Bertie and the team travel to South Africa to dive and film great white sharks hunting seals – without a cage. There is one place where Bertie can achieve this successfully, where the ocean is shallow (so sharks can’t sneak up from underneath them) and the water is clear (so they can see the sharks coming). The team works with local spotters who are the community’s response to fatal shark attacks in the past – in an effort for humans and white sharks to coexist in these waters. But the team is plagued with bad weather and turbid waters, making the quest even more challenging.
SHARKS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY - TALKING POINTS
• Bertie and the team are back with SHARKS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY, a new special kicking off SHARKFEST this July on Nat Geo and Disney+.
• SHARKS UP CLOSE provides an intimate, awe-inspiring look at the underwater world. The immersive special not only captures the breathtaking beauty of sharks in their natural habitat, but also pulls back the curtain on the challenges of natural history filmmaking.
• In the new special, Bertie and the team travel to Plettenburg Bay, South Africa to dive and film great white sharks hunting seals – without a cage.
• The wild waters here are a hotspot for one of the ocean’s most famous and fearsome predators. In winter they come to prey on seals and Bertie will attempt to film them hunting underwater without the use of a protective cage. It’s highly risky, but the very best way to see them behaving naturally.
• The team works with local spotters who are the community’s response to fatal shark attacks in the past – in an effort for humans and white sharks to coexist in these waters.
• Experts in this special include:
o Lacey Williams, Field Specialist/Researcher on Great White Sharks
o Patrick McDonald, a local skipper
o Khwesi Namntu, part of Shark Spotters, who aim to protect humans and sharks
• Other sharks featured are:
o Spotted ragged tooth sharks
o Pajama cat shark
o Dark shyshark
o Bronze whaler shark
• This special highlights that a healthy ocean needs Great Whites and understanding their behaviour more is going to be critical to their survival.
• SHARKS UP CLOSE is produced by Wildstar Films for National Geographic. Bertie Gregory is host, producer and director of photography. For Wildstar, the executive producer is Anwar Mamon, and the series producer is Jennie Hammond. Drew Jones executive produces for National Geographic.
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