CHASING SHADOWS

An exploration of the resurgence of white sharks along the coast of New England.

In this highly accessible work of narrative nonfiction, marine biologist and white shark expert Skomal, a regular on the Discovery Channel’s megahit Shark Week, describes the lives of white sharks and chronicles his career tracking them over three decades. The author details his professional and educational career, including encounters he has had with this magnificent animal. From an early age, Skomal was interested in studying sharks. He recalls the effect watching the first episode of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau had on his career choice as well as his desire to become the real-life Matt Hooper from Jaws. He also points to professionals in the field that had a profound influence on his career path. Alongside his personal story, the author provides a history of white shark research and management in the New England area, including the first successful tagging program in the U.S. As he notes, due to difficulties in studying white sharks, we still do not know much about them, and what we do know, we’ve only learned relatively recently. Over the last decade, due to the increased number of white sharks in the New England area, shark encounters are on the rise. While their return is a conservation success story, it is also creating debate about public safety. Following a fatal shark attack in the area in 2018, the first in more than 80 years, Skomal shared these words of caution: “We all revere these animals, but on a rare occasion they remind us that they are powerful predators that make mistakes.” Skomal’s enthusiasm for sharks and his desire to help others better understand their behavior are consistently apparent. “My professional goal has always been to be not only a good shark biologist,” he writes, “but also a public ambassador for white sharks.”

A thrilling and compassionate account for shark enthusiasts.