The other weekend, while at Stinson Beach with my daughter, I finally learned the story behind an image that has been bothering me for a while. It turns out that the No Sharks logo, proudly worn by many a surfer around here, was created by a surf shop owner who lost sales during a week when the beach was shut down because of a shark sighting.
We know that sharks play a critical role in keeping our oceans healthy and in balance, so I never understood why ocean lovers, which includes pretty much all of us, would be wearing these logos. I get that as a surfer or salt-water swimmer you would generally prefer not to come across sharks, but from there to wearing such an aggressive symbol that actually encourages the irrational fear — by way of context, dogs kill 25,000 people per year compared to 10 people killed by sharks annually (see graphic below) — of these animals has always seemed excessively and unnecessarily violent to me.
The creators of this symbol likely meant no harm; however, when creating images (or films), my thought is that it’s best to err on the side of non-violence. Our role as storytellers and filmmakers that can have a significant reach and influence, is a privileged one that brings with it a higher level of responsibility.
This week I’d like to share another perspective on sharks through the work of my dear friend Wolfgang Leander, free diver and photographer, who has captured the beauty of what he considers “some of the ocean’s most graceful creatures” on a single breath of air. I met Wolfgang and his family when I was a girl in Venezuela and his love of the ocean was contagious to all of us who grew up around him. Visit his site and let him guide you through the realm of his Oceanic Dreams and enjoy the documentary film produced by his son and also shark-friendly free diver, Felix Leander, about Wolfgang’s life and his love of sharks.
