The Shark Angels —Kim McCoy, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Executive Director; Julie Andersen, Shark Savers Director; and Alison Kock, Save Our Seas Foundation Head Field Biologist—were joined by Rob Stewart on their recent adventure.  Their goal? To shift the public's thinking about sharks and raise awareness of their desperate struggle to overcome extinction.

The filming was a resounding success. The production team was able to capture the Shark Angels surrounded by countless big sharks outside of cages, interacting with them for hours without threat or fear.  The team, with the support of a dozen 8 to 16 foot tiger sharks and countless lemon sharks, has effectively built upon the movement that Rob Stewart has already begun with his award-winning film, Sharkwater. It proves that anyone with a bit of knowledge of and respect for sharks can do what Rob did—swim with these amazing animals. By exposing the real truth of shark behavior, Shark Angels hope to change public perception of an entire class of misunderstood marine life.

"Sharks are being killed senselessly for a social-climbing and tasteless soup," said Andersen.  "The Asian market demand for shark fin soup is far outweighing supply, and many shark species are at the brink of extinction.  The collective perception that sharks don't matter to this planet and that they are evil needs to be counteracted quickly if we are going to save our sharks. The Shark Angels project has great potential to have people see for themselves how misunderstood these animals are."

With up to 100 million sharks killed each year, the public's attention has been surprisingly limited. The Angels hope to change all that. "Sharks have inhabited our planet for 450 million years, since before the time of dinosaurs.  If we are able to not only help people understand the vital role sharks play in ecosystems and the impact this has on all species, including humans, but also to dispel the myth that sharks are ruthless man-eaters, I will consider this project a success," said McCoy.

The entire experience was captured on high definition video and stills. The project is currently in post production, and will be released as a short documentary in the spring. Additionally, it will be included on the Sharkwater DVD release. To support the goal of awareness, the Shark Angels are seeking as much mainstream media attention as possible. This goal is definitely supplemented by the shocking images that were captured: three attractive and dynamic young women surrounded by dozens of supposed man-eaters inches away.

Putting aside years of misguided programming by the media and pop-culture that sharks are mindless killing machines, McCoy, Andersen, and Kock took a leap of faith and plunged from the M/V Shear Water into seas swirling with dozens of large predatory sharks.  In doing so, they discovered a world of unexpected beauty and fragility, and have emerged more resolved than ever to defend these magnificent creatures.