thanks for watching. good night. watching. goodnight welcome to the whole story. >> i'm anderson cooper. sharks had been around for at least 400 million years, even before dinosaurs walked the earth these apex predators have a reputation for attacking all sorts of marine life, where it sometimes includes the occasional human, but are shorts a danger to people or people in danger to shore? according to scientists, more than one-third of shark species are at risk of extinction, mostly due to overfishing some fishermen in the u.s. argue that sharks are coming out in greater numbers in every stealing their catch and making it harder for them to earn a living seen as bohr sanchez is an experienced diver and over the next hour he takes us underwater with sharks to show us both the beauty and danger of these creatures we want to warn you some of the images you'll see in this hour, maybe disturbing below the surface at tiger beach you're supposed to steady your breath limit your movement and keep your head on a swivel there are shadows lurking ancient predators with remorseless eyes staggered rows of razor-sharp teeth circling closer jagged silhouettes that hold a lethal reputation patient a beast that inspires dread and all they are such fascinating iconic creatures. >> and it's like across between a dinosaur, a tiger, and a puppy dog they eat everything. >> they're eating machines. the other dangerous you go into water. you got a good chance of getting bit how about the word vulnerable? >> how many people would also say the word shark with vulnerable sharks are now at the center of a deepening conflict there's just a lot more sharks out there. >> so there's a lot more interactions. my question is, is this the new normal between those competing with apex predators angular's struggling to make a living off the ocean. >> you go out there and about half of your kitsch is eaten by sharks. >> and those who know these creatures by name and personality. >> i can say grandma was comfortable with me. i say grandma allow me to have her in my lap and header literally advocates who say a negative reputation is unwarranted are worried that current global trends signal oblique future they're not these mindless eating machines. there's so much to learn about them and there's so misunderstood the. movie jaws famously portrayed sharps and the huge threat. >> you're going to need a bigger boat it was so successful that has caused a whole genre of movies to be produced. that's perpetuated that message people think of shark and they think of violence stuff, gore, blood, teeth, and nothing could be further from the truth they aren't mindless killers, but in fact, these amazing curious and just graceful animals three victims injured in separate shark attacks, while shark attacks do happen, experts would say they're rare shocks can be a risk to human beings. >> but we have less than ten fatalities a year worldwide we're here in herring coal for nova scotia. we are tracking some of the white checks in the range and boris worm is a marine biologist in nova scotia studying shark populations what got you interested in sharks? well, about 20 years we've realized that shocks were on their way out, that their populations are declining in many regions. and that really shook me. i'll research has shown that about 100 million sharks are killed every year around the world, more than one-third of shark species are threatened by extinction right now, like the great hammerheads clashes, sharks, oceanic white tip we need sharks because they have been a functional part of ocean ecosystems for at least 400 million years. that's twice as long as diamond i'm sorry they actually survive five major mass extinction event in earth's history and they have their sixth extension. now. and it's driven by us sharks are older than trees. sharks as a group are older than the rings around saturn. >> marine ecologist neil hammer slag operates short expeditions in the north atlantic we know that predators in general health maintain balance and regulate ecosystems when they are removed, there can be this trickling effect throughout the ecosystem well, if i have a fancy watch, right? >> and i opened it up and i pull out a random spring. i'm not exactly sure what's going to happen, but probably the watch is not going to function as well. lot, of people like think about sharks role in the ecosystem. there, eating all these fish and helping control populations that way. well, they certainly have to eat. but one of the big ways that sharks have helped balance the is by scaring fish. and that's important because it prevents any one species from like taking over and out-competing the other ones which promotes diversity shaq's often be alive young, like us, they materially like us. they have few offspring throughout their life humans, humans couldn't be fish sustainably over time, shocks, candy either what do humans use sharks for? shark meat for a long time was not priced at all. shocks were often caught accidentally then in the 1990s, with increasing affluence in asia, particularly in china and neighboring countries shark fins became a highly priced delicacy it was seen as a cultural sign of wealth having shark fin soup, certain fins are more valuable. they could go from 50 to $500 a pound and what would happen is the sharks would be brought towards the boat it's something called finning the fins would be cut off and the rest of the shock would be thrown away at sea to die essentially, the sharks suffocate to death, mutilated sharks cause an outcry and that contributed very much to the heightened extinction risk. >> we now see for shocks since then that practice of cutting off the shark fins and selling them for profit has been banned in many countries. now, fissures are incentivized to land the whole shock what has happened is that it's seems to have created a bit of a demand for shark meat. >> and also a very rapidly increasing trade in shark liver oil. >> a very valuable oil called squalene which is used, for example, in supplements or in cosmetics. >> despite an increase global demand for shark meat, the fda warns that it could contain high levels of mercury shark meat is not good for your health. so my own studies have found that sharks tissues have very high levels of toxins, like mercury arsenic and even in your logical toxins are linked to development of alzheimer's disease in humans, you did research about shark finning regulations and whether that helped to reduce mortality. >> what did you find you're really interested in finding out whether the rise of shark finning regulations around the world has helped to reduce mortality until shocks and the short answer is no, it did not because it simply incentivized fischer's to land the horse shock use the whole shock creating additional markets for their products in some sense, raising the value of the shark worms research also looks at the countries were the most sharks are killed while indonesia regulates shark fishing, it tops the list with the legal shark x sports. >> you see the big 66 countries make up 50% of global shark mortality. she sees the united states at number eight with an estimated 2.8 million chess it's killed according to our data, it's a major shock fishing nations, but they're also doing things for sustainability. but i think most people would be surprised to learn that there's so many shocks been fished in the states how serious is the overfishing of sharks as a problem around the world? >> the loss of sharks from directed fishing from sharks and also sharks being caught unintentionally is a major, a major problem this is like a global phenomenon despite warnings that sharks are in danger globally, some angular say the short population in the united states it's out of control chart. just eat it right here at a recreational fishermen says the humanizing of sharks has gone too far. >> i could show you pages and pages of instagram accounts on personal sharks that people are feeding off the coast the florida, they have names. this is snooty, a female lemon shark. i do not see kids going to farms and naming chickens and naming cows next we traveled to the bahamas to meet those naming sharks and we get a close to similar the creatures they're trying to say do you think the shark knows are trying to help it? >> yeah. otherwise, why was she keep coming back when it hurts, strike and to remove a hawk hertz but she'll do a tight circle and come back in we go forwards in america in july 4th, they 70s don't see it what tractor supply customers experience he's personalized service made possible by t-mobile for business with t-mobile's reliable five g business, internet employees get the information they need incident. >> this is how busy this goes further with t-mobile for business this summer snacking just got serious introducing new $3 footlong givers the world might not be ready for them, but at $3 a pop your wallet definitely is lows knows, when you need a new appliance you wanted at the right price. >> now you can say big on ge appliances like the ge range with easy wash, seven trapped the removable tray that fits into the dishwasher. even a big mess is no sweat shop lows now for grapes, live for deals, no one should have to choose between good vision and great value that's why america's best is slashing their prices during the y's by sales abadi get to progressives and a comprehensive eye exam for just 12995 book an exam online today, i brought in a chew or max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy and just two weeks here, i'll take back in sure. not to protein 30 grams protein one prim sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals, and a new fiber blend with a prebiotic hi there. >> i'm an ad. ever noticed how some ads just speak to choose binds ai driven tools to plan, execute, and measure your connected tv campaigns on premium inventory, choose wisely, choose biased what he's thinking i'm thinking about her honeymoon. i don't africa so far, hot air balloon ride, swim with elephants, weight 34 to safari. >> great question. like everything takes a little planning or what the mind towards the down payment on a ranch in montana with horses. let's take a look at those scenarios jpmorgan wealth management has visor is and chase branches and tools like wealth plan to help keep you on track when you're planning for it. >> all the answer is jpmorgan we're getting wealth management. dr. sanjay gupta reports, but last alzheimer's patient next sunday at eight on cnn for those who cherish shark interactions, few places on earth rival the bahamas sharks are leaving breathing, thinking, feeling sentient beings which unnecessary our world. >> and that sharp junction dive site just offshore from grand bahamas island. christina is a nato feels at home what is it like when you or under the water with sharks to me, is like being home it's as, as peaceful of cillian on my couch pit in my dogs i'm happy. >> i'm relaxed. i enjoy their presence. so for me is an animal that is easy to understand. it's not conniving, is now backstabbing. i deal easier with sharks sometimes, and i deal with people you've never felt fear in the water with sharks and never felt fear now i grew up with the notion, it's a very beautiful sentence that my dad always told me. >> there are no monsters in the sea, only the ones your makeup in your head you were instrumental in changing the way that sharks are treated here in the bahamas? >> i started a petition in 2009. the gathered at the time, 25,000 signatures there's online petition that helped establish a marine sanctuary for shorts across the bahamas, 700 islands. >> you cannot fish cannot kill you, can uneven land. a dead shark over decades of divs is an auto has seen generations of caribbean reef sharks come and go turning their patterns and fostering relationships. we actually recognize each and every one of them. i have hand signals with their names and i can point them out to you and they have personalities as well personalities will greet once we sued up all right? changed shirt that we are using. this one here and slide it over. kept kind of like a knight in shining armor the nerve design to prevent abrasions and cuts the full board ready, go so as we go down, we're reached the bottom of the line is 30 feet and then we'll move right right in the middle of the sat and as we settled into position z nato spots familiar faces but we have a hook. we have a half-baked we have vulcan, we have crook we have floppy reach out and pet the shark head same as if you would be shaking somebody's hand. relax, right? gentle breathing. don't trying to do who too match way for the shark to come in, you're going to reach out and pat i had a shark if call grandma i've known her for 14 years and now she she's gone from my accepted me. i can say grandma most comfortable with me. i say grandma allow me to have her in my lap and pattern literally and it's every time the same feeling. it's a magical moment 48.5, nine for wild animal to say in this moment, i trust you and i will see it here with you. so i always worry but if they go into the florida waters when they're not protected, what if somebody comes here a night and nobody's watching and does something to them. so it's that mix of law and worry when i'm with them nato also aims to heal those wounded by fishing hooks. it wouldn't when the shark shows up with a whole i tried to see where the hook is lodged. if the shark is willing or maybe stop the shark tried to grab the hook. >> do you think the sharp knows you're trying to help it yeah, i do advise why we should keep coming back when it hurts because strength to remove a hook, hurts. >> but she'll do a tight circle and account i'm back in in 30 years of removing more than 350 hooks. zanadu says she's never been bitten by a shark they can be sometimes demanding bread, the satisfaction of being able to relieve a shark, all that presence is an order oh man that was incredible that was unreal. >> who was really good? >> very nice tomorrow we're headed to tiger, be able to do some free diving do you have any advice where two eyes on the backup? >> we are ahead that the cayman jason sanchez, it's grown up and look them a board. my friend more than two hours off the coast of grand bahama. tiger beach is world renowned for its strike namesake. unlike reef sharks we will not be padding tiger sharks among the largest of the species they can weigh nearly a ton and they grow up to 18 feet in length. they're perfect models for conservation as jason washington and award winning photographer, a claim for his work with free divers why free dive? tiger beach gives us an opportunity to get a little bit closer to the animals. the shark is going to be moving all around us while we're down there so it'll give us an opportunity to swim alongside these creatures what does your ability to photograph them and shine a different light on them mean for conservation, when you want it turn the world on to the plight of these animals, you want to get in the water with the big ones and show the viewing audience that they're not mindless killers they play a critical role in our world's oceans and they deserve our protection. and i do that specifically to photography one thing i do is we're prepping not eight we have one bade was we need high off to a funded a boat mosley keeping some the reach socks and then socks often found in the boat when you wanted experience something like this, you need to seek out a professional group we happen to be diving with some of the best in the industry today he'll be up to lewis base week. do not touch the show. dollar. let the shark that seila right? a number of delegates only tie your socks or in the area the size zags, knife, beautiful, majestic reaches button. that's not good. the takes have the opportunity to get too close to us to the last second big blocks don't know that's any the mean baseball to be freedom from so you saw a familiar face down there? yeah it's been frequent. >> it beat fireball. five or six years these quite famous actually, her nima is, but please, we'd all have these mean place little he sees indented these. lastly, you want to demos hello, sneak is most it xyz come row, they come nice and low data, debate box to be sleep does which he wanted to face plays by her own rules. 30 much spinning month as free divers, what we wanna do is get our heart rate lobe. we want to get our co2 levels low oxygen levels are high. so we do that read up process. >> all right. ready for this? let's do it what we're looking. for immediately as we enter the water are these lemons and these reef sharks that are circling behind the boat they're going to make our way back down toward the end of this tagline. and that's where we'll be free diving from now these sharks on the bottom are going to be coming into the bait station. they're going to make a big circle and they're going to come into the base station to get their handout of food. their treat and then when we feel like ghraieb safe position, we're going to dive down in swing with these animals so i'm gonna be taking pictures of you with the tiger sharks and the background. make sure you're looking all around above, below all the sides because these charts can come from different angles. >> the amount of energy that is spent getting down, they're getting close to the shark, keeping up with it, and also keeping your head on civil because there were several moments where you're focused on one and a couple of them are behind you or an inr peripheral so it requires a lot of energy to not only be he close to the shark and moving with it, but also to be alert it's almost the same every time for me. it's that slipping beneath the water? the world suddenly becomes more silent all the things in my mind are pushed to the periphery and i'm focused 1,000% the sharks. it is the most present that i will ever be watching. the feeder is almost like watching a bull fighter the way that they navigate the space in navigate the animals intent and interest because they are very interested in what's happening in that paper box and sort of keeping it at bay and managing an md dance singh with it in that moment from an up-close view, there is nothing like that in the world you might have so we've got a chance to swim with them right now. >> we're going to draw on some school year in face-to-face. let's go clear getting that close to a tiger shark and making eye contact with this miracle of mother nature matsu dinosaur knowing that it is fully capable of ending your existence and then watching as it examines you sizes you up and then shares the ocean with you and moves to the side that to me is profound it's just on spiral they come fairly close to you could just reach out and touch them they don't really even care that you're there i think but face has a bad reputation because she was nothing but pleasant to me. personally. >> i'm literally capturing everything that's happening around me. i'm framing the image and then try to line everything up in a composition that's pleasing to my brain. it's, it's a difficult process and it's one of those things that just keeps you coming back for more and the more you do it, the more addictive if it becomes because that's suddenly where you understand that this world is a lot bigger than when we return controversy over shark fishing tournaments. it was just gruesome and allegations of animal cruelty when frustration boiled over just violent, angry, upset, mob mentality. >> and later real, real, real, real, real, real, real july 4 cnn concert event, we perform by keith urban, shanty, maybe wrexham, the killers and many more go for america thursday, july 4, dead seven eastern on cnn phi there i'm an add ever noticed how some ads just speak to choose bias, ai driven tools to plan execute, and measure your connected