S2 E16: Shark Tracker: The Wild Life of Richard Fitzpatrick

Word on the Reef

Richard Fitzpatrick wants to change the way you think about sharks.

Ever since he kept a pet shark as a kid, Richard has made it his life’s mission to rewrite the story of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood predators. Now an Emmy-winning cinematographer, marine biologist and shark researcher, he’s spent more than 15,000 hours swimming with sharks — filming them, tagging them, and tracking them for science, often using wildly unorthodox (and very hands-on) methods.

In this episode of Word on the Reef, learn how to rope and tame a wild shark, why jokes can come back to bite you in the butt (literally), and why you should always watch your footing when you’re standing on a boat surrounded by sharks.

We bust some myths about shark behaviour, and explore how cutting-edge research is helping protect both humans and these vital apex predators. Whether you’re afraid of sharks, fascinated by them, or a bit of both — this episode is for you.

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Chapters

1. S2 E16: Shark Tracker: The Wild Life of Richard Fitzpatrick (00:00:00)

2. Growing up with pet sharks (00:05:39)

3. Epaulette Sharks: The Puppy Dogs of the Shark World (00:07:07)

4. Are there Great White Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef? (00:10:14)

5. How to film inside a Great White's mouth (00:13:38)

6. Bruce, the baby Great White (00:17:41)

7. What not to do... if you don't want to be bitten by a shark (00:24:21)

8. Stabbed and Eaten: A Hollywood Stuntman (00:28:58)

9. What have been your Scariest Encounters? (00:35:50)

10. What causes Shark Attacks? And other findings from Tagging and Tracking Sharks (00:37:22)

11. Sharks vs. the Fishing Industry (00:40:44)

12. Re-sharking the de-sharked areas of the world (00:43:15)

13. How to keep people safe from sharks (and sharks safe from people) (00:44:36)