| Such
is film-maker Moira Mann's fascination with the sea's most feared
predator that she admits to the nickname Sharkwoman.
Her
commitment to documenting the lives and habits of the creatures
has recently been rewarded with three awards at the International
Wildlife Film Festival, held in Montana USA.
The
winning film, Shark Roulette, centres on the world's top 10 shark
attack sites (which includes Hawaii, California and Brazil).
Moira,
who lives in Tetbury, is determined to avoid the sensationalised
approach common to documentaries on the species.
"Sharks
are just doing their job," she said. "A great white shark
actually only manages to catch a sea lion about once every six weeks.
That's the equivalent of a six foot bloke living on a chocolate
bar about once every six weeks.
"My
job is to look at the world from the shark's point of view and see
what they're doing. A bull shark can't see you, it can sense you
with its electro sensors, so it'll just bite at something in the
hope of a meal - but they aren't out to get you."
Predators
Moira's
interest in sharks began in 1989 when she made a film on elephant
seals - of which great whites are the main predators.
She
subsequently made a conservation film on the great white shark,
the first of her four shark documentaries.
"I
found that the more I found out about them the less I know,"
said Moira, "something that has its behaviour out of our reach
is quite tough to research."
With
the release of Jaws, the shark suddenly became the villain of one
of the most popular films in cinema history. Moira believes that
responsible film making can help repair the animal's tarnished image.
"Making
films you have the opportunity to reach a lot of people...you can
do it in an emotive way," she said, "the way you use music
and structure your film you can actually change people's opinions
so the responsibilities are enormous."
 |
| Sharks:
they "aren't out to get you" |
Surprise
Having
made a film entitled Ten Deadliest Sharks, Moira developed an opinion
on which species was most likely to incorporate humans into the
food chain.
"I
think the most deadly shark is the bull shark, it's quite large
- seven to eight feet in length - and has the surprise factor since
it likes murky water and does go upstream.
"They've
got the ability to moved from sea water to fresh water, and can
end up in lakes."
Moira
has recently purchased a hi-definition camera and is about to embark
on a new project, which is currently top secret.
"I
can't say more yet," she said, "but it's all very exciting
so watch this space.
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|
Moira
Mann has just won three auspicious awards for the latest in her series
of shark films. She's passionate about improving the image of the
much-feared predator.
