Reality competition TV series are getting extremely niche in their concepts, from finding the best glassblowers (Blown Away) to the best special effects make-up artists (Face Off).
But you know what hasn't had a run in the space? Shark photography. UNTIL NOW.
Netflix's All the Sharks promises a proper challenge for its participants, tasked with a hands-off underwater scavenger hunt to take snaps of the ocean's most formidable predators. The tagline is perfection: "If you want to win this show, you can’t just find some sharks — you have to find…ALL THE SHARKS."
It's The Amazing Race meets Pokémon Snap with sharks, and it's your summer competition reality binge.
What is All the Sharks about?
It's exactly what it says on the tin. All the Sharks sees four teams of shark experts travelling to shark-patrolled locations in the Maldives, Galapagos, Bahamas, South Africa, Japan, and Australia to track and photograph as many sharks as they can.
“Every shark caught on camera earns you points. The rarer the shark, the more points you earn," host Tom Hird explains in the first episode. The quality of the photo isn't necessarily the key, it's just about getting the shark in the frame. At the end of the series, the team with the most points earns $50,000 for a marine conservation organisation of their choice. But the teams can win daily prizes for themselves like dive computers, regulators, limited edition free diving fins, and diving holidays.
All the Sharks is hosted by Tom "The Blowfish" Hird, who describes himself as "heavy metal marine biologist, dive master, and proud owner of the finest beard in the ocean." He's a jovial host whose ability to announce last place like it's the best thing in the world seems to come from a genuine place.
Each location has a scale of rarity among the various shark species the teams will attempt to photograph — all captured with glorious cinematography by underwater camera operators Tom Park and Dean Spraakman, with underwater director of photography Duncan Brake. The first episode sends the team to Fuvahmulah in the Maldives, where the elusive Pelagic thresher shark minds its own business, unaware it's worth 75 points to the players. Tiger sharks here are only worth a measly three points, thanks to the high density of their population in this location. This discrepancy between the easily found sharks and camouflaged rarities becomes a key tactic for points between teams — whether to scoop up a lot of sharks or one rare shark.
The teams get eight hours a day over a few days to snap those sharks in each location, with full freedom to direct their boat captain to dive spots within that map. The teams are equipped with both GoPros and large underwater camera rigs, but they can also use their smartphones above the surface. Within each dive, the show not only shows you the shots each team takes, but overlays of interesting stats about each shark, including their size and life expectancy, and also their level of risk of global extinction, from least concern (pajama shark, leopard catshark) to near threatened (banded hound shark) and critically endangered (hammerhead, Japanese angel shark, spotted ragged tooth shark).
Adding to the scavenger hunt vibe, there are also "game changer" challenges mid-competition, when the teams must change course to snap sea turtles, pufferfish, and other non-shark species to gain a competitive advantage.
But the real marvel of the show is the participants themselves, who really know their shit.
The teams on All The Sharks know their sh*t
No spring chickens in the depths, the contestants are genuine shark experts and experienced divers who can identify species in a second — this level of shark Shazamming is impressive to watch. Drama arises when the divers must deal with currents, rips, temperature, visibility, and other variables, including a run-in with local fishermen, jellyfish stings, and flooded cameras. Plus, they've got to try and keep their finds from each other to avoid stolen points. The show does assist the teams in some episodes; in episode 4, in Cape Recife, South Africa, each team is allowed to "chum the waters" with 50 pounds of raw fish to draw sharks — vegetarians, maybe take your glasses off for these sequences. But what's really impressive is how calm the divers are when a giant shark (or 50, watch episode 3) glides past them in the deep.
There are four teams of two vying for the prize. There's The Land Sharks, wildlife biologist Randy and ecologist and apex predator specialist Rosie. Best friends Gills Gone Wild are a delight to watch, as marine biologist and ray expert Aliah and spearfisher and shark diver MJ take big risks with deep dives throughout the show — Aliah's fan-outs over certain species are delightfully infectious. There's The Shark Docs, a pair of marine biologists: Chris, director of the Ocean First Institute nonprofit, and Brendan, fisheries ecologist. And UK team Great British Bait Off comprises environmental journalist Sarah and underwater cameraman Dan.
Each diver shows great respect for the sharks they're documenting, even if they're participating in a competition show. "For me, sharks represent resilience, represent adaptability, and also power," says MJ in episode 3. "That just makes me feel more connected to them. I am a little misunderstood, just like they are."
All the Sharks reminds you how diverse our oceans are
It's not as deep as David Attenborough's Ocean, but All the Sharks does a solid job of reminding us just how many different species of sharks, rays, other marine life live beneath the waves. The production consulted shark experts including Dr. Clémentine Séguigne, Dr. Eric Clua, Dr. Thomas Vignaud, and Jan Bierwirth, and the research shows. Cowtail rays, Epaulette sharks, Wobbegongs, leopard catsharks — we get gorgeous close-ups of them all.
The diversity of shark species that the players can potentially photograph is mind-blowing. In episode 5 in the Bahamas island of Bimini, Hird introduces a species-diversity bonus for the team who snaps the widest array of sharks. Japan boasts 127 species of sharks alone, with the teams searching for actual sharknados of banded hound sharks off the coast of Oshima Island in episode 3. And South Africa's Port Elizabeth raises the bar in episode 4 with 200 species, including the formidable great white shark.
There's a significant level of danger to some of the species, with the point-score for powerful sharks like great whites and bull sharks significantly higher than others for the mere risk factor. "The respect I have for sharks is huge, and that respect also comes with fear," says MJ in episode 4, and it's a wise sentiment.
If you're into competition reality series and want to get up close to sharks without getting in the water, this is the perfect show for you. Watching these underwater experts come face to face with hammerheads is an excellent way to beat the heat on your couch, and you might just learn something about our sharp-toothed oceanic neighbours.