Debunking the Jaws Myth
As a boy, George Probst was captivated by sharks—especially great whites (Carcharodon carcharias). They both fascinated and terrified him. He saw Jaws over and over again, believing the stereotypical image of sharks as ferocious, man-eating monsters intent on devouring everything in their path. He thought divers who swam with sharks were crazy. Despite these fears, George knew he would someday see one in the wild.
That opportunity came in 2006, when, on a whim, George booked a trip to Isla de Guadalupe to go cage diving with great whites. #Underwater Hashtag Challenge editor Lauri Hafvenstein asked George about that first encounter and why he’s so passionate about sharks. He also shared some of his favorite shark images among the thousands submitted by Your Shot members.
Lauri Hafvenstein: What got you so passionate about photographing sharks?
George Probst: That first trip to Isa de Guadalupe. I’d never done any open-water diving before. I can remember thinking how perilous it would be to climb from the boat into the cage. I was convinced a shark might appear from below at any moment and grab an unsuspecting diver. Needless to say, my first time breathing underwater through a regulator involved some rapid breaths!
Not long after the sharks arrived, my fears about the species dissipated. Some were more curious than others, but they weren’t aggressive. It became clear that the way sharks behaved in movies like Jaws in no way represented their actual behavior. I was hooked, not just on sharks but on diving.
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