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Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Swimmer circumnavigates Martha's Vineyard ahead of ‘Jaws' 50th anniversary
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. — A British-South African endurance athlete became the first person to swim around the island of Martha's Vineyard on Monday, completing a 60-mile (97-kilometer) trek over multiple days to raise awareness about the plight of sharks as the film 'Jaws' nears its 50th birthday. Lewis Pugh, 55, began swimming multiple hours a day in the 47-degree (8 degrees Celsius) water on May 15. He wants to change public perceptions and encourage protections for the at-risk animals — which he said the film maligned as 'villains, as cold-blooded killers.' 'We've been fighting sharks for 50 years,' he said after completing the last 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) of the swim before exiting the ocean at the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, near where 'Jaws' was filmed. 'Now, we need to make peace with them.' In total, Pugh swam for about 24 hours over 12 days. His first stop in Edgartown after greeting cheering fans on the beach was at an ice cream shop, where he enjoyed a cone of salted caramel and berry brownie. Pugh said this was among his most difficult endurance swims in an almost 40-year career, which says a lot for someone who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. Pugh was the first athlete to swim across the North Pole and complete a long-distance swim in every one of the world's oceans. He said he expected the swim to be difficult because of the water temperature, the distance and the fact that it was happening during the start of shark migration season. But the weather proved the most challenging element of all. 'It's been a long journey, it really has — 12 days, cold water, constant wind, waves, and then always thinking of what may be beneath me. It's been a big swim. A very big swim,' he said. 'When you swim for 12 days, you leave as one person and I think you come back as a different person with a new reflection on what you've been through.' Day after day, Pugh entered the island's frigid waters wearing just trunks, a cap and goggles, enduring foul weather as a nor'easter dumped 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain on parts of New England and flooded streets on Martha's Vineyard. Some days, he was only able to make it a little over half a mile (1 kilometer) before wind and waves made it impossible to see beyond an arm's length ahead. In some cases, he had to make up lost distance by swimming multiple legs in a day. 'I was just getting really cold and swallowing a lot of sea water, not making headway and then you're constantly thinking, 'Are we taking the right route here? Should we go further out to sea? Should we get closer in?'' he said. 'And meanwhile you're fighting currents.' But Pugh — who has been named a United Nations Patron of the Oceans and often swims to raise awareness for environmental causes — said no swim is without risk, and that drastic measures are needed to get his message across: About 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day, a rate of nearly 100 million every year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. On Monday, Pugh called the decimation of sharks an 'ecocide.' 'I think protecting sharks is the most important part of the jigsaw puzzle of protecting the oceans,' he said. 'Jaws,' which was filmed in Edgartown and called Amity Island for the movie, created Hollywood's blockbuster culture when it was released in summer 1975, setting new box office records and earning three Academy Awards. The movie would shape views of the ocean for decades to come. Both director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley expressed regret that viewers of the film became so afraid of sharks, and both later contributed to conservation efforts as their populations declined, largely due to commercial fishing. Pugh's endeavor also coincided with the New England Aquarium's first confirmed sighting this season of a white shark, off the nearby island of Nantucket. As a precaution, Pugh was accompanied on his swim by safety personnel in a boat and a kayak, whose paddler is using a 'Shark Shield' device to create a low-intensity electric field in the water to deter sharks without harming them. There were no shark sightings along Pugh's journey, but he said he saw sun fish, seals and terns. He now plans to travel to New York for a few days to do interviews about the swim and discuss shark conservation before returning to his home of Plymouth, England. 'Now the real hard work starts, which is getting this message to policy makers,' Pugh said.
The Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Swimmer is attempting first-ever swim around island ahead of Jaws anniversary
Lewis Pugh has followed an unspoken rule during his career as one of the world's most daring endurance swimmers: Don't talk about sharks. But he plans to break that this week on a swim around Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States, where Jaws was filmed 50 years ago. The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world – and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic. "On this swim, it's very different: We're just talking about sharks all the time,' joked Pugh, who will, as usual, wear no wetsuit for the 62-mile (100km) swim. For his swim around Martha's Vineyard in 8°C water he will wear just trunks, a cap and goggles. Pugh, 55, is undertaking the challenge because he wants to change public perception around the now at-risk animals – which he said were maligned by the blockbuster film as "villains, as cold-blooded killers.' He will urge for more protection for sharks. "We need to protect life in our oceans – all our futures rely on it,' he said on Thursday (May 15) before starting out from a beach in front of the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse and swimming an initial 3.9 miles (6.2km) for nearly three hours. On Friday, he'll get in the water and swim again – and again, for an estimated 12 days, or however long it takes him to complete the swim. He'll spend the rest of his time on the Vineyard educating the public about sharks. Later Thursday, he crawled out of the water, where curious seals bobbed in the waves, and onto a boat to warm up and refuel. He began his ednavour just after the New England Aquarium confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season, earlier this week off the coast of Nantucket. "It's going to test me not only physically, but also mentally,' he said, while scoping out wind conditions by the starting line earlier this week. "I mean every single day I'm going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I've got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I'll be thinking about.' Pugh said the swim will be among the most difficult he's undertaken, which says a lot for someone who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. No one has ever swum around the island of Martha's Vineyard before. Endurance swimmer Louis Pugh chats with visitors to Martha's Vineyard, on May 15, 2025, in Edgartown, Mass. Photo: AP But Pugh, who often swims to raise awareness for environmental causes – and has been named the United Nations Patron of the Oceans for several years – said no swim is without risk and that drastic measures are needed to get his message across: Around 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day – a rate of 100 million every year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,' he said of Jaws . "It's completely unsustainable. It's madness. We need to respect them.' He emphasises that the swim is not something nonprofessionals should attempt. He's accompanied by safety personnel in a boat and kayak and uses a "Shark Shield' device that deters sharks using an electric field without harming them. Pugh remembers feeling fear as a 16-year-old watching Jaws for the first time. Over decades of study and research, awe and respect have replaced his fear, as he realised the role they play in maintaining Earth's increasingly fragile ecosystems. "I'm more terrified of a world without sharks, or without predators,' he said. Jaws is credited for creating Hollywood's blockbuster culture when it was released in summer 1975, becoming the highest grossing film up until that time and earning three Academy Awards. It would impact how many viewed the ocean for decades to come. Both director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley have expressed regret over the impact of the film on viewers' perception of sharks. Both have since contributed to conservation efforts for animals, which have seen populations depleted due to factors like overfishing and climate change. Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel each year release programming about sharks to educate the public about the predator. Greg Skomal, marine fisheries biologist at Martha's Vineyard Fisheries within the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, said many people tell him they still won't swim in the ocean because of the sheer terror caused by the film. "I tend to hear the expression that, 'I haven't gone in the water since Jaws came out,'' he said. But Skomal, who published a book challenging the film's inaccuracies, said Jaws also inspired many people – including him – to study marine biology, leading to increased research, acceptance and respect for the creatures. If Jaws were made today, he doesn't think it'd have the same effect. But in the 1970s, "it was just perfect in terms of generating this level of fear to a public that was largely uneducated about sharks, because we were uneducated. Scientists didn't know a lot about sharks.' Skomal said the biggest threat contributing to the decline of the shark population now is commercial fishing, which exploded in the late 1970s and is today driven by high demand for fins and meat used in food dishes, as well as the use of skin to make leather and oil and cartilage for cosmetics. "I think we've really moved away from this feeling, or the old adage that, 'The only good shark is a dead shark,'' he said. "We're definitely morphing from fear to fascination, or perhaps a combination of both.' – AP
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This swimmer aims to change the perception of sharks ‘Jaws' created 50 years ago
He's doing it for the sharks. Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh set out Thursday to attempt the first-ever swim around Martha's Vineyard where the blockbuster movie 'Jaws' was filmed 50 years ago. In so doing, the British-South African who has completed a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world will break his own rule against talking about sharks. 'On this swim, it's very different: We're just talking about sharks all the time,' he told the Associated Press. Pugh, 55, wants to change public perception around the now at-risk animals, which he said were maligned by the movie as 'villains, as cold-blooded killers.' He's swimming — and talking — to urge more protection for sharks. He'll swim three or four hours a day in the 47-degree water in swim trunks, a cap and goggles, mark his progress and then take to the shore to educate people about sharks. He expects to finish the 62-mile route over 12 days. Pugh's swim started just as the New England Aquarium confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season off the coast of Nantucket earlier this week, per the AP. 'It's going to test me not only physically, but also mentally,' he said, while scoping out wind conditions at the starting line. 'I mean every single day I'm going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I've got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I'll be thinking about.' Pugh, who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears, told the AP this will be the most difficult challenge he has undertaken. No one has ever swum around the island of Martha's Vineyard before. Swimming to raise awareness for an environmental cause isn't new for Pugh, who has been named the United Nations Patron of the Oceans for several years. 'It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,' he said of 'Jaws.' 'It's completely unsustainable. It's madness. We need to respect them.' An estimated 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day, a rate of 100 million a year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Stephen Spielberg's 1975 movie, which became the highest-grossing film at the time and earned three Academy Awards, had significant impact on how people perceive sharks, much of it negative. Its tension-building musical theme by John Williams is etched in the American psyche. 'The film depicted a rogue great white shark as a ferocious and mindless man-eater, and this portrayal has persisted in popular culture to this day. The film's depiction of sharks as fearsome predators that attack humans for no apparent reason led to a widespread fear of sharks, and many people believe still that all sharks are dangerous to humans,' according to Shark Stewards, a California-based advocacy group working to save endangered sharks and rays. In California, the movie led to 'vendetta killings,' great white shark tournaments, a commercial fishery that along with bycatch in a gillnet fishery almost completely wiped out the population of white sharks along the west coast of North America, according to the organization. Since 1970, the abundance of sharks and rays has declined by more than 70% as a result of an 18-fold increase in fishing pressure, according to a Nature study conducted in 2022. Both Spielberg and author Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel 'Jaws' upon which the movie is based, have expressed regret over the impact of the film on viewers' perception of sharks, according to AP. Shortly before his death in 2006, Benchley said, 'I couldn't write 'Jaws' today. The extensive new knowledge of sharks would make it impossible for me to create, in good conscience, a villain of the magnitude and malignity of the original.' In a December 2022 interview on the BBC's "Island Discs" program, Spielberg said, 'That's one of the things I still fear. Not to get eaten by a shark, but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975. 'To this day, I regret the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film. I really, truly regret that.' Both Spielberg and Benchley have since contributed to conservation efforts for the animals, which have seen populations depleted due to factors like overfishing and climate change.
Euronews
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Can this endurance swimmer reverse 50 years of shark fear since Jaws?
Lewis Pugh has followed an unspoken rule during his career as one of the world's most daring endurance swimmers: Don't talk about sharks. But he plans to break that this week on a swim around Martha's Vineyard, where Jaws was filmed 50 years ago. The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world - and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic. 'On this swim, it's very different: We're just talking about sharks all the time,' joked Pugh, who will, as usual, wear no wetsuit. For his swim around Martha's Vineyard in 8-degree Celsius water he will wear just trunks, a cap and goggles. Pugh, 55, is undertaking the challenge because he wants to change public perception around the now at-risk animals - which he said were maligned by the blockbuster film as 'villains, as cold-blooded killers.' He will urge for more protection for sharks. On Thursday, beginning at the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, he will swim for three or four hours in the brutally cold surf, mark his progress and spend the rest of his waking hours on the Vineyard educating the public about sharks. Then, he'll get in the water and do it again - and again, for an estimated 12 days, or however long it takes him to complete the 100-kilometre swim. He begins the journey just after the New England Aquarium confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season, earlier this week off the coast of Nantucket. 'It's going to test me not only physically, but also mentally,' he said, while scoping out wind conditions by the starting line. 'I mean every single day I'm going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I've got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I'll be thinking about.' Pugh said the swim will be among the most difficult he's undertaken, which says a lot for someone who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. No one has ever swum around the island of Martha's Vineyard before. But Pugh, who often swims to raise awareness for environmental causes - and was this year named the United Nations Patron of the Oceans - said no swim is without risk and that drastic measures are needed to get his message across. Namely: around 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day - a rate of 100 million every year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 'It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,' he said of Jaws. 'It's completely unsustainable. It's madness. We need to respect them.' He emphasises that the swim is not something non-professionals should attempt. He's accompanied by safety personnel in a boat and kayak and uses a 'Shark Shield' device that deters sharks using an electric field without harming them. Pugh remembers feeling fear as a 16-year-old watching Jaws for the first time. Over decades of study and research, awe and respect have replaced his fear, as he realised the role they play in maintaining Earth's increasingly fragile ecosystems. 'I'm more terrified of a world without sharks, or without predators,' he said. Jaws is credited for creating Hollywood's blockbuster culture when it was released in summer 1975, becoming the highest grossing film up until that time and earning three Academy Awards. It would impact how many viewed the ocean for decades to come. Both director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley have expressed regret over the impact of the film on viewers' perception of sharks. Both have since contributed to conservation efforts for animals, which have seen populations depleted due to factors like overfishing and climate change. Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel each year release programming about sharks to educate the public about the predator. Greg Skomal, marine fisheries biologist at Martha's Vineyard Fisheries within the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, said many people tell him they still won't swim in the ocean because of the sheer terror caused by the film. 'I tend to hear the expression that, 'I haven't gone in the water since Jaws came out,'' he said. But Skomal, who published a book challenging the film's inaccuracies, said Jaws also inspired many people - including him - to study marine biology, leading to increased research, acceptance and respect for the creatures. If Jaws were made today, he doesn't think it'd have the same effect. But in the 1970s, 'it was just perfect in terms of generating this level of fear to a public that was largely uneducated about sharks, because we were uneducated. Scientists didn't know a lot about sharks.' Skomal said the biggest threat contributing to the decline of the shark population now is commercial fishing, which exploded in the late 1970s and is today driven by high demand for fins and meat used in food dishes, as well as the use of skin to make leather and oil and cartilage for cosmetics. 'I think we've really moved away from this feeling, or the old adage that, 'The only good shark is a dead shark,'' he said. 'We're definitely morphing from fear to fascination, or perhaps a combination of both.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Man to attempt first-ever swim around Martha's Vineyard ahead of ‘Jaws' anniversary
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. (AP) — Lewis Pugh has followed an unspoken rule during his career as one of the world's most daring endurance swimmers: Don't talk about sharks. But he plans to break that this week on a swim around Martha's Vineyard, where ' Jaws' was filmed 50 years ago. The British-South African was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world — and has taken on extreme conditions everywhere from Mount Everest to the Arctic. 'On this swim, it's very different: We're just talking about sharks all the time,' joked Pugh, who will, as usual, wear no wetsuit. For his swim around Martha's Vineyard in 47-degree (8-degree Celsius) water he will wear just trunks, a cap and goggles. Pugh, 55, is undertaking the challenge because he wants to change public perception around the now at-risk animals — which he said were maligned by the blockbuster film as 'villains, as cold-blooded killers.' He will urge for more protection for sharks. On Thursday, beginning at the Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, he will swim for three or four hours in the brutally cold surf, mark his progress and spend the rest of his waking hours on the Vineyard educating the public about sharks. Then, he'll get in the water and do it again — and again, for an estimated 12 days, or however long it takes him to complete the 62-mile (100-kilometer) swim. He begins the journey just after the New England Aquarium confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season, earlier this week off the coast of Nantucket. 'It's going to test me not only physically, but also mentally,' he said, while scoping out wind conditions by the starting line. 'I mean every single day I'm going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I've got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I'll be thinking about.' Pugh said the swim will be among the most difficult he's undertaken, which says a lot for someone who has swum near glaciers and volcanoes, and among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. No one has ever swum around the island of Martha's Vineyard before. But Pugh, who often swims to raise awareness for environmental causes — and has been named the United Nations Patron of the Oceans for several years — said no swim is without risk and that drastic measures are needed to get his message across: Around 274,000 sharks are killed globally each day — a rate of 100 million every year, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 'It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,' he said of 'Jaws.' 'It's completely unsustainable. It's madness. We need to respect them.' He emphasizes that the swim is not something nonprofessionals should attempt. He's accompanied by safety personnel in a boat and kayak and uses a 'Shark Shield' device that deters sharks using an electric field without harming them. Pugh remembers feeling fear as a 16-year-old watching 'Jaws' for the first time. Over decades of study and research, awe and respect have replaced his fear, as he realized the role they play in maintaining Earth's increasingly fragile ecosystems. 'I'm more terrified of a world without sharks, or without predators,' he said. 'Jaws' is credited for creating Hollywood's blockbuster culture when it was released in summer 1975, becoming the highest grossing film up until that time and earning three Academy Awards. It would impact how many viewed the ocean for decades to come. Both director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley have expressed regret over the impact of the film on viewers' perception of sharks. Both have since contributed to conservation efforts for animals, which have seen populations depleted due to factors like overfishing and climate change. Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel each year release programming about sharks to educate the public about the predator. Greg Skomal, marine fisheries biologist at Martha's Vineyard Fisheries within the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, said many people tell him they still won't swim in the ocean because of the sheer terror caused by the film. 'I tend to hear the expression that, 'I haven't gone in the water since 'Jaws' came out,'' he said. But Skomal, who published a book challenging the film's inaccuracies, said 'Jaws' also inspired many people — including him — to study marine biology, leading to increased research, acceptance and respect for the creatures. If 'Jaws' were made today, he doesn't think it'd have the same effect. But in the 1970s, 'it was just perfect in terms of generating this level of fear to a public that was largely uneducated about sharks, because we were uneducated. Scientists didn't know a lot about sharks.' Skomal said the biggest threat contributing to the decline of the shark population now is commercial fishing, which exploded in the late 1970s and is today driven by high demand for fins and meat used in food dishes, as well as the use of skin to make leather and oil and cartilage for cosmetics. 'I think we've really moved away from this feeling, or the old adage that, 'The only good shark is a dead shark,'' he said. 'We're definitely morphing from fear to fascination, or perhaps a combination of both.' Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
