Australian Story on ABC – Australian Story Diving in Deep continues the story of the remarkable life of Valerie Taylor, the celebrated underwater filmmaker and shark conservationist who brought the underwater world into Australian homes.
By the 1970s, Val and her cinematographer husband, the late Ron Taylor, had earned an international reputation for filming with dangerous sharks and were engaged by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg to film great white sharks for the blockbuster Jaws.
Behind-the-scenes footage shot by the Taylors reveals the comical events that played out above deck when a stuntman who had never dived refused to enter the shark cage.
‘’The first shark that came up to the boat he looked at it and he said, “I want to speak to my manager now”, recalls Valerie Taylor.
That reluctance would save the stuntman’s life when a great white ripped into the cage just moments later, giving the film an unplanned climactic scene.
But Jaws’ mega success at the box office was bad news for sharks and threatened to undo Valerie’s message that sharks weren’t the enemy.
After the film, “gung-ho men took it upon themselves to kill sharks”, recalls Valerie, who was shocked by the reaction.
She renewed her conservation efforts and even after her first serious bite, which we see on film, stepped up her campaign to protect the grey nurse shark.
“It was being killed all along the east coast of Australia … I realised if they weren’t protected, they would disappear.”
Over the decades, her tireless advocacy work has helped protect sea lions, the giant cod and the grey nurse shark.
Now 87, Valerie is still fighting for the marine world.
“I feel that the general public are starting to realise that the ocean is an important part of the well-being of the planet and therefore of themselves. But there’s a lot to be done.”
“I think young people are inspired by Valerie Taylor, so it’s driving this new wave of interest”, says Australian Museum director, Kim McKay.
Producer: Jennifer Feller.
AUSTRALIAN STORY – Monday, 20 March, 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
Media Release – ABC
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