Sea of change

100 million sharks are killed each year, so Bertie Gregory visits South Africa to help these vital creatures

- WORDS: LAURA CARRENO-MÜLLER

Sharks may rule the ocean, but Bertie Gregory says they've never been more at risk.

The wildlife filmmaker returns to our screens with Sharks Up Close, a new feature-length documentary for National Geographic, kicking off Sharkfest this month on Nat Geo Wild and Disney+.

Following on from Animals Up Close and Secrets Of The Penguins, Bertie turns his attention to the world’s most misunderstood marine predator: the great white shark.

“In the world of wildlife film and ocean conservation, it’s no secret sharks are in serious trouble,” he says. “We kill over 100 million every year. It’s easy to blame the shark fin trade in Asia, but here in the UK, we kill plenty too - often as bycatch or even sold in fish and chip shops under different names.”

Filmed off the coast of South Africa, Sharks Up Close sees Bertie attempt to swim with a great white - a childhood dream for many, but a complex and sobering mission in reality.

“I realised how at risk great whites are,” Bertie says. “They're facing a perfect storm of threats - both natural and human-made.”

Among these are the controversial swimmer protection systems used in parts of South Africa.