Mitchell Long Shoots Shots Of A Shark Close Up

SW20: LAND OF THE LOST SHARK

Mitchell Long Shoots Shots Of A Shark Close Up

Photo by: Jesse Colaizzi Productions, LLC.

Jesse Colaizzi Productions, LLC.

Searching for Lost Sharks

Dr. Dave Ebert joined Animal Planet’s Forrest Galante in some of the most shark infested waters in the Southern Hemisphere to track down lost species on EXTINCT OR ALIVE: LAND OF THE LOST SHARKS. He let's us in on his experience.

August 11, 2020

I’m known as the Lost Shark Guy, and throughout my career, I have searched for those little known or unknown sharks and their relatives the flatsharks (rays and skates) and ghost sharks (Chimaeras). I have discovered over 50 new shark species and found numerous others not seen in decades!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Dave diving with Grey Reef Sharks.

Dave diving with Grey Reef Sharks.

For Shark Week this year, I teamed up with Forrest Galante and his team from EXTINCT OR ALIVE for the program LAND OF THE LOST SHARKS where we go in search of three lost Sharks from the east coast of South Africa, including one that had not been seen since 1984 and another that was discovered in 1902, but then lost over 100 years!

Dave and Forrest reviewing video of a Lost Shark in Kosi Bay, South Africa while Mitchell Long & Mark Romanov film.

Dave and Forrest reviewing video of a Lost Shark in Kosi Bay, South Africa while Mitchell Long & Mark Romanov film.

Unlike other Shark Week programs I’ve done, the coolest part of this program was working with Forrest since we are “fellow travelers” searching for species that maybe extinct or entirely new to the outside world!

Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) off Aliwal Shoal, South Africa. Some of the unexpected wildlife encounters while filming Land of the Lost Sharks.

Photo by: Jesse Colaizzi

Jesse Colaizzi

Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) off Aliwal Shoal, South Africa. Some of the unexpected wildlife encounters while filming Land of the Lost Sharks.

Once in the field, I am on a mission with a singular focus to find these sharks, and I don’t like to come back empty handed. However, what people do not always realize is the situation or circumstances that occur off camera and behind the scenes. The challenging situations, extreme weather and sea conditions, other wildlife such as poisonous snakes, hippos and crocodiles, and of course, the unknown and often unexpected things that happen while filming these programs.

Austin’s Guitarfish (Rhinobatos austini), a new guitarfish (flat shark) we encountered off Durban.

Austin’s Guitarfish (Rhinobatos austini), a new guitarfish (flat shark) we encountered off Durban.

One unexpected species we found during the filming was a flatshark called a guitarfish that I discovered in South Africa three years ago. I named this new shark Austin’s Guitarfish after my nephew who is a shark enthusiast and as a college graduation present. So for me, it was pretty cool and unexpected to come across one of these sharks while filming.

Although people are watching to see the large toothy sharks we encounter--and we definitely encountered them--most don’t fully realize the circumstances we often find ourselves in. During the filming, there were days we would be miles offshore and in 10 foot seas with a real risk of the boat being swamped and leaving us stranded at sea or having to find divers “temporarily” lost at sea.

Dave in rough seas off Protea Bank to film Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks.

Dave in rough seas off Protea Bank to film Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks.

Or there was the day I went to scout out a remote fishing village to see what kinds of sharks they might be catching. Well unbeknown to me, the village it turns out is in Mozambique, and I found myself surrounded by border guards armed with machine guns from South Africa and Mozambique asking why I was there. Once I explained, they all found it rather amusing and thought I was some kind of a Hollywood celebrity. You won’t see that in the show, but it all adds an unknown and unexpected element to these expeditions.

Dave and Forrest with the Flapnose Houndshark (Scylliogaleus quecketii), a South African endemic species only occurs along a small stretch of coastline. This was one of three sharks we went in search of for Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks.

Photo by: Jesse Colaizzi

Jesse Colaizzi

Dave and Forrest with the Flapnose Houndshark (Scylliogaleus quecketii), a South African endemic species only occurs along a small stretch of coastline. This was one of three sharks we went in search of for Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks.

Doing the type of research I have dedicated my life to, finding these lost sharks is a passion and requires an adventurous spirit, an explorer’s mindset, and a curiosity for discovery. I hope when people see the program they will feel that same sense, the energy and excitement of discovering long lost species. It’s frustrating, exhausting, exhilarating, yet the most rewarding experience you could ever imagine when you discover a species no one has seen in decades.

About Dr. Ebert

Dr. Dave Ebert, the “Lost Shark Guy”, is Director of the Pacific Shark Research Center.

Dr. Dave Ebert, the “Lost Shark Guy”, is Director of the Pacific Shark Research Center.

Dr. Dave Ebert, the “Lost Shark Guy”, is Director of the Pacific Shark Research Center. You can follow Dave’s shark explorations on Facebook and Instagram.

Next Up

Shark Week: The Podcast - How Did a Shark Encounter Survivor Become an Advocate for Their Protection?

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple welcomes professional photographer Mike Coots, who lost his leg to a tiger shark attack when he was only 18. But after his horrific injury, he came to love sharks, and became a lifelong advocate for their safety. Luke and Mike discuss his career, his love for photographing sharks, and how to positively approach the big life-changing moments that can happen to any of us.

Shark Week: The Podcast - Undiscovered Sharks and the State of the Ocean

Luke Tipple invites “The Lost Shark Guy,” Dr. Dave Ebert, who is personally responsible for finding dozens of shark species that were either previously unknown to science or thought to be extinct. He and Luke discuss why shark populations are a direct indicator of how healthy the ocean is, how to find undiscovered sharks, and why diversity in sharks is essential for marine life.

Shark Week: The Podcast - How Smart Are Sharks?

The discussion turns this week to sharks’ intelligence, and how it varies among species. Host Luke Tipple is joined by Dr. Tristan Guttridge, a behavioral ecologist and veteran of Shark Week whose research has tackled the social smarts, and even personalities, of different kinds of sharks. He sheds light on why we shouldn’t just think of them as dumb fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth. And at the end, our researcher Sierra Kehoe tells us about shark hypnosis.

Shark Week: The Podcast - How Shark Fishing Funds Human Trafficking

Luke Tipple is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the Outlaw Ocean Ian Urbina, who has dedicated his life to chronicling crime on the high seas. They discuss the state of our world’s oceans, how nearly 20% of your seafood was likely caught illegally, and the surprising link between modern slavery and the killing of sharks.

Shark Week: The Podcast - Do Scientists Need to Kill Sharks?

Host Luke Tipple welcomes two guests to discuss how researchers can kill sharks in the name of science – and whether they need to at all. The first is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, shark researcher and founder of Atlantic Shark Expeditions, and an expert on data-gathering in the field. He’s followed by explorer Fred Buyle, a world-record-breaking freediver whose innovative methods of shark tagging are explored. Plus, our researcher Sierra tells us about how a 50-year study changed our understanding of tiger sharks – and much of the work wasn’t even done by scientists.

Shark Week: The Podcast - Superstar Kesha Lifts the Gag Order on Saving Sharks

Pop superstar Kesha joins Shark Week’s Luke Tipple on the podcast to discuss her love of sharks, how her music funds her addiction to diving, and how you can find inner peace while under the water. And at the end, our researcher Sierra drops in to tell us that some sharks have teeth in their eyes.

Shark Week: The Podcast - How Many Sharks Are Yet to Be Discovered?

Luke Tipple is joined by Shark Week host and all-around adventurer Forrest Galante. They discuss his upcoming special Alien Sharks: South Africa, Forrest’s remarkable talent for finding creatures once believed to be extinct, and how many shark species may still be unknown. Then, our researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s most prehistoric shark.

Shark Week: The Podcast - How To Have A Career in Shark Science

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple tackles the question “How can I work with sharks?” alongside two experts in the field – and their answers are not always the obvious ones. Luke is joined first by Kelly Link, Associate Curator of the Georgia Aquarium who talks about what it’s like to be an aquarist, how it differs from field work, and how to get yourself noticed. The second guest is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag who goes into detail on what it takes to become a prominent scientist, and what other paths you can take if a PhD isn’t for you. And at the end, researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s smallest shark.

Shark Week: The Podcast - Lights! Camera! TEETH! Making Shark Docs

Shark Week’s Luke Tipple is joined by longtime filmmaker and Emmy-award-winner Andy Casagrande. He’s filmed and appeared in dozens of shark documentaries, and might just be the most prolific shark cinematographer in history. He talks with Luke about his career, the contentious term “shark porn,” and the future of the industry. And at the end, our researcher Sierra talks about the unprecedented ways that sharks are currently endangered.

Shark Week: The Podcast - What is the Status of Sharks in our Oceans?

In this season’s final episode, Luke welcomes Emmy-winning filmmaker and conservationist Shawn Heinrichs to discuss the state of sharks in the ocean. They go over how both legal and illegal fishing operations are decimating the ocean’s wildlife, what it’s like to have a hit put out on you for exposing criminal enterprises to the world, and whether or not NOAA’s data on “sustainable” fishing can really be trusted.

Related To: