The Deep End

Madison Stewart, a.k.a. Shark Girl, takes a look at the harmful practice of using shark nets in her native Australia.

Madison Stewart, Fusion's resident Shark Girl, visits Indonesia to explore the heart of the shark fin trade. Although shark fins aren't widely consumed in the country, a growing demand from China has encouraged Indonesian fishermen to catch more and more sharks, making Indonesia one of the largest players in the global shark fin trade. Stewart travels the country, speaking to local fishermen, traders, and conservationists, in an attempt to understand and protect the region's shark

There’s a secret in Darwin, Australia: unlike the rest of the country where tiger sharks are feared and hunted to protect beach goers and surfers, in Darwin tiger sharks are respected and are slowly becoming a source of jobs for the region. Fusion’s shark correspondent Madison Stewart travels to Darwin, to speak to the operators of one of the country’s few shark tourism operations and learn about the benefits of saving the region's sharks. Stewart explores how to change Australia’s perspective on these enigmatic predators, before it’s too late.

Great White Sharks suffer from one of the worst public relations attacks in history; since Jaws was released in the 1970’s, these majestic predators have been seen as vicious man-eating machines. But Hollywood photographer Michael Muller, known as White Mike, is working hard to change that, using his knowledge of advertising and art to give Great Whites a much needed facelift. Fusion’s shark correspondent Madison Stewart travels to Isla Guadalupe, where she meets with Michael and has the opportunity to dive with the king of the oceans.

While most of the world fears sharks and views them as dangerous predators, in Fiji sharks are protected, respected and even revered as gods. Madison Stewart, Fusion’s resident Shark Girl, travels to this archipelago in the South Pacific, to explore how the Fijian shark-god, known as Dakuwaqa, plays into the protection and conservation of the region’s sharks. By speaking with tourism operators, conservationists and local residents, Stewart shows us how Fiji became one of the few places on the planet where sharks aren’t just protected, but also play a vital role in the economic success of the region.

When Jeremiah Sullivan was a young marine biologist he wanted to get close to sharks to study them while making sure he stayed safe in the process. With this in mind, he developed the world's first ever shark suit—basically a thin, chainmail armor outfit that Jeremiah created with material similar to that used in butcher's gloves. His designs have evolved over the years and are now used around the world. His shark suits protect people from the immediate danger of shark bites when in high-risk situations like shark feeding and research. The suits changed the way researchers and filmmakers interact with sharks and set a foundation for the tourism industry that exists today.