The founder and executive director of Malibu-based Sea Save Foundation Georgienne Bradley thinks sharks get a bad rap. Speaking from the charity’s new office on Pacific Coast Highway, Bradley said, “While my heart goes out to the victims of shark attacks and their families, on average, five people a year are killed by sharks, while humans kill 100 million sharks annually for their fins and as trophies. That’s a conservative estimate.
“Many people think the only good shark is a dead shark, but sharks are essential to the ecosystem. If we lose our sharks, we lose our fisheries. Sharks are the apex cleaners of the oceans. They eat sick fish before they can contaminate and destroy fish stocks. If we lose our fish, we will have many more hungry people in the world.”
While shark finning is banned in California, shark fin soup is a popular and expensive delicacy in Asia. Bradley hopes to educate the world about the folly of eating it.
Bradley is happiest when she is under water. She has more than 20,000 hours of experience swimming with sharks and other sea creatures. Her favorite shark is a hammerhead.
“They are so weird-looking and beautifully manufactured,” Bradley shared. “Their heads have receptors on the bottom. As they swim, they use a minesweeping motion that detects and locates their prey hidden under the sand. How cool is that? They are the perfect hunting machine.”
She’s even fond of the great white. “I love them. We need great white sharks. They’re the top predator at eating unhealthy fish.”
Although largely internet-based, Sea Save Foundation has volunteers working around the world, creating awareness about the need to protect our oceans and to influence public policy. Bradley, who was featured during Discovery Channel’s popular Shark Week, uses entertainment combined with education to create action and positive change on sea conservation.
“We know less about the ocean than we know about outer space,” Bradley explained. “We are still finding huge, new species. It’s mind-boggling how much is unknown. Meanwhile, we are throwing plastics and other pollution into the sea. Thank goodness Malibu has a ban on plastic bags. But even supposedly disposable and biodegradable plastics break down into some of the worst chemicals that go right back into the fish we find on our plates.”
Overfishing is another massive global problem. Bradley isn’t saying not to eat fish, but suggests eating sustainable fish. “When people are educated, they will do the right thing and make a difference,” Bradley said.
The ocean continues to be a stunning and silent world that fascinates Bradley.
“I feel like I’m flying when I’m underwater,” she said. “I can soar. Animals interact with you. Turtles come right up to your face. It’s such an amazing experience. The oceans are beautiful and they are voiceless. We must take care of them.”
The Malibu resident and shark activist is leading an expedition to Costa Rica’s famed Cocos Island in October. It takes 36 hours to get to this remote spot that is the largest uninhabited island in the world, accessible only by boat.
“It’s one of the world’s finest jewels,” Bradley said. “We have rare permission to go on land. Charles Darwin collected his goldfinches here. This is the ultimate place for anyone who wants to scuba dive with sharks.”
She provided advice for swimmers who want to avoid sharks: “Swim at beaches where there are lifeguards watching for them. If you see a fin, get out of the water. If a shark attacks you, go for the eyes — in the unlikely event you get a chance. Don’t swim near people fishing. It creates a perfect storm. Swimming makes splashing that attracts sharks. Fishermen use bait and then, as they clean fish, they throw the scales overboard, which is chum for sharks.”
While she’s never been bitten, the tooth of a grey reef shark once lightly scratched Bradley during an advertising shoot. “It was such a small thing, but I do get to say I was almost bitten by a shark,” she said.
And that’s after 20,000 hours of happily swimming with them —pretty good odds.
For more information about the nine-day expedition to Cocos Island or to volunteer for Sea Save Foundation, call 310.458.1020 or visit seasave.org.
