For filmmaker
Rob Stewart, exploring sharks began as an underwater adventure. What it turned into was a beautiful and dangerous life journey into the balance of life on earth.
Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.
Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist
Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.
Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.
Stewart's remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world's sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.
Canadian Connection: Filmmaker
Rob Stewart is Canadian and the film is completely Canadian-funded.
I saw this movie for the first time in Grade 7. It has changed my life. I have even considered becoming a marine biologist over it. Instead I have decided to become an Animal Rights Lawyer and will do pro bono work to save all types of animals that are wrongly taken advantage of.
protect sharks take a stand. We need them. You will see. Sharks are like the o-zone layer you wont miss it antill it s gone.
The film was one of the most amazing films on sharks i have ever seen! I can not stress how important sharks are to the survival of man. Sharks should be loved and protected so that one day anyone who wants to may swimm side by side with the sharks they love not just letting humans hunt them to death. The killings of sharks is one of the cruelest things anyone can do. People should be prosicuted for murdering sharks. By having more people like Rob out there we will force the world and government to take action and protect these beautiful creatures. We need so much so stand up be herd and take action!!