What can The Bahamas teach us about living alongside sharks?

In this episode of Series 2, host Mark Stokes-Packer speaks with Shark Trust CEO Paul Cox and Marketing Manager and underwater photographer Caroline Robertson-Brown. Together, they revisit the making of the Shark Trust’s short documentary, “Living with Sharks in The Bahamas”, and explore what they learned from the people sharing their islands and waters with sharks.

From Nassau and Bimini to Grand Bahama and Cat Island, Paul and Caroline discuss the importance of shark tourism to local businesses and communities. They reflect on encounters with Great Hammerheads, Caribbean Reef Sharks, Bull Sharks, Oceanic Whitetips and Southern Stingrays, as well as the habitats that support them.

But coexistence is not without challenges. Caroline shares what she heard from sport fishers experiencing high levels of shark depredation on Cat Island and why some are beginning to question the country’s shark protections. The conversation explores why community engagement, positive communication and practical solutions must continue long after a shark sanctuary has been established.

Paul and Caroline also share lessons from South Africa, where different coastlines, communities and shark species require very different approaches to beach safety.

From responsible shark diving and habitat conservation to tourism, fisheries and community engagement, this episode asks what meaningful coexistence really looks like and what other countries can learn from The Bahamas.

Please like, share, subscribe and leave a comment. If you have a question about Living with Sharks, leave it below or email [email protected].

Watch “Living with Sharks in The Bahamas”:
https://youtu.be/vJ8g8Fjv9GI

Explore the Speaking Up for the Ocean Toolkit:
https://www.sharktrust.org/toolkit

Support our work by becoming a member, adopting a shark, donating or taking part in our citizen science projects. Visit https://www.sharktrust.org.

Series 2 sponsored by SurfEars.

Artwork by rev.01 Studio.

Recording by Louis Hogan.
Video and sound editing by Mark Stokes-Packer.
Research and planning by Cat Gordon and Mark Stokes-Packer.

Thank you for listening to the Shark Trust Podcast!

Chapters

00:13 What Can The Bahamas Teach Us About Coexistence?
00:33 Meet Paul Cox and Caroline Robertson-Brown
01:02 Making “Living with Sharks in The Bahamas”
04:12 First Impressions of Bimini
05:26 Shark Diving and Tourism
07:47 The Economic and Cultural Value of Sharks
09:50 How Attitudes Towards Sharks Have Changed
11:42 Local Knowledge and Sharing the Water
13:29 Stingrays, Fear and Education
15:38 Mangroves and Shark Habitats
17:48 Diving and Filming Across The Bahamas
19:52 When Sharks Found the 360 Camera
21:55 Diving with Great Hammerheads
23:36 Why Bimini Stood Out
25:15 Connecting Land, Sea and Shark Conservation
28:23 Lessons for Responsible Shark Tourism
30:32 Codes of Conduct and Diver Safety
31:03 Bringing Communities Along
34:07 Conflict on Cat Island
35:50 Sport Fishing and Shark Depredation
37:51 Speaking Up for the Ocean
39:38 Beach Safety Lessons from South Africa
43:29 Expedition Highlights
45:43 Favourite Shark Encounters
49:00 Where Does Living with Sharks Go Next?