A documentarian goes into the ocean with the express purpose of proving that the shark isn’t the vicious predator that the press makes it out to be. He also goes a long way proving the predator in boats above the waves appears far more vicious than those that swim below it.
Rob Stewart is a filmmaker that has always been fascinated with sharks. He basically wants to take to the ocean to prove that the finned predator is not the killing machine that films like Jaws portray them to be. He takes along his high-definition camera to record all that he sees as he visits the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
The documentary is truly fascinating, but my only complaint is that is seems to get somewhat away from its stated purpose. From what I read on the back of the box I expected it to entirely be about the shark.
It starts off about that and then moves into an activist mode, not that it isn’t fascinating as well just that I was expecting it to be more about the biology of the sharks. Stewart joins up with Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Watson cruises the seas and tries to stop pirates from fishing for the endangered sharks.
They try to stop some “finners” off of Guatemala and end up being involved in a protracted court battle on the island. “Finning” is a despicable practice where the fishers catch the sharks, cut off their fins, and throw the corpses back into the ocean. It reminded me of the skinning of the buffalo.
The American Indian would supposedly use the entire buffalo whereas the white hunter would kill it, skin it, and leave the rest to rot. The shark fins are used for a luxury item – shark fin soup. It’s really rather sad.
It doesn’t help that the mafia is involved in the trade and this influence gets the Sea Shepherds nearly pulled into court until they decide to make a run for it. Not only that but Stewart gets a flesh eating virus later and it becomes a fight for his life as he’s unsure if he’s going to lose his leg or not.
I think that Stewart started off going to make a documentary about sharks and fate kept intervening and he used what was happening to shape his final product. It’s a great documentary, but don’t expect a look only at the sharks. What’s even better is all the underwater footage is shot in high-def and is breathtaking.
Sharkwater is presented in 1080p anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features, presented in 1080i, include the “Making of Sharkwater,” the theatrical trailer, three TV spots, and a 1964 Air Force Shark Defense film.
The best feature is a “virtual aquarium” that gathers all the high-def underwater footage in one spot and it’s great to see all this excellent footage.
Finning is an extremely disturbing practice and deserves to be outlawed. I’m not against eating fish or anything but to waste the rest of the fish is disgusting. Especially since it’s for a delicacy for rich businessmen (or whoever could afford it). The shark population is taking a hit because of man and man needs to step up to the plate and put a stop to it.
Sharkwater [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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