We’re guardian angels for sharks
We have always been drawn to the shark’s watery world. Their powerful grace and undeniable presence have fascinated each of us since we met our first shark. Each Angel has a unique story – a pivotal moment when we realized we were meant to be a voice for sharks, like our founder, Julie Andersen:
Solo on a safety stop, relishing those last few moments underwater, I suddenly felt I was not alone. Glancing left, much to my initial terror, a huge scalloped hammerhead appeared next to me. But gazing into the eyes of the animal I was taught to fear, I saw life – not a cold, cruel stare. That day, she sealed my fate. This fascinating creature exemplified all that is beautiful on this planet. The extraordinary power of nature. A vital reminder of what we must respect and protect.
Mesmerized by sharks, we’ve journeyed to dive in places famous for sharks. And, everywhere we went, we saw the effects of shark finning. We quickly realized we were watching sharks disappear before our eyes. Fueled by passion, we knew we had to work for the very animal most people love to hate. So, we changed our lives, putting our entrepreneurial business + marketing skills to work, starting a non-profit dedicated to uniting the world around a new view of sharks. Essentially, we became positive PR reps for sharks – something they desperately needed.
We headed into the field, spending years undercover documenting the heart-breaking destruction. We have walked among 7,000 bloody sharks landed in a tuna fishery in Japan, sorted through chest-high whale shark fins in a seafood mall packed with thousands of fins in China, and watched a starving fishing village in Indonesia fin the last of its baby sharks – having decimated the population in only two years. And, we found our voices, fighting for a species that needed all the help it could get.
A new kind of shark conservation
For more than a decade, we’ve been leading some of the most compelling and effective ocean and shark conservation initiatives. What’s more, we’ve become a call to action, uniting the amazing efforts of those who share a similar passion around the world.