SAN JOSÉ — Brandt Clarke scored the tiebreaking goal from the right circle with 6:40 left and the Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Tuesday night after blowing a three-goal lead.
Corey Perry got his third goal in four games for the Kings. Jeff Malott and Drew Doughty also scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 37 saves.
It was the Kings’ second consecutive victory in regulation after going to overtime in their previous four games.
Will Smith, Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg each had a goal for the Sharks, the only NHL team without a win in regulation. During a 57-second span in the first period, San Jose missed four clean looks.
Things got dicey for the Kings near the end. The Kings played the final 76 seconds short-handed after Joel Edmundson was whistled for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass into the crowd.
San Jose took six shots during that stretch but failed to score.
Perry scored on a putback midway through the first after Adrian Kempe’s shot deflected off Collin Graf’s stick, hit the right post and landed in front of the net.
Malott got his second goal of the season on a breakaway, assisted by Perry and Edmundson.
Three minutes later, Doughty made it 3-0 with his first goal of the season on a shot from the right circle.
The Sharks broke through late in the second with two goals in less than two minutes. Smith scored off a cross-ice pass from Macklin Celebrini, then Kurashev slapped in a wraparound pass from Wennberg.
Less than five minutes into the third, Wennberg tied it at 3.
SAN JOSÉ — Leo Carlsson scored 46 seconds into overtime and the Ducks overcame a two-goal, third-period deficit for a 7-6 win over the San José Sharks on Saturday night.
After San José missed an empty-netter late in the third period, Kreider knocked in his second goal with 49.5 seconds remaining to force overtime.
The Sharks won the face off in the extra period, but Macklin Celebrini missed a high shot and the Ducks recovered to set up Carlsson’s winner from the left circle.
Tyler Toffoli, Ryan Reaves, Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, Adam Gaudette and Jeff Skinner all had goals for San José. Yaroslav Askarov had 36 saves.
The Sharks led 2-0 midway through the first period on goals by Toffoli and Reaves. Both shots came in front of the Ducks’ net, with Reaves racing in from the left untouched before flipping the puck past Ducks goalie Petr Mrazek (17 saves).
The Ducks responded with Gauthier scoring 40 seconds after Reaves’ score before Sennecke tied it on power-play goal, his second in as many games.
After the two teams traded goals early in the second period, Klingberg scored in a five-on-three situation to give San José the lead.
Gauthier’s first goal of the night came on Alexander Wennberg’s pass from behind the net before Kreider’s first goal of the season with 31 seconds left in the second period trimmed the Sharks’ lead to 5-4.
Skinner scored after maneuvering around three defenders in front of the Ducks goal to put the Sharks ahead 6-4.
Up next for the Ducks: Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their home opener at Honda Center.
PORTLAND, Maine — Australian scientists tested the strength of bite-resistant wetsuits by allowing sharks to chomp the materials at sea and found that the suits can help keep swimmers safe.
Fatal shark bites are vanishingly rare, with less than 50 unprovoked shark bites on humans worldwide in 2024, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. But increased sightings of large sharks in some parts of the world have swimmers, surfers and divers looking for new ways to stay safe.
Scientists with Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, tested four bite-resistant materials and found they all reduced the amount of damage from shark bites. They performed the work by dragging samples of the materials behind boats and allowing white and tiger sharks to bite the samples.
The bites from such large sharks can still cause internal and crushing injuries, but the materials showed effectiveness beyond a standard neoprene wetsuit, the scientists said. The research found that the bite-resistant materials “can reduce injuries sustained from shark encounters,” said Flinders professor Charlie Huveneers, a member of the Southern Shark Ecology Group at Flinders and a study co-author.
“Bite-resistant material do not prevent shark bites, but can reduce injuries from shark bites and can be worn by surfers and divers,” Huveneers said.
There were small differences between the four tested materials, but they all “reduced the amount of substantial and critical damage, which would typically be associated with severe hemorrhaging and tissue or limb loss,” said Tom Clarke, a researcher with the science and engineering college at Flinders and a study co-author.
Chainmail suits to resist shark bites have existed for decades, but lack in flexibility for aquatic activities like surfing and diving, the scientists said in research published in the journal Wildlife Research on Thursday. Newer wetsuits can be designed to provide flexibility as well as protection.
The scientists tested the efficacy of wetsuit materials Aqua Armour, Shark Stop, ActionTX-S and Brewster. The scientists said in their paper that they found that all of the materials “offer an improved level of protection that can reduce severe wounds and blood loss, and should be considered as part of the toolbox and measures available to reduce shark-bite risk and resulting injuries.”
The promise of effective shark resistant wetsuits is encouraging for people who spend a lot of time in areas where there are large sharks, said Nick Whitney, a senior scientist and chair of the Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies Program at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life in Boston. That includes surfers and spearfishers, he said.
Whitney, who was not involved in the study, said it’s also encouraging that the materials are unlikely to make a person “feel invincible” and engage in risky behaviors around sharks.
“I also like it because it’s not relying on any impact on the shark’s behavior,” Whitney said. “It’s basically very, very simple. In the extremely rare event that you get bitten by a shark, this material will hopefully make you bleed less than you would if you were not wearing this.”
The researchers said the suits do not eliminate all risks from sharks, and precautions still need to be taken around the animals.
They are hopeful their research will help the public “make appropriate decisions about the suitability of using these products,” Huveneers said.
Lulu Gribbin, 15, was brutally attacked by a sharkCredit: ABC News
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Mom, Ann Blair Gribbin, Dad, Joe Gribbin and her twin sister EllieCredit: ABC News
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Lulu recalls seeing a ‘shadow’ in the water before being savaged by the beastCredit: Caringbridge
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The teenager was airlifted to hospitalCredit: South Walton Fire District
She and her family had heard speculation that a shark was in the sea by the beach they were at in Walton County, northwest Florida.
But it wasn’t until the teen saw “a shadow” in the water that panic set in.
She told ABC News: “I never saw a tail or a fin. I never saw its eyes.”
After spotting a “glimpse” of the shark’s body, she initially started swimming as fast as she could.
But after recalling advice she had heard in a movie, she stopped – thinking her frantic movements would encourage the shark to chase her.
It was then that her life would drastically change forever.
She said: “I told everyone to just calm down…and the next thing I know is that I raised my hand out of the water and there just was no hand there.”
Lulu was rushed to the shore where her twin sister, Ellie, sat by her side, keeping her calm and ensuring she remained conscious until paramedics arrived.
Meanwhile, doctors on the beach wrapped a tourniquet around Lulu’s injuries.
Her mom, Ann Blair Gribbin, said she rushed to the beach when her daughter didn’t pick up her phone.
Comparing her child’s injuries to something out of a movie, she said she found her “lifeless” with her “eyes closed, and her mouth white and pale”.
Shark Attack Horror: 8-Year-Old Severely Injured in Florida’s Key Largo
She said: “All I could say was, ‘Just keep breathing. Please keep breathing. God, please let her keep breathing.
“We didn’t know anything, no idea if she was alive.”
The teen was then airlifted to a Pensacola hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries leading to her leg and arm being amputated.
Doctors said she had also lost around two-thirds of the blood in her body.
Following the horror incident, her mom paid tribute to the doctors who saved Lulu’s life.
She also described her daughter as a “miracle” admitting the family’s life will “be forever changed”.
Ann said: “At this point, we will have multiple surgeries in the days to come and our lives will be forever changed.
“She is truly a miracle. We have a long road ahead and our journey is just beginning!”
MULTIPLE ATTACKS
Lulu wasn’t the only victim that day.
According to the teen, there was another shark attack just 90 minutes before just a few miles down the coast.
She said: “If I wouldn’t known about this, I wouldn’t have been in the water”.
Lulu’s friend McCray was also bitten on her foot, and officials suspect the same beast attacked three other people.
This spate of maulings were the first in the county for three years, with the last fatality recorded in Walton County in 2005.
Cops in the area, however, stressed that sharks are always present in the Gulf.
Officers previously said: “Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and stay aware of their surroundings”.
Her brutal attack comes as a little boy was mercilessly savaged off the Florida coast by a blacktip shark earlier this month.
The blacktip shark rushed Richard Burrows, his sister Rose, and his dad, David, as they snorkeled at Horseshoe Reef, about four miles off Key Largo, at around 3 pm on September 1.
Richard was bitten above his right knee and on his arm, leaving him gushing blood in the water as his dad and sister scrambled to help.
David quickly applied a tourniquet to Richard’s leg to stop the bleeding, which doctors later said helped to save his life.
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She recalled the terrifying moment she pulled her arm out the water and her hand wasn’t thereCredit: Instagram /Lulu Gribbin
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Her leg and arm were amputated after she underwent multiple surgeriesCredit: ABC News
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The beach they were at in Walton County, northwest FloridaCredit: ABC News
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The teen spent more than two months in rehabilitationCredit: ABC News
One writer went kayaking down a world-famous river only to be warned not to fall in after realising it was full of shark-infested waters
Clare was ready for her kayaking adventure
“Don’t worry”, she said, “You’ll be fine,” she said… Well I wasn’t just worried, I was heart-poundingly, leg-shakingly, ready to run a mile terrified, as we prepared to take to the Brisbane River in Queensland on Australia’s east coast.
“If you fall in just pull yourself back up and turn over,” my guide told me reassuringly, elegantly getting back into the kayak she’d just pretended to fall out of. I knew one thing for sure, if I fell in the water I would be looking much more like a cross between a beached whale and a flailing seagull when I tried that manoeuvre. But falling in the water was not on my agenda (no thank you) as I’d just made the mistake of looking up what was in the water; sharks!
But, I was here now and my brilliant guide from the Riverlife Adventure Centre calmed my nerves enough to at least climb into the kayak and push off from the pontoon. At which point I sped backwards down the river in the very strong current as I frantically paddled to get back to the rest of the group. Somehow I could tell I was going to be far from a natural at this.
I’m not one of life’s thrill-seekers and add in the fact that I really can’t swim well and this was all something of a challenge all round.
Brisbane River is home to bull sharks(Image: Getty Images)
I was determined to give it a good go though and at least I was doing this on one of the daytime tours, costing from just over £35. Kayaking at sunrise or twilight, which they also offer, seemed a little beyond my capabilities.
So, we set off along the river, paddling madly against the tide and soon I was feeling a lot more comfortable and even a smidge cocky.
Then it happened. A boat went past. Suddenly the wake hit us, rocking the kayak like I’d just jumped on a rollercoaster. Of course our guide had prepared us for this too “turn into the waves so you go over them and it doesn’t rock you side to side”.
Advice I thoroughly failed to follow on the first wave, wobbled frantically with a small shriek and almost plunged into the water. Suffice to say I faced every wave after that head on.
Once I got used to the river traffic I relaxed into the experience, even managing to wave at tourists along the riverbank, admire the 80ft (25m) high Kangaroo Point Cliffs, which you can also abseil from Riverlife Adventure Centre, and look at the water dragons – large lizards sunning themselves on the rocks.
Despite my fears and not a small number of large wobbles, I managed not to fall in and the sense of achievement (and yes, relief) was palpable when I returned to the pontoon 90 minutes later.
Another one for the bucket list ticked off – shark-infested river survived. Ok, the sharks are also probably further up the river and not swimming round the city centre but I’m counting it.
OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, tagged the 30-year-old male great white shark named “Contender” in the waters east of Massachusetts
09:34, 22 Jul 2025Updated 09:35, 22 Jul 2025
Contender, the 14ft, great white shark, is on the move
The world’s biggest shark is heading straight towards Martha’s Vineyard in the US, after being pinged near an affluent tourist destination.
The 14ft predator, which weighs a whopping 1,653 pounds, was recently detected on Friday afternoon, around 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, tagged the 30-year-old male named “Contender” in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank.
It was seen heading towards the wealthy holiday destination of Martha’s Bay, home to celebrities and multi-millionaires. Former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama own a £10million mansion on the island.
OCEARCH first tagged the shark in the North Atlantic, 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, off Jacksonville.
It took six people, including three fishermen and scientists, to tag and release “Contender”, which is then electronically tracked through the Argos satellite system, according to Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian.
The beast appears to have made a dart for the north over the last few weeks(Image: OCEARCH / SWNS)
The predator can be tracked through OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker app, where anyone can follow the animal as it moves. The animal has been pinged several times, including on January 26 and February 6, which means the tag attached to the fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period of time as it swam. It was last pinged on June 7.
The huge shark can be tracked (Image: OCEARCH / SWNS)
Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian, previously told The Mirror there were some tourist hotspots the shark might visit.
She said: “This is the exciting question about Contender, as this is the first season we will be able to watch him migrate to a summer/fall foraging area.
The shark recently pinged
“Although there are many places in the Northeastern US and Canada where he could go, there are two primary locations where many white sharks spend the summer: Cape Cod, Massachusetts or Nova Scotia, Canada.
“Though Contender is an adult male white shark, and the largest we at OCEARCH have ever tagged and sampled in the Northwest Atlantic, but he is certainly not the largest male white shark ever caught.
Contender, the 14ft beast, was first tagged in the North Atlantic by OCEARCH in January(Image: OCEARCH / SWNS)
“Contender was 13 feet 9 inches total length and estimated to weigh 1653 lbs. But male white sharks can grow up to 18 feet.
“The adult age class animals have been more elusive than smaller, younger, age classes so we were excited to have the opportunity to tag, sample and release him. Based on our Global Shark tracker, he has travelled 1870 miles to date from the place he was first tagged and released. We won’t know until he shows us, which is all the more reason to follow him on the tracker.”
Helen George swaps the world of showbiz for literal shark-infested waters in ITV’s new reality show, while Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door returns with a steamy new story
Helen George is left terrified as she faces sharks in ITV’s new show
Call the Midwife star Helen George is just one of the celebs who’ll be coming face-to-face with one of the sea’s deadliest beasts in ITV’s new reality show Shark! Celebrty Infested Waters tonight.
Proving just how far celebrities will go to stay on the telly, this new reality format sends seven famous faces into shark-filled waters near the Bahamas. 50 years after Jaws became a phenomenon at the cinema, the likes of actor Lenny Henry, comedian Ross Noble and McFly’s Dougie Poynter have signed up for a stomach-churning sequence of dives, where they will encounter various species of shark, getting more perilous each time.
Helen George, Ross Noble, Lenny Henry, Rachel Riley, Ade Adepitan, Lucy Punch and Dougie Poynter take on Shark
Although Countdown’s Rachel Riley is excited for the challenge, most of the celebs look like they want to fire their agents, with Call the Midwife star Helen George declaring she’s terrified of the sea, and Motherland actor Lucy Punch hilariously dismissing the apex predators as ‘savage tubes of teeth.’
There’s a sobering start to the experience, as they meet their guides, including Paul, a former Aussie serviceman who lost his hand and leg to a ten-foot bull shark in a training exercise, but now campaigns for shark conservation.
Acutely aware of the dangers they face, they prepare for their first dive, but with Helen and Lenny both struggling with traumatic childhood memories of swimming pools, just getting underwater is a challenge. Soon, they’re stepping into a cage suspended in the ocean, surrounded by bull sharks, whose every move makes them shake. And it’s only going to get scarier from here. The experts hope the celebs will go home with a new respect – and even affection – for the villains of the sea, but that feels rather optimistic at this point…
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters begins tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
The Best of the Rest
Michael Mosley: Secrets Of The Superagers, Channel 4, 8pm
If throwing yourself out of a plane is the secret to a better memory, some of us would prefer to just be forgetful… In this eye-opening series, the late Dr Michael Mosley meets inspiring people, who are bucking the trends of ageing. 70-year old Dane is a keen skydiver, whose mind is impressively sharp.
Indeed, the science shows that his time at high altitude has helped promote blood flow to his brain, giving him higher cognitive function. You don’t have to be a daredevil to age well though, as Michael explores the theory that learning new things can ward off dementia. Small children’s brains expand as they pick up new skills, so a group of volunteers test the theory that mastering new hobbies simultaneously can stop your brain shrinking.
After a year of learning Spanish and taking art classes, the stunning results of this experiment will have you googling evening classes in your area.
The Couple Next Door, Channel 4, 9pm
The Couple Next Door returns with series two tonight on Channel 4(Image: Channel 4 / Nicky Hamilton)
This steamy relationship drama returns to the same posh cul de sac, but with a new couple at the heart of the story. Surgeon Charlotte (The Split’s Anabel Scholey) and anaesthetist Jacob (Nashville’s Sam Palladio) work at the same hospital, and their marriage is a happy one. That is until enigmatic new nurse Mia turns up for her first shift.
Immediately overstepping the mark with her colleagues, she makes quite the impression. Later, Charlotte is stunned when Mia moves into the house next door, and she can’t stop thinking about her. How can she afford a huge family home on her own, on a nurse’s salary, and why is she so keen to make friends with resident creep, Alan (Hugh Dennis)?
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s ex, Leo, is back on the scene, as family circumstances force him to return to the hospital. Jacob is unsettled by his return, and turns down a tantalising prospect of promotion to avoid him.
EastEnders, BBC1, 7.30pm
Lauren is surprised to see Oscar again. After shock revelations, she learns where he has been all this time, and begrudgingly agrees to let him stay with her. It’s a decision she may soon regret…
Lexi asks Nigel about his wedding day. Jay is saddened that Nigel is no longer in touch with Julie, and starts looking for her online. Phil warns Jay not to interfere, but he won’t listen.
Linda tells Kat that it’s time for her to sell The Vic?
Emmerdale, ITV, 7.30pm
Kim is blissfully unaware that Dr Crowley is planning to take her to the cleaners. But Joe knows exactly what he’s up to, and arranges to confront him.
Charity desperately wants to help Sarah and tries to persuade Vic to offer to be her surrogate. Vic seems uncomfortable, despite Charity’s pleas. Charity and Cain are on the same page as they keep all options open.
It’s a big day for Lewis as he launches his new menu at the café.
Coronation Street, ITV, 8pm
Mick is growing restless in his cell, worrying about his kids. As he forms a plan, Brody looks for Joanie and Shanice, but Joanie is at Weatherfield High for a taster day. Mick breaks out of prison and heads straight to the school, not knowing that Sally has picked Joanie up early. He follows them back to the Street, with Kit in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Kevin plays for time, telling Tyrone he’ll come clean to Abi about his health after their weekend away.
With the Women’s Euro underway, the BBC invites several football icons on screens this week. And there are a multitude of other shows that will keep everyone entertained.
Plenty of shows will keep everyone entertained this week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Strike Global Ltd/Khuram Mirza)
The Lionesses are gearing up for their anticipated confrontation with France this Saturday as the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 enters its third day.
Meanwhile, John Torode and Lisa Faulkner front the tenth series of their Weekend Kitchen while Apple TV+ raises the alarm bells for the future of the world’s most vulnerable animals in The Wild Ones.
Expect thrills and nail-biting suspense this week on streaming platforms, with Netflix, Sky, Prime and even National Geographic lining up plenty of more programmes to fit every binge.
Every weekend, MasterChef judge and restaurateur John Torode and his wife Lisa Fulkner whip up family-friendly meals in their stylish kitchen, making each treat a feast for the eyes.
Now entering its tenth season, the series leans into dynamic themed cooking and gives tips on how to make the best of your weekly food shop. Expect Michelin-level flair from John and homemade heart from Lisa with a sprinkle of cheeky chemistry.
Foundation
Friday, Apple TV+
Way into the future (to be honest, so far forward it’s probably not worth us losing too much sleep over), a band of bold exiles has been fighting to ensure the survival of the human race.
For season three of this sweeping sci-fi epic, based on the works of Isaac Asimov and starring Jared Harris, a warlord known as The Mule has his sights set on ruling the entire universe, via psychic manipulation and a touch of sheer brute force.
Teen Mom UK: New Generation
Wednesday, Paramount+
Back this week with six new episodes, two new mums (Leonie Hellman and Amelia Pritchard) and, before we know it, three new babies, this access-all-areas reality series continues to remind us of the multiple daily challenges young mothers find themselves having to face.
There are money worries, relationship issues, family tensions, strangers passing judgement, you name it – and those nappies don’t change themselves, sadly. At least, not until someone invents an app to do that.
The Wild Ones raises the alarm bells for the world’s most vulnerable species
The Wild Ones
Friday, Apple TV+
From the whales of the North Atlantic to the bears of the Gobi desert, the magnificent creatures featured in this series are all facing a bleak future. So a trio of wildlife experts are on a mission to track down them down, monitor their behaviour and seek ways to ensure their survival.
Also on the list are gorillas in Gabon, leopards in Armenia, rhino on the island of Java and the tigers of Malaysia’s rainforest, forever under threat from poachers.
This sobering new series follows a mission undertaken by investigative reporter James Beal, prompted by the death of a young university student in the autumn of 2021.
Horrified to learn that Tom Parfett, who was 22, had obtained and ingested a deadly poison, purchased online from a website based in Canada, James joined forces with bereaved parents worldwide in a bid to bring the seller to justice. He was also determined to highlight the horrors of online suicide forums.
Supercruising: Life at Sea
Thursday, 8pm, Channel 4
When it comes to on-board entertainment, the passengers on these luxury cruise ships seem to prefer things over-the-top. At least you hope they do, because that’s certainly what’s being lined up this week for the 3,000 people sailing round North Africa and Europe.
Expect a spectacular Dutch-themed orange party, laid on by entertainment chief Hamish, complete with dazzling costumes, themed cocktails and a performance by the food and beverage team that involves a lot more than just dishing up sausage rolls.
One Chicago
Friday, from 8pm, Sky Witness and NOW
A high-rise building has been rocked by an enormous gas explosion. Hundreds of people are going to need bringing to safety, including a group who find themselves trapped deep underground, two of whom are first responders.
It’s a terrifying scenario – and one which, as a storyline, lends itself perfectly to one of these TV crossover events. In this case, we get an episode each of Chicago Fire (firefighters and paramedics), Chicago Med (doctors and nurses) and Chicago PD (the cops).
Project X was a 2012 comedy film about a group of teens whose house party swiftly spiralled out of control. As thousands of strangers descended on the birthday boy’s family home, the merry mood turned to mayhem and a riot ensued.
Trainwreck tells the story of an equally calamitous real-life event which occurred not long afterwards in a tiny town in the Netherlands, in this case thanks to the birthday girl having accidentally made her Facebook announcement public.
CBeebies’ Football Fantastics includes a star-studded cast(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Strike Global Ltd/Khuram Mirza)
Football Fantastics
Saturday, CBeebies
Created by Sam Talbot, this joyful series features six adorable football-mad kids led by an over-enthusiastic and eco-conscious groundskeeper.
Football Fantastics boasts star cameos from England Lionesses Cloe Kelly, Fran Kirby, Beth Mead, foobtall legend Jill Scott, striker Olly Watkins to Leyton Orient player Charlotte Lynch and Emmerdale icon Samantha Giles.
Expect hilarious scenes, toe-tapping songs, messy goals and lessons in teamwork. It’s a charming kickoff to the BBC’s Summer of Sport.
Bertie Gregory seeks out great white sharks in his new documentary(Image: National Geographic/Dan Beecham)
Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory
Tuesday, National Geographic
Kicking off Sharkfest on Nat Geo, Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory plunges explorer and wildlife cinematographer Bertie into shark territory – without a cage.
In Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, he and his team (including field specialists Lacey Williams, skipper Patrick McDonald and local spotter Khwesi Namntu) document great whites hunting seals in shallow waters.
This immersive documentary aims to shine a light on the secret lives of sharks but viewers will quickly understand that nature follows no schedule. It’s awe-inspiring, tense and essential viewing.
The Facebook Honeytrap
Sunday, Prime
Christine Robinson’s life was brutally cut short in a senseless attack at her remote South African safari lodge, leaving her family in the UK devastated. But her niece Lehanne, in London, decided to stop at nothing for answers.
This gripping two-part docuseries exposes a real-life predatory sting and the chilling reality behind the screen. Turning to Facebook, Lehanne combs through profiles and connects the digital dots – before confronting her aunt’s killer face to face. It’s a compelling, heart-breaking cautionary tale and an unmissable watch.
It’s been 50 years since “Jaws” ruined that summer, spawning a fleet of increasingly dreadful sequels and knockoffs, turning a simple fish into a movie monster, and a dozen since “Sharknado” turned the monster into a joke. Sharks had been swimming in the culture before that, to be sure, often with the prefix “man-eating” appended, though men eat sharks too, and way more often — so who’s the real apex predator? And even though they are not as naturally cute as our cousins the dolphins and whales — I have never heard of one balancing a ball on its nose — they have also been made adorable as plush toys and cartoon characters.
“All the Sharks,” premiering Friday on Netflix, is a competition show in which four teams of two vie to photograph the most, and the most different, species of sharks, across two eight-hour days, and are set loose in the waters off Japan, the Maldives, South Africa, Australia, the Bahamas and the Galapagos Islands. And, brother, are there a lot of varieties — hammerhead shark, walking shark, whale shark, tawny nurse shark, pajama shark, pelagic thresher, tiger shark, tasselled wobbegong shark, puffadder shy shark, baby shark, mommy shark and daddy shark, to name but a few. (There are 124 species of sharks in Japanese waters, we’re told, and 200 off South Africa.) Points are awarded according to the rarity or abundance of the species in each location. These sharks are neither monsters nor jokes, though at least one contestant finds the banded houndshark “freaking adorable … their little cat eyes, their subterminal mouth.”
As competitions go, it is friendly, like “The Great British Baking Show” or “MasterChef Junior.” There’s no way to sabotage your opponents, no strategy past guessing where the sharks might be running, eating or hanging out. The purse — $50,000 — goes to the winners’ chosen marine charity, though prizes are also awarded to the top-scoring team in each episode. (Cool gear, seaside vacations.) Winning is not so much the point as just staying in as long as possible — because it’s fun. Sometimes things don’t go a team’s way, but no one has a bad attitude.
“All the Sharks” is hosted by Tom “The Blowfish” Hird, far left. The competitors are Randy Thomas, Rosie Moore, Aliah Banchik, MJ Algarra, Dan Abbott, Sarah Roberts, Brendan Talwar and Chris Malinowski.
(Netflix)
Naturally they are good-looking, because this is television, and fit, because you need to be to do this; most have professional expertise in fishy, watery or wild things. (They certainly know their sharks.) Brendan (marine biologist) and Chris (fisheries ecologist) are a team called the Shark Docs. Aliah (marine biologist specializing in stingrays — which are closely related to sharks, did you know?) and MJ, identified as an avid spearfisher and shark diver, comprise Gills Gone Wild; they met at a “bikini beach cleanup” and have been besties ever since. British Bait Off are Sarah (environmental journalist) and Dan (underwater cameraman), who like a cup of tea. And finally, there are the Land Sharks, Randy and Rosie. Dreadlocked Randy, a wildlife biologist, says, “I was always one of the only Black guys in my classes … I got that all the time: ‘Oh, you’re doing that white boy stuff’ and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m doing stuff that I love.’” Rosie, an ecologist who specializes in apex predators, wants to show girls it’s “OK to be badass … work with these crazy animals, get down and dirty.” She can hold her breath for five minutes.
The show has been produced with the usual tics of the genre: comments presented in the present tense that could only have been taped later; dramatic music and editing; the “hey ho uh-oh” narrative framing of big, loud host Tom “The Blowfish” Hird, with his braided pirate’s beard, whose website identifies him as a “heavy metal marine biologist.” Footage of great white sharks — the variety “Jaws” made famous — is inserted for the thrill factor, but none are coming.
But whatever massaging has been applied, “All the Sharks” is real enough. The contestants deal with rough seas, strong currents, jellyfish and sundry venomous creatures, intruding fishermen, limited air, sinus crises, variable visibility and unexpected orcas. And the sharks — who do not seem particularly interested in the humans, as there is no lack of familiar lunch options — do sometimes arrive in great, unsettling profusion. (There’s a reason “shark-infested waters” became a phrase.) Meanwhile, the ocean itself plays its ungovernable part. In their enveloping blueness, dotted with colorful fish and coral reefs, the undersea scenes are, in fact, quite meditative. (Humans move slow down there.) Someone describes it as like being inside a screen saver.
In the bargain, we learn not a little bit about shark behavior and biology, and there is an implicit, sometimes explicit, conservation theme. Each encountered species gets a graphic describing not only its length, weight and lifespan but the degree to which it is or isn’t endangered — and, sad to say, many are.
Friday marks 50 years since the 1975 film “Jaws” from Steven Spielberg introduced audiences to that infamous John Williams movie score — and the fear that they should clearly feel over the great white shark lurking just beneath their feet, waiting to chomp down on their dangling legs as they enjoy a day at the beach.
Except, over the past six decades, marine biologists like Chris Lowe at the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach have found that great white sharks and their selachian counterparts not only don’t want to eat humans but also would like to avoid us if at all possible.
“Believe it or not, a lot of the times they’re big babies. They’re big scaredy-cats,” Lowe told me.
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As part of the series I’ve completed over the last year in The Wild, exploring how to react should you see a potentially dangerous animal on the trail, I spoke to Lowe, who has studied sharks for the past 35 years, about how you should react if you see a great white shark in the wild.
Lowe said that unlike 50 years ago when “Jaws” was filmed — where sharks’ populations were so low that even the “Jaws” filmmakers could barely find a shark in the ocean to record — the great white shark population has bounced back thanks to conservation efforts.
“Sharks are probably swimming by people way more often than they would ever imagine — they just don’t know they’re there,” Lowe said. “I think your chances of seeing a shark, any shark — a white shark, a leopard shark, a bull shark, a tiger shark, no matter where you go — is actually getting much better.”
Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab student assistant Julianne Santos shows Huntington Beach junior lifeguards a white shark jaw during a July 2023 presentation.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Please note that my conversation with Lowe focused on how a beachgoer should react if they see a great white shark off the coast of a Southern California beach, and I primarily asked him for tips for folks swimming or snorkeling. The Shark Lab has a great short guide for surfers, and there is other guidance available for spearfishers.
All right, no need for a bigger boat. Let’s dive in.
1. Observe the shark’s behavior
You’re swimming in the ocean, perhaps snorkeling, and you see a great white shark swimming about 20 feet from you. First, “take a deep breath and go, ‘Wow, that’s so cool,’” Lowe said.
Next, observe what the shark is doing. Is it relaxed? Has it spotted you yet?
Lowe said that oftentimes, you will see a shark because the animal wanted you to or allowed you to see it. The majority of human-shark encounters in Southern California occur without the human ever knowing it happened.
“We see it all the time from our drones — they’ll come up behind people, and in fact get what I would consider uncomfortably close to people, and then it’s almost like [they think,] ‘OK, that’s not what I thought it was,’ and then they just turn and take off,” he said.
I asked what uncomfortably close means, thinking 15 feet, 10 feet. “Three feet,” Lowe told me.
2. Keep your eye on the shark
“Let the shark know you see it,” Lowe said. “As the shark is swimming around you, you should pivot to always face the shark. That is part of this body communication that all animals use. If you’re ever threatened, do you ever turn your back on the threat?” (No.)
Move calmly and naturally as you float in the water. Do not throw anything at the shark or jerk around.
Most often, this is where the encounter ends, Lowe said. If the shark doesn’t feel threatened, you’ll observe the shark until it leaves the vicinity, and then you can alert a lifeguard of what you saw.
3. If you suddenly lose track of the shark, look behind you
You might have (even accidentally) startled the shark by moving too quickly.
When Lowe and his students go out into the ocean to tag sharks, they will pull up next to a shark and start recording it with a camera and taking other measurements. But if they startle it or if the shark feels threatened, the shark almost always loops around and tries to get behind the boat. It’ll do the same if you scare it.
People mistake this as the shark stalking them. “Actually, no,” Lowe said. “That’s how it’s investigating you safely. People forget these animals are just as much worried about their safety as we are [worried about ours].”
Researchers with the Shark Lab at the Cal State Long Beach have found that sharks and humans swim together at some California beaches more often than previously thought.
(Carlos Gauna / Cal State Long Beach)
4. Keep your distance as you keep watching the shark
If a shark feels threatened, it will arch its back and drop its fins and start an exaggerated slow-motion swimming behavior, Lowe said. “They will open their mouths, they’ll bear their teeth,” similar to an angry cat, he said.
You should, if you haven’t already, start to back away slowly from the shark, maintaining eye contact. Unlike the movies when people thrash out of the water, you want to backpedal at a normal speed. Remember, this animal is likely scared too.
Do not move toward the shark. “If you chase that shark, if you pursue it, it will break out of that behavior, and it will rush in and bite. And then it will take off,” Lowe said. “That’s a defensive response.”
5. If the shark gets in your space, bop it on the nose
Hopefully your encounter has ended by now, as this next tip is for exceedingly rare instances when a shark is getting in your space.
If you’ve been backing away from the shark, and it keeps coming toward you, getting within arm’s length, give it a “good pop to the nose,” Lowe said.
“The animal has to know you’ll defend yourself,” he said.
How hard should you strike its nose? “It’s not a little flick, it’s not a hand wave,” Lowe said. “You want the animal to know you will defend yourself because, in many cases, they are just as afraid of getting hurt as you are. A little bop on the nose quite often is enough to stop that from happening, and of course, you keep backing up. That’s the best you can do in those circumstances.”
6. If attacked, fight back with all you’ve got
If the shark bites you, you should punch it in the nostrils, eyes and gills. “There are pretty good eyewitness accounts of people fighting back, and that making a difference and then getting the shark to release. And in some cases, they don’t even see the shark after that,” Lowe said.
Most sharks bite once and leave.
Like other apex predators in California, sharks have in rare instances attacked and, in even rarer instances, killed people.
In the past 75 years, there have been about 223 shark incidents in California, with “incident” defined as a documented encounter where a shark touched a person or their surfboard, paddleboard, kayak, etc., according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Of that, at least 195 of the incidents involved white sharks. None of the 16 fatal shark incidents in California occurred in L.A. County.
These numbers feel even lower when you consider that millions of people visit California’s beaches every year.
Even with the large number of white sharks present along Southern California beaches, swimming and recreating along the coastline remains a largely safe activity, Lowe said. (In terms of risks, you’re much more likely to step on a stingray.)
I hope you will never need these tips and instead have great experiences this summer on our beautiful beaches.
I have to admit that, as someone who grew up in the landlocked state of Oklahoma, I came into this conversation with a lot of fear. It doesn’t help that my wife watches the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week every year. But after talking to Lowe, I feel about sharks like I do about bears and mountain lions. They live here too, and when we visit their homes, we could see them. More often than not, they mean us no harm and want to be left alone to live their lives — just like we do ours.
“People need to stop thinking of these animals as nothing more than these mindless animals,” Lowe said. “They are more like us than [people] think. If somebody was invading your personal spaces, you should defend yourself. You will defend yourself, whether you do it innately or not. The animals will do the same. If they feel threatened, they will protect themselves.”
3 things to do
Note: Out of concern for the safety of community members who could be targeted in ICE raids, multiple outdoors events have been postponed this week. Please check before heading out to make sure the activity you’re attending is still happening.
Visitors take a guided nature hike during an open house at the Chatsworth Nature Preserve by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in celebration of Earth Day on April 23, 2022.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
1. Hike on the longest day of the year in Chatsworth The Chatsworth Nature Preserve will host a summer solstice event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday featuring guided hikes, storytelling, live animal exhibits and more. Guests should wear hats and comfy shoes and they should bring refillable water bottles and sunscreen. Dogs are not allowed. Visitors should enter through the Valley Circle Boulevard gate, west of Plummer Street. Learn more at ladwp.com.
2. Tend to trees near Malibu The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains needs volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday to care for newly planted oak trees in Nicholas Flat in Leo Carrillo State Park. Participants will water, weed and mulch around newly planted trees and possibly plant acorns to replace trees that died. Volunteers will also collect data for a reforestation project. Volunteers should wear comfortable clothing and durable shoes. Register at eventbrite.com.
3. Celebrate inclusivity and nature in San Dimas L.A. County Parks and Recreation will host Pride Outside at 5 p.m. Friday at the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center (1628 N. Sycamore Canyon Road in San Dimas). The event will include a hike alongside representatives from Pomona Valley Pride, which is partnering with the county for the event. Learn more at the park’s Instagram page.
The must-read
A view of the Chuckwalla Mountains. President Biden established Chuckwalla National Monument shortly before leaving office, protecting over 600,000 acres of public lands in the California desert.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Chuckwalla National Monument, a 624,000-acre desert landscape next to Joshua Tree National Park, faces an increased threat of losing its federal monument status after a recent ruling from the Department of Justice. Times staff writer Lila Seidman reports that a May 27 legal opinion by President Trump’s DOJ overturns a more than 80-year-old Justice Department determination that presidents can’t revoke national monuments created by their predecessors under the Antiquities Act. This opens a wide window for Trump to dismantle Chuckwalla and the Sáttítla Highlands near the Oregon border, which President Biden established as national monuments shortly before leaving office. “Whether presidents have the authority to alter monuments is hotly contested,” Seidman wrote. “Litigation challenging Trump’s previous monument reductions was still pending when Biden reversed them and the matter was never settled.” We’ll keep you posted on what happens next.
Happy adventuring,
P.S.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages more than 75,000 acres of public land around L.A. County, announced this week that it is reopening multiple hiking areas closed in response to the Palisades fire. This includes the popular Escondido Canyon Park & Falls, which I’m eager to see, and San Vicente Mountain Park. A few Wilders, who recently emailed me regarding trail closures, will be happy to hear Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park and Mandeville Canyon are reopening too. You can read more about other recent trail reopenings here.
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
The celebrities were said to be taking a big risk as they swam with ever-increasing sized sharks in the Bahamas in a new ITV series to mark the 50th anniversary of Jaws
The seven celebrities took their lives in their hands to dive with top predators for new TV series(Image: ITV)
The seven celebrities who agreed to swim with sharks in an ITV series which marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws, were taught to dive by an instructor with missing limbs.
All have now returned from filming Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters with their lives intact, but were constantly reminded of the dangers involved by their Australian instructor – who was missing an arm and a leg, courtesy of a tiger shark.
The celebs swam will many fearsome sharks including Hammerheads (Image: Getty Images/Image Source)
For the five-part series, due to start next month, the celebs were challenged to confront their greatest fear and flown to the island on Bimini in the Bahamas, home to around 10 different species of shark. Once there, they took the plunge together alongside hammerhead, bull and tiger sharks.
While there is no voting or elimination process in the show, the dives got progressively harder, with each involving a bigger and tougher breed of shark, and the celebrities were allowed to sit out if they felt overwhelmed.
One insider said: “The sharks they were free diving with were definitely dangerous and they were shocked when they realised what had happened to the expert, who’d had an arm and a leg bitten off.”
The island of Bimini is a sanctuary for sharks and often has 10 different types in its waters(Image: Getty Images)
Despite the series being shown as tribute to half a century since the Oscar-winning Jaws was released in 1975, the “ocean-phobic” stars did not attempt to recreate the movie scenes. “There were no Great Whites involved in the making of this show,” the source said. “But it was not for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure. Some were more scared than others.”
Viewers will have to wait to see if any of the stars sustained injuries during the making of the programme, which was filmed last year.
Yesterday presenter Rachel said that taking part was a “dream come true” adding: “It was the best trip, the best experience, the best everything, of my life.” Describing it as “wet and wild” she added: “Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters is a totally new type of entertainment show, with so much integrity and a love of sharks and conservation at its heart. And with the best bunch of people you could hope to work with.”
Hammerhead sharks are fearsome looking when viewed from beneath(Image: Getty Images)
The mum-of-two said she’d first been asked to take part a year ago. “They said we’re thinking of sending some celebrities out to the Bahamas for a few weeks to swim with some of the biggest, scariest wild sharks in the world.”
Helen agreed that it had been brilliant, saying: “One of the most insane experiences of my life, learning about this incredible creatures, with equally incredible humans.”
Ross described it as a “great adventure” and quipped: “No, it’s not a wind up, it’s a real thing.” And pop star Dougie marvelled that it was the closest he’d ever get to a “real Jurassic Park experience”.
ITV entertainment boss Katie Rawcliffe said audiences should enjoy the combination of blue chip natural history programming with ITV’s skill at entertainment, and called the famous faces taking part “some of the bravest celebrities out there”.
Karen Plumb, of Plimsoll Productions, said the aim was to give viewers a new perspective on sharks. “We’re constantly looking for innovative approaches to wildlife storytelling and are certain that our fish-out-of-water spin – delivering 50 years after Jaws – will transform the world’s perception of these critical predators before it’s too late.”
Brits hoping to see the likes of sharks, eels and angelfish may want to check out a huge new £1million aquarium display that’s just opened in the UK
15:41, 29 May 2025Updated 17:08, 29 May 2025
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The new display is open to the public(Image: Chris Ratcliffe)
Brits looking for fun days out with the kids on those gloomy rainy days may want to head down to a huge new aquarium in the UK complete with a shipwreck model and sharks.
That’s because SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth recently opened the doors to a brand new £1million aquarium display, and it’s pretty impressive. For a start, it’s home to over 30 marine species including blacktip reef sharks, moray eels, tangs, and angelfish. One major highlight is the 250,000-litre Ocean Tank and Tunnel where you can walk right under the fish and sea creatures, or get up close thanks to the specially created immersive viewing windows.
Oh, and keep an eye out for the impressive shipwreck habitat where all sorts of marine life is hiding in the nooks and crannies. The whole shipwreck was inspired by HMS Gloucester, a royal warship which sank off the Norfolk coast in 1682. The shipwreck itself was discovered by two divers in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the full public reveal was announced.
The new display includes a large tunnel you can walkthrough(Image: Chris Ratcliffe)
Other highlights also include an immersive interactive experience where you can see and hear crashing waves, with the aim of leaving you feeling like you’re completely submerged in the ocean’s depths.
There’s plenty more to explore across the attraction too, with SEA LIFE playing host to animals such as penguins, crocodiles, rays and green sea turtles. Ticket prices for SEA LIFE start from £16 per adult when booked online up to two days in advance – you can find out more at visitsealife.com.
Of course on a sunnier day, you may also want to leave time on the itinerary for a trip to Great Yarmouth beach. With miles of golden sands, a bustling promenade lined with restaurants and shops, and swim-friendly waters, it’s a firm favourite with sunseekers in the summer, but also makes for a lovely scenic stroll on those days where it’s a little too chilly to get into the sea!
It’s worth noting that it can get quite busy during the peak holiday seasons, so if you’re not tied to school holiday dates, it might be worth planning a trip when it’s slightly quieter. One happy holidaymaker did just that and shared their experience on Tripadvisor, writing: “What a wonderful walk on the beach in the sunshine. Such a clean beach. Out of season was ideal for us. We parked at the end of the road near the Premier Inn and walked down the beach to the shops. Such a lovely day and beach.”
This summer, there will be heaps of fun for families too including a Wheels Festival across June 21-22, the annual free fireworks on the Golden Mile on Wednesdays from July 23 to August 27, and fireworks displays every Tuesday near Hemsby Beach from July 23. You can find out more at visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk.
Do you have a travel story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].
Brits looking for staycation inspiration make want to check out a beautiful UK seaside town where you can see puffins, seals and even whales if you’re lucky
North Berwick is worth having on your radar for a staycation(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
A picturesque UK seaside town is worth having on your radar if you love wildlife, as it can be a great place to spot the likes of puffins, otters, seals and even whales and dolphins.
North Berwick in Scotland, just half an hour away from Edinburgh, has long been a firm-favourite with birdwatchers thanks to its renowned Seabird Centre. Visitors can take a series of boat trips between April and the end of September to surrounding islands as well as birdwatching hotspots, and keep an eye out for the likes of gannets, gulls, terns and more.
Meanwhile, puffins remain a big draw for tourists in the area. The best time to spot them is between March and August, with the Isle of May playing home to one of the largest puffin colonies in the UK (you can also find puffins on other Scottish islands such as Fidra, Craigleith, St Kilda, Orkney and Shetland). Meanwhile, Bass Rock is home to the world’s largest Northern gannet colony, and makes for a very impressive sight.
You could spot puffins on a boat trip from the charming seaside town(Image: Getty Images)
Plenty of visitors have taken to Tripadvisor to praise the Seabird Centre’s boat trips, and noted that they spotted everything from puffins to dolphins and even the occasional whale during their holidays. In fact, it’s also worth keeping your eyes peeled for the impressive basking sharks that have been known to make an appearance too!
“We did the Bass Rock and Craigleith catamaran trip and saw lots of gannets, puffins, kittiwakes, eider ducks, seals and many more,” one visitor wrote earlier this year. “Our guide was excellent, can highly recommend this 1h 15min trip, it didn’t feel rushed and the boat rotated so we all got a chance to see everything.”
Another added: “Even on a cold rainy miserable day the scenery is beautiful the whole sea front just looks completely different than when the sun is shining.”
North Berwick also plays host to a series of fun events throughout the year, whether you want to watch locals take on impressive feats during the Highland Games, watch entertaining shows at the Fringe by the Sea festival, or want to go all-in on a bird-themed getaway during the town’s annual Puffin Fest.
Still, it’s not just the wildlife that makes North Berwick such a tempting destination to visit. The charming town is home to heaps of pretty tea rooms, classic fish and chip shops, ice cream parlours and coffee spots, as well as plenty of shops and hotels. The harbour is also well worth a visit especially at sunset for those Instagram-worthy views.
On the sunnier days, you can also take in gorgeous coastal setting from the town’s picturesque beaches including Gullane Bents, Seacliff beach, North Berwick Milsey Bay and North Berwick West Beach to name a few. Meanwhile, there are also historic castles and ruins to discover, with plenty of scenic walks and hikes in the area if you want to get those 10,000 steps in.
You can find out more about North Berwick and its wildlife on visitscotland.com.
