New Netflix Documentary Highlights Impact Of Fishing On Sharks

New Netflix documentary Shark Whisperer focuses on author, marine conservationist, and influencer Ocean Ramsay as she free dives with sharks to raise awareness of their vulnerability and educate the public.

The film is shot by Ramsay’s partner and videographer, Juan Oliphant, and co-directed by James Reed, the Academy Award-winning director of 2020’s My Octopus Teacher, along with J.P. Stiles and Harrison Macks. It depicts Ramsay and Oliphant’s advocacy work and incorporates both praise and criticism from their many supporters and detractors.

Ramsay has been working to educate people about the mistreatment and killing of sharks, particularly by the fishing industry, for over a decade. She is perhaps best known for the striking images and videos she posts on Instagram, which document her frequent oxygen-free dives amongst various different shark species, including larger species such as great whites and tiger sharks.

In the trailer for Shark Whisperer, Ramsay says: “I’m not a crazy person. I’m hyper-aware of what they’re capable of. It’s not a video game. There is no pause.” Later in the trailer, she adds that as a woman, she gets “a different level of attention and criticism,” including comments about her appearance.

According to Ramsay’s website, her advocacy work has helped to get a ban on shark fishing in Hawaii passed after six years, protecting over 40 different species in state waters. Throughout her career, she has also rescued more than 1,000 sharks from fishing gear and entanglement, which can be a major risk to countless other marine animals as well as sharks and larger species.

‘I want to prove to the world that they’re not monsters’

A still from Netflix documentary Shark Whisperer showing Ocean Ramsey's hand near a shark's nose — Netflix Sharks are often feared by humans – but they have far more to fear from us

More than 100 million sharks are killed each year, primarily by the fishing industry and shark fin trade, and global shark and ray populations have fallen by 70 percent in the last 50 years. As highlighted in Shark Whisperer, 70 percent of the air humans breathe comes from ocean activity, and the death of keystone species like sharks negatively impacts the entire marine ecosystem.

Sharks retain a bad reputation, mostly from their depictions in popular culture, even though you’re more likely to be killed by a pair of flip–flops than a shark. In fact, the animals are an often exploited, vulnerable, and irreplaceable part of the marine environment, and education is essential for their conservation.

Ramsay herself feels that sharks are “gravely misunderstood and unfairly maligned,” as reported by Netflix’s Tudum platform. “I want to prove to the world that they’re not monsters,” says Ramsay in the trailer. Talking about her social media presence, she adds: “With those images, it’s an opportunity to reach the entire public.”

Shark Whisperer premiered on Netflix on June 30, 2025.