whale

BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine — Republican lawmakers are targeting one of the country’s longest-standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction.

GOP leaders believe they now have the political will to remove key pieces of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972 to protect whales, seals, polar bears and other sea animals. The law also places restrictions on commercial fishermen, shippers and other marine industries.

A Republican-led bill in the works has support from fishermen in Maine who say the law makes lobster fishing more difficult, lobbyists for big-money species such as tuna in Hawaii and crab in Alaska, and marine manufacturers who see the law as antiquated.

Conservation groups adamantly oppose the changes and say weakening the law will erase years of hard-won gains for jeopardized species such as the vanishing North Atlantic right whale, which is vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear. There are fewer than 400 right whales remaining.

Here’s what to know about the protection act and the proposed changes.

Why the 1972 law still matters

“The Marine Mammal Protection Act is important because it’s one of our bedrock laws that help us to base conservation measures on the best available science,” said Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager with International Fund for Animal Welfare. “Species on the brink of extinction have been brought back.”

It was enacted the year before the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the movement to save whales from extinction was growing. Scientist Roger Payne had discovered that whales could sing in the late 1960s, and their voices soon appeared on record albums and throughout popular culture.

The law protects all marine mammals and prohibits capturing or killing them in U.S. waters or by U.S. citizens on the high seas. It allowed for preventative measures to stop commercial fishing ships and other businesses from accidentally harming animals such as whales and seals. The animals can be harmed by entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and other hazards at sea.

The law also prevents the hunting of marine mammals, including polar bears, with exceptions for Indigenous groups. Some of those animals can be legally hunted in other countries.

Changes to oil and gas operations

Republican Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska, a state with a large fishing industry, submitted a draft this summer that would roll back aspects of the law. The bill says the act has “unduly and unnecessarily constrained government, tribes and the regulated community” since its inception.

The proposal states that it would make changes such as lowering population goals for marine mammals from “maximum productivity” to the level needed to “support continued survival.” It would also ease rules on what constitutes harm to marine mammals.

For example, the law prevents harassment of sea mammals such as whales and defines harassment as activities that have “the potential to injure a marine mammal.” The proposed changes would limit the definition to activities that actually injure the animals. That change could have major implications for industries such as oil and gas exploration where rare whales live.

That poses an existential threat to the Rice’s whale, which numbers only in the dozens and lives in the Gulf of Mexico, conservationists said. And the proposal takes specific aim at the North Atlantic right whale protections with a clause that would delay rules designed to protect that declining whale population until 2035.

Begich and his staff did not return calls for comment on the bill, and his staff declined to provide an update about where it stands in Congress. Begich has said he wants “a bill that protects marine mammals and also works for the people who live and work alongside them, especially in Alaska.”

Fishing groups want restrictions loosened

A coalition of fishing groups from both coasts has come out in support of the proposed changes. Some of the same groups lauded a previous effort by the Trump administration to reduce regulatory burdens on commercial fishing.

The groups said in a July letter to House members that they believe Begich’s changes reflect “a positive and necessary step” for American fisheries’ success.

Restrictions imposed on lobster fishermen of Maine are designed to protect the right whale, but they often provide little protection for the animals while limiting one of America’s signature fisheries, said Virginia Olsen, political director of the Maine Lobstering Union. The restrictions stipulate where lobstermen can fish and what kinds of gear they can use. The whales are vulnerable to lethal entanglement in heavy fishing rope.

Gathering more accurate data about right whales while revising the original law would help protect the animals, Olsen said.

“We do not want to see marine mammals harmed; we need a healthy, vibrant ocean and a plentiful marine habitat to continue Maine’s heritage fishery,” Olsen said.

Some members of other maritime industries have also called on Congress to update the law. The National Marine Manufacturers Assn. said in a statement that the rules have not kept pace with advancements in the marine industry, making innovation in the business difficult.

Environmentalists fight back

Numerous environmental groups have vowed to fight to save the protection act. They characterized the proposed changes as part of the Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections.

The act was instrumental in protecting the humpback whale, one of the species most beloved by whale watchers, said Gib Brogan, senior campaign director with Oceana. Along with other sea mammals, humpbacks would be in jeopardy without it, he said.

“The Marine Mammal Protection Act is flexible. It works. It’s effective. We don’t need to overhaul this law at this point,” Brogan said.

What does this mean for seafood imports

The original law makes it illegal to import marine mammal products without a permit and allows the U.S. to impose import prohibitions on seafood products from foreign fisheries that don’t meet U.S. standards.

The import embargoes are a major sticking point because they punish American businesses, said Gavin Gibbons, chief strategy officer of the National Fisheries Institute, a Virginia-based seafood industry trade group. It’s critical to source seafood globally to be able to meet American demand for seafood, he said.

The National Fisheries Institute and a coalition of industry groups sued the federal government Thursday over what they described as unlawful implementation of the protection act. Gibbons said the groups don’t oppose the act but want to see it responsibly implemented.

“Our fisheries are well regulated and appropriately fished to their maximum sustainable yield,” Gibbons said. “The men and women who work our waters are iconic and responsible. They can’t be expected to just fish more here to make up a deficit while jeopardizing the sustainability they’ve worked so hard to maintain.”

Some environmental groups said the Republican lawmakers’ proposed changes could weaken American seafood competitiveness by allowing imports from poorly regulated foreign fisheries.

Whittle writes for the Associated Press.

Shetland has been named the cleanest place in Scotland, with almost 99 per cent of public spaces across the archipelago being litter-free – and the main town has plenty to offer tourists

Scotland is battling a significant litter issue, reportedly worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Urban areas have been hit hardest, with Dundee and Glasgow topping the list of Scotland’s most littered cities, as per a recent report from Keep Scotland Beautiful featured in The Herald.

However, other parts of Scotland are being praised for their cleanliness. Shetland has earned the title of Scotland’s cleanest place. The new data reveals that an impressive 98.7% of public spaces on the archipelago are predominantly free of litter – the highest percentage in the country.

This honour allows Lerwick, Shetland’s main port, to boast the title of Scotland’s cleanest town.

As the largest settlement on the island group, housing around 7,000 residents, it serves as the perfect starting point to discover this remote part of Scotland.

Situated almost halfway between Bergen in Norway and Aberdeen, Lerwick offers a unique culture.

Its quaint lanes and laid-back atmosphere make it an ideal holiday destination – with top attractions including the Iron Age broch of Clickimin and the Shetland Museum, reports the Daily Record.

Visitors can also enjoy orca watching in the nearby seas or stay on land to explore the captivating marine life around the islands. Lerwick even boasts its own beach, Bain’s, just a stone’s throw from the town centre.

If you fancy a bit of solitude, there are plenty of beaches scattered around the Shetland Mainland.

Sumburgh, situated at the southernmost point of the island and just a half-hour drive away, is famed for its breathtaking white sands.

Also nestled in the southern region of the island is Spiggie Beach. Its pristine waters have been likened to those of a Greek island, albeit with a cooler climate.

After a day of adventuring, unwind with some grub or a drink at one of Lerwick’s pubs or restaurants.

The Lounge Bar, which holds the top spot on TripAdvisor, provides live music for its guests.

For a bite to eat, No 88 Kitchen and Bar comes highly recommended. This local gem dishes up an intriguing blend of Scottish, British and Philippine cuisine.

Whale watching in the Hebrides

There’s no escaping sea and sky on Tiree, as the Inner Hebridean island is only 12 miles long and 3 miles wide. Shallow seas provide rich feeding grounds for marine life, and it is one of the UK’s best spots for whale watching. Tiree Sea Tours – a member of the WiSe national training scheme for minimising disturbance to marine wildlife – offers half-day and full-day sea-faris (from £75). Visitors can also try to spot basking sharks circling the island in the plankton-rich waters at viewing spots in Hynish Bay or Caoles, or from the deck of the CalMac ferry over to nearby Coll. Sunset Pods’ two cabins (from £700 a week, one week minimum stay in July-August) sleep four and offer views over Balevullin beach, a Dark Sky discovery site and home to Blackhouse Watersports.

Birdwatching in Kent

Dipping its toes in the Thames Estuary, the Isle of Sheppey is visited by thousands of migrating shore birds every year. Visitors of all ages can get twitching by staying at Elmley nature reserve in pop-up summer bell tents for four (from £170 a night, two nights minimum), and joining a Wildlife Wander Walk (£25) to spot species such as egrets, lapwings, avocets and marsh harriers. You can also jump in a Land Rover for an off-road adventure with an ecologist (from £20). To view it all from the water, Jet Stream Tours offers a four-hour around-the-island trip (£90 per family) that passes by Elmley and the cliffs of Eastchurch.

Waterside camping in Gwynedd

On the Llŷn Peninsula, Bert’s Kitchen Garden campsite (from £44 a pitch) always has something new to offer. Last year, the husband-and-wife team who run it opened Beachside, a cafe on wheels offering local produce, including Heartland Coffee Roasters, and supper clubs with chefs from the area. A new sauna provides warmth after bracing sea swims. The site’s private beach is ideal for families who love to be on the water, with paddleboards and kayaks for hire.

Further inland, in the heart of Eryri national park, Llyn Gwynant campsite (from £16pp; day visitors welcome from £5pp plus £5 per car) offers access to a river, mountain and lake, with boat hire on the doorstep. Glanllyn Lakeside caravan and camping park (from £27 a pitch) has a pebbled beach, ideal for launching kayaks and paddleboards, on the shore of Bala lake.

Rewilding in action in Devon

Coombeshead is a 162-hectare (400-acre) rewilding site just north of the Tamar Valley, owned and run by Derek Gow, an author and campaigner specialising in species reintroduction and nature recovery. This summer, families who book a stay in a shepherd’s hut will receive a complimentary animal encounter to learn more about the reintroduction of white storks, water voles, wild cats, and Coombeshead’s newest arrival, the European lynx. The off-grid shepherd’s hut and campsite (from £12 a night) share the kitchen, shower and toilet block, and a rewilding garden. You can also book a two-hour wild walk or dusk beaver-watching experience (from £28 a person).

Wildlife in Cheshire

Once derelict, Northwich Woodlands is now home to more than 2,000 plant and animal species, offering families ample opportunity for nature immersion. Across more than 323 hectares, nine distinct habitats include wildflower meadows, wetlands and two canals: the Weaver Navigation and the Trent and Mersey. This summer, kids can get stuck in on guided pond-dipping and bug-hunting days throughout July and August.

Two- to five-berth canal boats are available to hire from nearby Anderton Marina through ABC Boat Hire (from £431 a night, two nights minimum) and feature several overnight itineraries, including along the recently refurbished Huddersfield Narrow canal across the Pennines.

Woodland trails in Epping Forest

Outdoor specialist Millets recently ranked Epping Forest as the third most family-friendly forest in the UK, after the New Forest and the Forest of Dean. Maps of more than 30 child-friendly trails, including the Willow and Holly trails, are available at the Epping Forest visitor centre at High Beach. You can also find 20 walks for all abilities on the Epping Forest Walks app. Events over the summer include crafting at the Toot Hill Country Show, as well as a 90-minute obstacle course for kids of all ages at Wild Forest (from £22). The Lee Valley Almost Wild campsite (from £30 a pitch), a short walk from Broxbourne station, has 20 basic pitches for those aged over 12.

Conservation in North Yorkshire

Heggs Farm, a 55-hectare rewilding project just north of the Yorkshire Dales national park, prides itself on being wild. Members of the CampWild platform, which helps landowners and farmers open sections of land to campers, can book a stay at Heggs in two camping spots (from £15), or a camping bothy (from £45) for up to four people. Families are invited to participate in several conservation activities during their stay, including caring for newly planted trees, plugging dams to create new wetland areas, and recording wildlife sightings.

Near Skipton, on the southern edge of the Dales, Broughton Sanctuary also offers conservation activities for families. Weekly tree-planting events with ranger Joel Batchelor are free to attend, and kids can enjoy its Wild Explorers forest school (£35 a day).

Explore marine life, Isle of Arran

Scotland’s first marine protected area visitor centre, the Coast discovery centre in Lamlash, has been thrown into the spotlight after appearing in David Attenborough’s hard-hitting new documentary, Ocean. With a summer of events lined up, there’s no better place for kids to learn about our fragile marine environments. Activities include gentle shore scrambles with wildlife experts; snorkel taster sessions (from £40); and a two-hour boat ride on Coast’s research vessel involving everything from habitat mapping to plankton sampling (from £30).

Surfing in the south-west

Some of the UK’s best surfing spots, including Rest Bay and Woolacombe, are less than three hours’ drive from Bristol, so it’s no surprise that many campervan hire companies are setting up shop in the city. Roadsurfer’s vans include the Surfer Suite, which sleeps four with an outdoor shower and pop-up roof (from £65). Alternatively, Shaka, from Camplify is a thoughtfully converted baker’s van kitted out with luxuries including a composting toilet and hot shower, as well as quirkier additions such as stained-glass windows and a record collection. It’s available to rent for up to five people (from £110) and can be delivered within a 100-mile radius of Bristol.

When it comes to pitching up, Porthcawl Surf School, between Swansea and Cardiff, recommends Sandy Bay campsite near Rest Bay, while back in north Devon, Little Roadway Farm offers electric hook‑ups for campervans (from £30) and pitches (from £15pp) just moments from Woolacombe’s sweeping sands.

Rock climbing, Gower Peninsula

Three Cliffs Bay’s constantly shifting landscape – the tide sweeps in and out across soft sand to dunes, a salt marsh and the Pennard Pill stream – provides never-ending fun for kids of all ages. Rising out of the bay are the famous three limestone cliffs, one of Wales’s most accessible climbing spots. Gower Adventures offers the best way to give it a try; families can join full-day climbing adventures with expert tuition from local guides (£210 for a family of four). Spend the night pitched up at Nicholaston Farm (from £29 a pitch) – a sheltered campsite with big sea views, good washrooms, and a farm shop.

Stargazing in the Cairngorms

Aberdeenshire has more hours of sunshine a year than a lot of places in Scotland, which also means more clear nights for stargazing. On the eastern edge of the Cairngorms national park in an area with particularly low light pollution, Cairngorm Bothies is an ideal base to view celestial events such as the Perseid meteor shower in August. Its 12 self-catering bothies sleep either two or four (from £125 a night, two nights minimum), and several are fully accessible. Thanks to a partnership with hiking guides Hillgoers, families staying here can book stargazing excursions with a certified “star ranger” this summer. Alternatively, head to the Glen Tanar visitor centre, a designated Dark Sky discovery site some 15 minutes down the road by car.

Gravel biking, North York Moors

The North York Moors national park’s Sutton Bank centre, which sits on an escarpment over the Vale of York, has launched three new gravel biking routes this summer. Part-created by cycling journalist Guy Kesteven, the routes are accessible from the Sutton Bank Bikes hire station (from £40 a day). The 15-mile (25km) Moorland Meander has an “easy” rating, taking in the open plateaus of the moors with only 200 metres of climbing. Also new this year is an Edge of Empire accessible trail at archaeological site Cawthorn Roman Camps. On a working farm, a shepherd’s hut on Stonebeck Gate Farm (from £110 a night) sleeps four.

Kayaking in East Sussex

The River Ouse has become the first river in the UK to gain legal rights — a big step forward in the campaign for cleaner waterways. The Kayak Coach runs trips here to suit all abilities and ages, including a two and a half hour adventure for beginners, which paddles along the Ouse from the middle of Lewes (£60).

Further east, the River Rother meanders through The Original Hut Company’s campsite (shepherd’s hut for five, from £150) near Bodiam Castle. The company’s partnership with adventure provider Epic Life makes it easy to rent kayaks or paddleboards (from £6) directly from the campsite, or you can join a session on giant paddleboards for up to eight people (from £95.40). Nearby, the Pop-Up campsite on regenerative Hop and Hare farm (from £15 a night per person, two nights minimum) will keep kids busy with egg collecting, a nature trail, den building and paddleboards.

Wildlife spotting in Norfolk

Follow in the footsteps of Chris Packham and Anita Rani to spot wildlife on the former site of BBC Springwatch, Pensthorpe nature reserve. Activities include a Poo Trail for younger children and evening activities such as badger watching (£20.95) and a Creatures of the Night (£16.95) bat and owl-watching adventure. There’s a pop-up campsite now too, with grass pitches from £30 a night, or bell tents for four from £130 a night (both two nights minimum).

If you’d rather do it yourself, pick up a four-mile section of the Norfolk coast path from Morston Quay through Blakeney national nature reserve to pretty Cley-next-the-Sea and catch the Coasthopper bus service back. If you can time the tides right, a ferry service from Morston Quay heads out to Blakeney Point, which is home to England’s largest grey seal colony.

Mountain biking, Gloucestershire

Families looking to try mountain biking will love Old Bob’s, the newest trail at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, named after a pumping engine from a nearby former coal mine. Weaving just over a mile through the forest, the trail features three areas designed for practising off-road riding skills. It’s also one of the UK’s most accessible mountain bike trails, suitable for bikes with up to four wheels as well as adaptive bikes.

More gentle activities nearby include woodland fun in Puzzlewood’s rare temperate rainforest, where you can stay in a cottage sleeping four plus an infant (from £240 a night, minimum three nights), and the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail just across the road from the cycle centre.

Cave snorkel in County Antrim

In the middle of the Causeway Coast, Portrush’s sheltered harbour and sweeping beach is an excellent spot to try paddleboarding and surfing. Portrush Surf School, run by pro surfer Martin “TK” Kelly, has availability on a four-day VIP Surf Camp for nine- to 16-year-olds (£140) throughout the summer holidays, or you can book a three-hour family surf or paddleboard lesson (£160 for four; over-nines only).

Visitors can get a little further off-the-beaten-track with Free Dive Northern Ireland, which takes groups from Portrush to coastal locations on half-day paddleboard and cave-snorkelling adventures (from £50pp) throughout July and August.

Dive into a quarry in Surrey

As water temperatures creep above 20C, it’s a great time to take older kids to try more serious wild swimming. In Godstone, Surrey, a sand-extraction site has been converted into a natural swimming lake known as Divers Cove. Circuits of up to 650 metres are marked out around the lake, and all sessions are overseen by lifeguards (£10.99; over-sevens only).

Younger kids might prefer the nearby green flag-awarded Frensham Great Pond, which has a roped-off swimming area and gentle shelving beach. And at Box Hill, visitors can experience one of Nature Calling’s six new art projects. Dawn After Night, Spring After Winter is a free digital adventure game designed to help more people connect with their local landscapes.

Wild camping on Dartmoor

The Supreme Court recently upheld the legal right to wild camp on Dartmoor, providing an excellent opportunity to educate the next generation about the joys and responsibilities of wild camping. Before embarking on an adventure, read up on the code of conduct – which includes rules on travelling light, leaving no trace and staying out of sight – and find out where you’re allowed to camp using the national park’s backpack camping map. The Dartmoor Preservation Association has also created a handy guide to the 3Ps (pees, poos and periods) when wild camping. If the idea of pitching up alone is too much, try booking a spot at Beardown Farm, which has two wild campsites on a 450-hectare working farm on the high moor. Pitches (from £5 per adult; £2.50 per child) include communal tap and fire pits, plus a composting toilet in summer.

‘Farmtivities’ in Somerset

In just two years, brothers Giacomo and Matteo have transformed Higher Farm near Castle Cary from a traditional dairy farm into a biodynamic hub. In May this year, the 20-hectare site – with 2,000 newly planted trees, a swimming lake, orchards, and two friendly pigs named Clover and Pumpkin – opened for the summer season. Day visitors can join in “farmtivities” throughout the summer, including self-guided farm tours, pick-your-own and feeding the animals. A pizza van is open on Saturdays, and there’s a play area for kids. Guests can also spend the night in a secluded spot, tucked into two heated yurt cabins, each sleeping three people (£130 a night, two nights minimum).

Own a pony for a day in Lancashire

The Horse and Pony Protection Association (Happa) is offering children the chance to own a pony for a day (£35) at its site overlooking Thursden Valley near Burnley this summer, helping six to 16-year-olds understand what it takes to look after a horse, including mucking out, grooming, walking with the ponies and riding. There’s also a cafe, education trail and outdoor park.

Meanwhile, near Preston, Alpaca Fold is running an alpaca walking experience (£20 per adult; £15 for 16s and under) on its 14-hectare site close to Samlesbury village, this summer. Sandwiched between the two on the edge of the Forest of Bowland, Little Oakhurst Boutique Glamping has shepherd’s huts and yurts (from £130 a night for four).

Prices are correct at the time of going to press, based on July stays and per person unless otherwise specified

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.