Movie Watch: Sharkwater

I basically rented Sharkwater to see some high def nature on the TV, which it delivers in spades for much of the movie. However, the movie itself is far more than just a screensaver - it's a documentary about conserving sharks in general, whose population is being decimated in the wake of illegal shark fin trade.

This is how insane we are as a planet: shark fins don't add taste to shark fin soup. They only add texture. If you're superstitious, you might think that it will give you long life and defeat cancer, but that just makes for an even more idiotic rationale for the mass slaughter of one of the world's oldest life forms.

The movie does much to deflate the myth of vicious predator, noting that despite having abundant opportunities to be a man eater, more people are killed by elephants every year than sharks.

It's a beautiful movie that shows a nearly invisible fight in earnest. Highly recommend. Also check out savingsharks.com and the movie's website for more on shark conservation in general.