A review by Nalini Haynes
Narrated by Bill Nighy, Great White Shark, a 45 minute (approx) documentary, tells you everything you know about sharks and quite a bit more unless you’re a marine biologist or a shark fan! Beginning with the basics – we’re so scared, Jaws, dun-dun-dun – this documentary is fast-paced, factual and sensational, with the most beautiful images of sharks I’ve ever seen.
Great White Shark travels to many of the places the, um, great white shark goes. Apparently great whites are the most geographically diverse species of shark, living all over the world from the Tasman Sea to the Mediterranean and lots of oceans in between, yet they’ve needed conservation efforts to survive.
Africa has a huge conservation area, attracting tourists who swim in cages with sharks. Footage of people in cages and sharks attacking baits is impressive and somewhat frightening.
Sharks swim with seals. Apparently seals sometimes give sharks a good whack on the fin to send them on their way and yet seal is a delicacy for sharks. I’m very glad the only scene where a shark attacks a seal, it’s a wooden seal. The shark leaping from the water, flexing its body, viciously attacking the wooden seal… it is awe-inspiring.
The 3D images are periodically breath-taking especially when featuring a shark surfacing (water, shark, spray…) and sharks swimming with fish. And with people… people not in cages… You must stay for the credits even if you complete ignore the text; the credits feature gorgeous footage of kelp forests, seals and sharks.
If any documentary makes sharks sexy, it’s Great White Shark. If it wasn’t for their beady black eyes I think I’d find them much more appealing than… I do find them much more sexy than sparkly vampires. They are also much more sexy than lots of other vampires too.
Whether you’re frightened of sharks or curious about them, Great White Shark is highly recommended. Soak up the beauty and the power. It’s amazing. As the credits finished, my reaction was ‘Again! Again!’
