|
 Winner of 23 International Film Awards to date, SHARKWATER takes the viewer on an incredible journey out to sea. Biologist and Filmmaker, Rob Stewart, is responsible for this extraordinary film about the decreasing shark populations.
Since he was a kid, Stewart has loved sharks, never seeing them as the blood-thirsty man-eaters they are portrayed as. Rob Stewart viewed sharks as beautiful creatures of the ocean waters, and now will do anything to save them.
Unfortunately, 90% of the entire shark population has been wiped out due to human greed and misconceptions of sharks. Sharks are being hunted for their fins, as well as the threat they are perceived to be by many people. This is funny to me because the last I checked, sharks were here first—even before the dinosaurs.
There are fishermen shown in the film, usually committing illegal acts in the waters of the Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. What’s referred to as “finning” is illegal in many places, but is still in full force due to the huge profits.
These hunters of the sea go out and catch as many sharks as they can, pull them up, cut their fins off and dump the bodies back into the water. These images were utterly disgusting to see. To see these horrible men taking the lives of so many innocent sharks just for the fins, and then throwing away the rest like trash, really bothered me. They bow down to the almighty dollar—what’s new. The sharks aren’t the hunters now, they are the hunted, and will be extinct soon if people continue to carry out their selfish ways.
Rob Stewart explains that sharks are also vital to life on this earth. Sharks are, for the most part, at the top of the evolution chain in the world’s oceans. By eliminating that top link of the chain, it would disrupt all underwater life. This would mess up the whole evolutionary process, and who knows what would happen next. Stewart really wants to make people understand this, not to just save sharks for their beauty, but for their crucial existence as the key to life under the sea.
Stewart was joined by fellow shark advocates to stop the brutal and unnecessary killing, focusing on Cocos Island and the Galapagos Islands. The group was not alone as they were faced with obstacles such as: pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases and mafia espionage. The group was even arrested on attempted murder charges, which was simply ridiculous, but not surprising; political corruption at its best! At that point, their fight for what was right was about to come to an end when director, Rob Stewart, suddenly came down with a life-threatening illness.
Not so fast though…..Stewart fought back himself for his own life and recovered in no time. Now he was ready to go back and save his sharks, but unfortunately none of the members were welcome to come back to these locations. Rob courageously snuck himself in, and to his delight, saw people rioting in the streets against the “finning” of sharks. So, maybe people can make a difference and put an end to this for good before it’s too late.
In the midst of all this pandemonium going on around the entire film crew, Rob Stewart was able to capture breathtaking images beneath the waters of the Cocos and Galapagos. Stewart gets up, close and personal with the sharks; in a way he becomes one with his beloved sharks and this is captured wonderfully in high def. SHARKWATER brings to life the world below us in such a vivid and amazing fashion. Underwater filming at its finest!
Special Features:
Don’t miss out on this film. You will not only get an incredible adventure with impressive footage, but you can also make a difference. If you want to save the sharks from extinction, then go to savingsharks.com. Also, check out sharkwater.com.
Final Say: I have to say this wasn’t just another shark documentary to me, but a big wake up call for us all. I had no idea sharks, on the whole, were so close to being an endangered species thanks to mankind. This film really struck a chord with me and I hope it will do the same to others that watch.
This Reviewer's Rating:    3.5 / 5
|
