Ocean Ramsey: The Controversy Continues

As we reported in September, the Netflix documentary Shark Whisperer, featuring Ocean Ramsey free-diving with sharks, attracted some severe criticism, especially from some shark scientists. Some believe she is unnecessarily molesting sharks, and, because she has no scientific credentials, she is making no contribution to science. Some seasoned shark divers objected to her diving out of the cage, touching the sharks, and setting up other divers for serious accidents. Some say she is grandstanding.

So, we asked Undercurrent members what they thought, and your comments are enlightening. Most see her differently, saying she is bringing awareness of sharks to the world, she is not molesting sharks, and her documentary was informative, polished, and breathtaking. That she is not a scientist is insignificant.

But not all our members see her that way.

She is Not the Real Thing

The argument against Ocean Ramsey's shark whispering and the documentary itself is well presented by Undercurrent member Phil Carp from Scottsdale, AZ.

"I'm fully in agreement with the criticisms noted by David Shiffman (whom I know well) and other shark scientists.

"While the cinematography was indeed beautiful, that's about the only positive thing I can say about the documentary. Not only does it glorify her unethical behavior, but I believe it is dangerous, as it could easily embolden others to try to emulate her antics. It's an accident waiting to happen, with risk both to sharks and to the crazies who will try to copy or outdo her.

"Nor do I agree with the argument that documentaries such as this do more to promote understanding and conservation of sharks than any scientific articles. Yes, getting people to recognize that sharks aren't mindless killers and that they play a valuable ecological role is a good thing. But doing so through sensationalist documentaries like Shark Whisperer isn't the answer. The same outcome can be achieved through productions that are both educational and entertaining."

He continued, "A case in point is the series All the Sharks, also produced by Netflix, which does a great job not only in teaching about sharks but also in showcasing legitimate shark scientists and wildlife conservationists. They are the role models that we should be celebrating, rather than characters like Ocean Ramsey."

Allen Wood (Las Vegas, NV.) wrote, "I don't believe touching them is something [someone claiming to be] a conservationist should be doing."

And, while there were a few others who decry her antics, the preponderance of our readers sees her in a more positive light.

Harassment?

Many divers consider touching animals underwater, such as petting a grouper, letting an octopus wrap around your arm, or picking up a conch to look at the animal, as unethical or even harassment. Ocean Ramsey not only touches sharks, she grabs their snouts to push them away. Is that harassment?

Doug Rezanka (Berkley, MI) suggests, "the term harassment requires evidence that what a person is doing is unpleasant or hostile. The documentary does not indicate that the sharks are threatened or harmed in any way by what Ocean and her team are doing. In fact, they seem quite content with it. Labeling it as harassment seems dishonest. Ocean just wants to hang out with the fish, and they seem OK with it."

Pete Rivers (Christchurch, New Zealand) told us, "It is obvious that she loves sharks and understands them, and is prepared to put herself in harm's way to help them. Touching them will not hurt them in the slightest . . . I come from a farming background and spent a lot of time with large animals. From my experiences, I believe that many enjoy human company and will seek it out.

"I believe that sharks will be no different. They'll be enjoying the variety provided by the opportunity to spend time with Ocean and [her husband] Juan. They would leave or very much keep their distance if they didn't."

It is indeed true that the sharks are not captive. Dean Crawford (Williamstown, MA) made the valid point that if the sharks "don't like hanging with Ocean Ramsey, they can just flick their tails and swim away."

Rich Gallagher (San Rafael, CA) adds, "Too often scientists want to unreasonably insist only they can interact with these amazing animals. Interestingly, scientists' interactions often include chumming, tagging, and capture. Let's leave the sharks and the divers in peace to interact without recriminations and regulations. Cage diving and chumming are up for debate, but we have seen no evidence of any serious harm to sharks by these practices."

Is She Grandstanding?

Many believe so. David Van Ryan (IN) says, "She's a grandstander. While she raises awareness, she promotes inappropriate handling."

Tom Baker (Pacific Beach, CA.) thought, "I did not see any scientific value to her exploits. I doubt this is a good way to promote conservation either. Sadly, the film struck me as mainly self-promotional. It is also probably just a matter of time before someone is injured or killed."

Allen Wood (Las Vegas, NV.) wrote, "I don't believe touching them is something a 'conservationist' should be doing. The harm, in my opinion, comes in the tacit encouragement others will gain from watching her do it. Is she using the sharks to her own end? Without a doubt. Her attire, the photos, and the poses all indicate she is after 'clicks' more than conservation. Her swims with sharks have Hollywood production value. They are not really organic. I believe she is both a self-promoting opportunist as well as a conservationist."

Indeed, one can be both self-promoting and a conservationist, but to others, that is of little concern.

While several scientists appeared in the video critical of what Ocean Ramsey is doing, says Thomas M. Reese (Baker City, Oregon), "I think it was a lot of sour grapes on their part. Ocean's work is certainly unconventional, but few have her ability free diving and see the same sharks over and over, year in and year out. While Ocean may not have a doctorate or be published in accredited journals, so what? Sylvia Earle said it best when she said something along the lines of: "After all, what is science, if not observing and accurately reporting those observations?"

The Female Factor

The esteemed scientist, Dr. Eugenie Clark, who died in 2016, was known as "the shark lady." Not only did she touch sharks, but she was filmed hanging on to the dorsal fin of a whale shark, taking her for a ride. Back in the day, there was little controversy about her -- she was a real scientist -- so why does Ocean catch heat?

Karen Lindsey (Escondido, CA) watched the Shark Whisperer, and wrote, "as a female member of the dive community, am no fan of anyone reaching out and touching marine life. Still, no one can deny that Ocean Ramsey is a gorgeous woman who appears ethereal in the water and shockingly fearless in her interactions with sharks.

"The fact that we are talking about her is a testament to her success in raising awareness on their behalf. So, I have to wonder, what motivates the brutal backlash against her? I believe much of the rancor has to do with the fact that she is a beautiful, trim, blonde woman, and negative bias and overt envy have prompted many to dismiss the importance of her contribution."

Leonard Panisch (Miami, FL) echoed that sentiment when he suggested, "If Dr. Earle seems to have no problem with it, who am I to disagree? The criticism appears to fall in three areas, the first of which is her looks -- blatant jealousy."

So, Is She Doing any Good?

Dale S. Lachman (Grayslake, IL) had mixed views, writing, "She's doing some good and some bad, but the overall net is bad. She's not trained and does more to disrupt the sharks' normal routine, which hurts their population."

Boryana Trencheva (Sofia, Bulgaria) wrote, "Whatever Ramsey is doing has a much more positive effect for sharks than negative. Sharks need this shift in people's perception of them, and she is an amazing advocate for them. As for the Netflix movie, I didn't see any shark harassment."

Estevan Martinez (Hacienda Heights, CA.) says "Ramsey has fought on behalf of the protection of sharks and, if anything, brought more awareness to the subject. The documentary was probably also promoting her business and book, but the awareness she brought to the senseless killing of sharks outweighs any self-promotion in my eyes."

Doug Rezanka (Berkley, MI) suggests, "I was prepared to dismiss Ocean Ramsey as just another beautiful, empty-headed social media phenomenon. It's true that she's gotten rich and famous from her exquisitely filmed interactions with sharks. But I've come to recognize that she's also a serious person who really cares for sharks, even individual sharks, as well as being an amazing diver. Which are the very reasons that sharks respond to her.

"I worry sometimes that she might encounter the wrong individual shark under the wrong circumstances, but not that the sharks might feel harassed or in any way harmed by a gentle, unarmed swimmer, and a nearby camera crew. These are tiger sharks and white sharks, truly formidable animals."

Thomas M. Reese (Baker City, OR) seems to sum up the positive view of Ramsey: "I was enthralled by the interaction between her and the sharks. Her incredible breath-hold ability allows the sharks to become much more relaxed than diving with scuba, which I always did in my 60 years of diving. While it certainly doesn't hurt the documentary that Ocean is stunningly beautiful, the shark interaction is what keeps me glued to the videos. While she does touch and hold on to some, I don't think there is any harm done to them, and I have no problem with pushing them away when their approach seems threatening. Her prolonged efforts in creating legislation to protect sharks say a lot about her true intent."

In fact, Greg T. Scubert (Nassau, Bahamas) agreed with us at Undercurrent, in that, "Every person on their first shark dive becomes an ambassador for sharks and promotes that finning is a crime against the ocean itself. I have dived with thousands of sharks and must say they are preferable to a large portion of the human species."

We all have our own opinions. Let's hope Ocean Ramsey doesn't get injured doing what she does, because that would negate all the good work she has done to overcome the damage created 50 years ago by the film Jaws. She is not concerned about their attacking her, but rather about humans wantonly depleting them.