people with the ocean using visual media · Shawn Heinrichs
This imposing creature was not a mindless man-eater. She was intelligent, highly evolved, and selective.
Capable of reaching very high speeds, the mako is sometimes called the “cheetah of the ocean” · Shawn Heinrichs
The ocean is a cultural and spiritual pillar for the Māori people, and is also special as a source of food · Shawn Heinrichs
Until this encounter, in over two decades of investigative storytelling, with countless hours filming sharks across all of the oceans, I had never once encountered a single live mako shark.
Traders value the fins of mako sharks even more highly as populations decline · Shawn Heinrichs
We needed to reveal the true nature of these magnificent creatures and the unique connection between human and shark, and to raise a rallying cry that would highlight the urgency to protect them.
In reality, humans are a much bigger threat to sharks than they are to us · Shawn Heinrichs
Unsettling images I had photographed too many times flashed through my mind: the fins laid out, thousands upon thousands, across so many blood-soaked market floors.
CITES regulates the international trade of wildlife and wildlife products, but there are still endangered species not protected by the legislation · Shawn Heinrichs
I jumped with joy as tears of relief ran down my face. “WE DID IT!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
The many people who signed the petition for mako sharks made a big difference to the outcome of the CITES vote · Shawn Heinrichs
Mako are just one of countless animals facing an existential threat. Unbelievably, right now, we are losing more than 200 species every single day.
If we let them, sharks can teach us so much about our ocean ecosystems · Shawn Heinrichs
