Filming Sharks in Bimini - A Cautionary Tale

Yesterday we watched the antics of a film crew in Bimini harbor swimming around at a boat dock across from us with baited Bull Sharks in an attempt to place a "fin cam" on the back of an animal.

Sadly, as they discovered, the shark site they chose has many faults. It is too shallow, the light is iffy, it's sitting off a sand bar so the vis is usually terrible on the outgoing tide (when you get sharks), and one of the town sewage outflow pipes runs right through it.

It takes some measure of bravery to snorkel in the raw sewage from "Home Week" we were impressed.

The issues are simple facing film crews who want to shoot sharks in Bimini harbor. We have taken careful stock of these issues in the design and implementation of Bimini Bull Run from site selection, to water depth, to fidelity of animals. This site and these sharks are for specific film projects - not all.

Safety, sharks, and looking at the shark resource in Bimini Harbor as a long term investment in Bimini, it's people, and the animals is what BBR is all about.

Swimming with these animals outside of cages and attempting to feed them at the same time is absolutely contrary to any kind of long term success with these wonderful resident animals. It is also disrespectful to the people of Bimini who call this harbor home. 

Seriously, the level of arrogance exhibited by this crew who knew nothing about these animals was broad by even film industry standards and it didn't go unnoticed by those who were observing.

Like Tiger Beach, if these animals were to be conditioned to swimmers/divers and bait, that combo in a harbor setting will have dire consequences.That's why we designed the cage system for BBR with a removable face panel for filming and it is open to all - whoever you are.

We want to see safe shark interactions, we also want to see great production values. Amateur hour baiting and interactions at the dock across the way will get you no where in the long run.

Fact is we have been doing this a while and we know what works, we are sorry you didn't get your fin cam placed, but we could have told you that in advance - if you had asked.

Lastly about putting tech on any Bull Shark here in Bimini. Go through the Shark Lab first and bring them into the production space for projects like these.

We did it with a South Korean crew last month, fact is they have been here the longest, they know the sharks better then any of us and it shows a measure of professionalism and respect to reach out to the Lab.

So enough said. Our site is available to you and anyone who is interested. We chose the site well knowing that there would be a few who would take swimming in raw sewage over working with us, but that's the nature of the shark film world. 

Ego's aside everyone, safety and production values should be foremost considerations, they are with our crew and always have been. You are either doing crap fly by night productions with sharks or you are serious about your craft. For those who choose the latter, go somewhere else, for those doing serious work you'll soon discover that Bimini is a shark wonderland filled with possibilities.

If you actually want to get Bull Sharks in Bimini Harbor we're here to help.

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Shark Diving Bimini, Bahamas at Bull Run

Martin Graf from Shark Diver is having an amazing month in Bimini, Bahamas getting to know the locals or Bull Sharks in the marina at the Bimini Big Game Club.

The Bimini Bull Run crew asked Martin to join us to help set up the world's first dockside shark diving operation because of his decades long experience with sharks in Mexico at Isla Guadalupe.

Bimini Bull Run is also a new film and tv hub site for all shark production needs while on Bimini. Our one day shark production site works in tandem with commercial shark diving operations and shark safety.

We take shark diving seriously at Bimini and always have. The team here at BBR have been working with sharks for the past decade in the Bahamas. We see sharks as they are, top predators, not playthings, not toys, and not a resource that we can abuse.

Sharks are wild animals, they are magnificent, and they must be treated with respect - always.

At Bimini Bull Run our goals were simple, bring the world of wild sharks to as many people as we could and hopefully they will come to understand these animals, their eco systems, and the wild places they live in as places we need to protect for future generations.

Let's go shark diving!

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Frazier Nivens - Helping Out a Good Friend!

Frazier Nivens in the center, celebrating the completion of another commercial production in the Bahamas, 2011.

For those who know him they know he's one of the last, truly, great guys in our industry. He's also extremely talented underwater and we have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have spent working with him in the Bahamas.

Unfortunately Frazier suffered a setback this month in the form of a detached retina and whopping medical bill.

The eye will heal and for an underwater cameraman shooting RED this is great news indeed.

The whopping bill is another issue all together.

If you want to help there's a fund that's been set up to help Frazier out. We're in, and with the help of friends, he'll fully recover this setback as well.


Online Benefit Donation Page 

Or checks can be mailed to:

First State Bank
101433 Overseas Hwy.
Key Largo, FL 33037

Make checks payable to: Frazier Nivens Benefit Account

Shark Productions with Shark Diver - 2009 Tiger Beach

2009 shark productions Tiger Beach with Mythbusters for Shark Week

Tiger Beach Bahamas Video - Frazier Nivens

Underwater DP Frazier Nivens with Ocean Imaging spent a few weeks this spring with the M/V Kate in the Bahamas at Tiger Beach.

This video is about as good as it gets. If you have ever wondered what shark diving with Tigers is like, look no further, the Bahamas remains the quintessential Tiger shark site on the planet.

Shot in RED.

By the way we'll be back again with the M/V Kate this fall, who's in?

Enjoy:

SharkDiver.com Behind the Scenes Gillette Commercial

In 2011 Shark Diver and our film and television team at Shark Divers was asked to tackle a technically challenging commercial shark production by one of the largest ad agencies in the world BBDO.

Over the years we have come to be known within the film and television community as the company that successfully pulls off challenging and unique productions with sharks. From Mythbusters to "walking on water with sharks," our teams always look at shark environment in new and truly unique ways to keep audiences interested and engaged.

That's not to say we take the animals we are fortunate enough to work with for granted, or treat sharks as just props. In fact the animals welfare, and the entire production design, starts and ends with the sharks.

We have turned down countless productions that fail to meet or exceed our policies towards sharks in this game there is only one way to do shark productions. Safely.

We are one of the few shark production companies that have designed a shark production protocol that has been approved and adopted by the American Humane Association.

In this behind the scenes look from Gillette you can see the entire team in action. There's no room for error and everyone works in tandem with professional speed and direction.

This recent commercial is now on nation wide television, seen in every market in the U.S and was featured at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Enjoy.