A MARINE BIOLOGIST is travelling the world, getting up close and personal with one of the world’s most feared creatures – sharks! 26-year-old, Lizzie Daly, has studied wildlife all over the world. In the pilot episode of Barcroft TV’s new wildlife series, Beastly Encounters, Lizzie travels to the Bahamas, exploring how our relationship with the world’s most deadly sharks is changing. She travels to the islands of Bimini, where there is 650,000 square kilometres of protected waters and a shark sanctuary created in 2011. She begins her journey by going cage diving with bull sharks. Lizzie told Barcroft TV: “I can’t wait to see them in action. This will be my first time in the water with them.” With only a cage between her and the swarm of sharks being fed, Lizzie can take a good look at the creatures. For some, these are considered to be the most dangerous shark species in the world - they have even been known to headbutt their prey before attacking. Afterwards Lizzie said: “It was incredible. If I could, I would do that every day.” Lizzie’s journey continues with a dive with great hammerhead sharks, swimming among the largest group of their species that there is. Giant hammerheads are usually difficult to find, as they are increasingly rare and solitary animals. But after a jump into the water, Lizzie captures a look at the illusive creature through a sea of nurse sharks. She was only equipped underwater with a short pole to let the sharks know not to come too close. The giant hammerhead shark is listed as endangered, due to a number of issues including the fishing industry. And their numbers have decreased by 80% in the last 25 years. Lizzie continued: “I learnt so much being in the Bahamas. Unquestionably we should be doing everything we can to protect these awe-inspiring creatures.”
