I’ve been watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week in earnest for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties.
Some opening nights have been memorable, some forgettable and at the least one has been regrettable. (That might be the “Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives” fiasco of 2013.)
Because of some spectacular footage and dramatic storylines, this yr’s kickoff to the Tremendous Bowl of nature documentary occasions was one of many extra memorable in 34 years. And one veteran filmmaker, who has produced practically 70 specials for Shark Week, guarantees that one thing unprecedented is coming.
“It’s in contrast to something you’ve ever seen on Shark Week,” mentioned filmmaker Jeff Kurr, who has 4 specials on this yr’s Shark Week schedule.
Jeff Kurr and ‘Air Jaws’
Kurr helped ship one of many extra groundbreaking moments in shark documentary historical past in 2001. That’s when he and wildlife photographer Chris Fallows gave us “Air Jaws: Sharks of South Africa.”
The particular featured never-before-seen footage of nice white sharks leaping completely out of the water (referred to as “breaching”) whereas concentrating on seal decoys. I keep in mind Discovery giving a sneak peak of “Air Jaws” throughout Shark Week in 2000. (This was earlier than the times of social media teaser movies.) The pictures caught with me for all the yr, and I made certain my VCR was able to hit report when “Air Jaws” premiered. (This was when DVR, aka TiVo, was a luxurious most faculty children couldn’t afford.)
On Monday, the 14th installment within the “Air Jaws” franchise premiered on Shark Week, “Air Jaws: High Weapons.” For greater than 20 years, Kurr and his groups have been in search of out new behaviors and using new expertise — all to seek out new angles to showcase the nice white shark.
However after I chatted with Kurr by cellphone this week, I scrapped most of my questions on “Air Jaws.” I had simply completed my second viewing of Kurr’s “Nice White Open Ocean,” which was a part of Sunday’s kickoff. And I used to be nonetheless attempting to wrap my thoughts round what I’d seen.
A harmful encounter with a terrific white shark
“Nice White Open Ocean” options a number of the extra thrilling and scary shark encounter footage I’ve seen since a bull shark bit into Erich Ritter’s leg throughout “Anatomy of a Shark Chew” in 2003. (Video from one other particular that aired on opening evening, the place a “Jackass” forged member named Sean McInerney was severely injured after being bitten on the hand by a reef shark, additionally makes the checklist.)
Kurr’s movie begins with shark knowledgeable Jimi Partington taking to the open ocean in a transparent, polycarbonate field. What was “fairly monotonous,” within the phrases of witness Brandon McMillan, for about 45 minutes shortly became a terror-filled encounter.
Partington loses monitor of the shark for a second. It bumps the field earlier than circling round and approaching from under. That’s when the large fish shatters the cage with its jaws open, and Partington is ready to narrowly keep away from bodily damage and swim to the boat.
“Actually miraculous how he was capable of keep away from the shark’s jaws,” mentioned Kurr, who was watching from the boat. “I don’t assume he noticed that shark coming.”
Kurr says the shark was probably attempting to “displace” Partington somewhat than assault him. Giant sharks typically bump kayakers and paddle boarders, and “a lot of the occasions you don’t even hear about it.”
“It was only a nice white being a terrific white,” Kurr mentioned.
Kurr calls the ocean a “concealing atmosphere” that requires researchers and filmmakers to get near the animals so as to perceive and doc their habits.
“It’s essential be inside a few toes, which is inherently dangerous. However that’s what we do for a residing,” he mentioned. “These sharks are usually not malevolent creatures. They’re doing their factor within the ocean, and we select to get near them.”
Orcas vs. nice white sharks
Kurr’s subsequent Shark Week movie debuts Thursday, July 28, and options what he calls an “unbelievable pure historical past occasion.”
Researchers have sufficient proof to know that nice white sharks have their very own pure predators — killer whales. Nonetheless, video proof has been nearly completely absent.
Kurr says his new particular “Shark Home” will function clear video proof, taken by drone, of orcas killing a 10-foot nice white shark.
“It has a number of the most unbelievable pure historical past footage we’ve ever taken,” he mentioned. “You received’t consider it while you see it.”
Jimi Partington’s restoration
It’s been fairly per week for Kurr. The suggestions he’s gotten to this point concerning “Nice White Open Ocean” is in contrast to something he’s ever skilled, he mentioned.
The movie is about far more than Partington’s encounter with the nice white within the open ocean. After rising with no scratch, Partington goes again to England because the world enters lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s when he begins experiencing signs of PTSD.
Partington lastly will get the prospect to journey to New Zealand to return nose to nose with nice whites once more. He finds himself in a cage surrounded by nice whites on the ocean ground, adopted by a “snout touching” encounter from the facet of a ship.
The emotional, triumphant second is shortly adopted by tragedy, nevertheless. Shortly after boarding a ship with Kurr and McMillan, Partington suffers a stroke and must be airlifted to a hospital.
The movie concludes by documenting Partington’s wrestle to beat the consequences of the stroke. Kurr, who retains involved with Partington, says his ardour for sharks is “driving his rehab.”
“He loves the movie,” Kurr mentioned. “It was a large morale increase to him and his total household.”
A breaching nice white shark off the coast of South Africa from “Air Jaws: High Weapons” on Discovery Channel.
Shark Leisure, Inc.
