Swimmer Battles 'Jaws' Legacy to Save Sharks

Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh takes on 'Jaws' legacy in a powerful Martha’s Vineyard swim to raise awareness about shark conservation. Fifty years after the release of the iconic film 'Jaws', which cast sharks as fearsome villains, endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh is challenging this narrative. He recently completed a 60-mile swim around Martha's Vineyard, the very location where the movie was filmed. His goal? To highlight the real threat to sharks: humans. 'For the past 50 years, it’s all been about fear and the danger of sharks,' Pugh said in an interview with PBS News. 'What I want to do is change the narrative and say sharks actually bring life; they sustain life; they make oceans healthy.' Pugh's swim isn't without risk. He faces challenging conditions, including rough waters and unpredictable currents. But he's accompanied by a kayaker equipped with a shark shield, an electromagnetic device that deters sharks without harming them. The swim, Pugh says, is one of the most challenging of his career. The video also includes shocking statistics: 274,000 sharks are killed every day, totaling 100 million annually. This underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts. Pugh's courageous swim serves as a powerful symbol of the fight to protect these magnificent creatures and preserve our oceans.