SHARK WEEK

Top 10 OCEARCH Memorable Moments Countdown

This week sharks are taking center stage. To celebrate, we’re taking a look back at some of our most memorable moments from around the world. Starting August 7th, each day we’ll release a new video here as we continue our countdown.

SPECIAL – Memorable Moments Behind the Scenes Commentary with Captain Brett and Chris.

Go behind the scenes with OCEARCH Expedition Leader, Chris Fischer and Captain Brett McBride as they share their commentary on the Top 10 Memorable Moments from their great white shark and tiger shark memories of the past.

#1 Garmin – The First Shark Tagged by OCEARCH

#1 in our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown comes from Guadalupe Island, Mexico and is the shark that proved our new concept at the time was possible. Garmin was the first white shark we ever tagged and the successful release of him set us on a course to become what we are today. It was truly a special moment we will never forget.

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#2 Breakthroughs from Expedition Nova Scotia

#2 in our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown comes from the end of our first Nova Scotia expedition in 2018. We knew from the Tracker that white sharks were visiting Canada, but we were shocked to find out just how many were there. We’ll never forget the satisfaction we felt at the end of that trip knowing the chance we took going up there paid off by exposing a huge new piece of the white shark puzzle.

#3 Genie – The First Atlantic White Shark Tagged

#3 In our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown comes from a huge, special white shark many outside the crew may not have even heard of. Her name is Genie and she was the first white shark we tagged in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. It was a monumental moment for us and while the next shark we tagged, the famous Mary Lee, may have eclipsed Genie, we will certainly never forget her.

#4 Jimmy Buffet Names White Shark J.D.

#4 In our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown doesn’t really have much to do with a shark at all. Instead it has to do with a music legend. We were so fortunate to have Jimmy Buffet himself pay us a visit during and expedition off of New York. It was an amazing experience we will certainly never forget and it was made even cooler when he got to name a shark after his father.

#5 Expedition Western Australia: Ningaloo Reef

#5 in our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown is from perhaps our most beautiful expedition of all time to Ningaloo Reef in Australia. It’s not the sharks that stand out in our memory, instead it was the pristine reef and healthy oceans we worked in that will ensure we never forget this trip. Seeing such a vibrant ocean ecosystem inspired us to double down on our work to protect our oceans so that future generations can experience the beauty we were fortunate enough to experience at Ningaloo Reef.

#6 Recording Bluenose’s Heartbeat

Moment 6 in our Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown comes from our latest expedition to Canada. It’s the moment when our brand new ultrasound machine allowed the whole team to see a white shark’s heart beat for the first time. Jaws dropped in awe as we watched the slow methodical thump of Bluenose’s heart. It just goes to show there is way more taking place on the lift than just placing a SPOT tag on the sharks.

#7 Expedition Galapagos Tiger Sharks

Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown #7 comes from the Galapagos Islands when we were able to tag a few tiger sharks right at the end of the trip. This moment capped off an unbelievable expedition where we tagged not only sharks but also the prey they eat in order to help understand the predator/prey behavior in one of the world’s most vibrant marine ecosystems.

#8 First Sperm Sample from Hilton

Number 8 in our Top 10 Memorable Moments countdown comes from one of our fan favorite great white sharks, Hilton. He would eventually lead us to Canada, but first he gave us our first white shark semen sample. Today it remains the most motile sample we’ve taken, giving us a big clue about when and where white sharks mate.

#9 Tagging White Shark Success

Top 10 Memorable Moments Countdown #9 is a memory from our expedition to South Africa, a brutally tough trip that worked the entire crew to the bone. Right at the end when everyone was their most exhausted, white shark Success came onto the platform and put the whole trip back into focus.

#10 Drawing Blood From Amy

We’re counting down 10 of our most memorable OCEARCH moments. Starting us off is a moment from one of our earliest expeditions to Guadalupe Island, Mexico when we tagged white shark Amy. While her size was certainly memorable, drawing our first ever blood sample from a female is the moment that really makes Amy a most memorable moment.

Happening Now: Expedition Massachusetts 2020

We’re on Massachusetts 2020 right now. Following along…you just might catch our next most memorable moment as it happens.

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