February, 2017.
Filmmaker, cameraman and shark advocate Rob Stewart tragically lost his life in a diving accident in Florida late last month while filming Sharkwater 2.
I’m honoured to have one of my images selected for Wetpixel’s Rob Stewart “Wall of Sharks” Tribute.
“You are told your whole life since you are a kid that sharks are dangerous. You are warned about venturing too far into the ocean. But then, finally you are underwater and you see the thing you have been taught your whole life to fear and it is perfect and it doesn’t want to hurt you and it is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. And your whole world changes.” (Rob Stewart, Sharkwater, 2006)
I was a kayaker and a beginner snorkeler when I first saw the movie Sharkwater. Had I seen a shark in those days, like most people who didn’t know any better, I would’ve freaked. But Rob’s movie changed my early perceptions of sharks, and also literally changed my world.
After the movie was over, as my wife and I exited the theater, I saw a promotional life-sized model of a Great White shark on a trailer. With all of the imagery from the movie still freshly swimming in my head, I was intrigued and walked over for a closer look. Rob’s agent appeared from the inside the truck, and introduced himself. I told him how much we loved the movie. My excitement was so palpable that he went back to his truck and produced a stuffed toy shark golf club protector as a momento. I told him that I was only a snorkeler, but maybe after watching Sharkwater I should finally learn to dive. I still remember his parting words to me. “If you liked snorkeling, you will love scuba diving times ten”.
So that was one of those forks in the road that led me in an unforeseen direction. I joined Sea Shepherd. I educated my students about shark finning, and its broader implication that we vote for something every time we buy it. I would learn to scuba dive now, rather than just think about it. And if I was lucky, maybe even I too would get to see a shark. Now some of my most memorable dives have been with sharks, and I actively seek out those encounters. This website now documents much of that journey, aligning with Rob’s goals of education and conservation.
To honour Rob’s memory, WetPixel has assembled shark images from underwater photographers from around the world. As Wetpixel so eloquently put it: “What unites us all is a common concern for sharks’ plight, and a desire to continue Rob’s lifelong quest to show them to the world as sentient and intelligent animals who do not represent any real form of threat to humans. We hope that this message is borne out by our imagery”. You can see the individual images with credits at http://wetpixel.com/full_frame/rob-stewart-a-tribute .
The ocean has lost a great advocate, defender and friend.
Peace to Rob, his family and friends.
Related Links:
Diving with Great Hammerhead Sharks, Bimini, Bahamas.