An interview with Shark Ecologist Catherine Cushenan
BY MARGAUX MONFARED
Sharks, the most notorious apex predator found in our oceans, have existed for over 400 million years. Sharks display a lack of interest towards humans, yet we hunt them down mercilessly. Humans kill over 100 million shark species annually partly due to the heart-breaking misconception, popularised by movies such as Jaws, that sharks should be feared. Despite this irrational fear, sharks are hunted because they are considered to be a highly valuable and desirable species. Of the 500 species of known sharks, 143 are listed as under threat by the IUCN Red list. Sharks are mainly susceptible to fisheries through by catch and the finning industry and could become extinct if we do not act now.
Catherine Cushenan, also know as Cat Sharks, has spent the past six years travelling the tropics, studying shark behaviour - with a little bit of tourism action and videography on the side. She is a shark ecologist, drone pilot and freediver from the U.K. whom has dedicated her life to saving the ocean and its inhabitants. Read below to find out about her enviable relationship with sharks.
You’ve built your life around the ocean. What drew you to it in the first place?
This was actually something that Toddler Cat decided upon at the ripe old age of 2. I watched the Little Mermaid for the first time, and that was pretty much it. There was never anything else I wanted to do.
You have worked with several different species of sharks; can you describe the path you took into shark conservation?
My first ever role directly working with sharks was an internship with La.Ma.Ve in the Philippines. We were using photo identification to study the whale shark population in Oslo. I chose to do it because I had just completed my divemaster course in Indonesia and it was the nearest/ cheapest country I could get to. Little did I know how life changing it would be, I’ve since worked with whale sharks in five countries, and branched out to blue sharks, great whites, lemons, silkies, pyjama sharks… you name it!
What does a day in the life of a shark ecologist look like?
That’s such a difficult question to answer- it changes depending on the country I’m in, the job, and my co-workers! It’s often a lot of public interaction- the main goal of most shark ecologists is to encourage all the humans to love sharks as much as we do, so we prioritise outreach and education. This can mean creating media content or even running tours. Then there’s the other side of shark ecology- sat behind a laptop slogging through data!
How do you hope your voice and work as a shark advocate will influence others?
The thing that makes me happiest is getting a message from someone who saw my photos/ videos and was inspired to swim with sharks because of me. I try and post as much positive content as possible because, after that one swim, people are usually addicted and that always leads to a greater respect for the ocean.
Why is it so important to engage the community with your work and about sharks?
Things like overfishing, the shark finning trade and marine pollution are often demand based. As we slowly reduce our consumption of fish, companies will stop exploiting fisheries. As people invest more in, bamboo toothbrushes for example, plastic manufacturers will also have to respond by reducing supply. If we can promote the need to protect not only sharks, but our oceans, I believe we can build a more sustainable future.
As a photographer, videographer and drone mama, can you explain the importance of these tools in conservation?
‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. I’ve been at many a bar or social event where I tell people what I do for work. They won’t believe me until I whip out a photo or video and show them. Seeing people IN the water with sharks proves they’re not as dangerous as we think. On top of that, I had never seen a ‘trash island’ before, such as the ones in the Maldives, the Philippines, India, etc that circulated on social media. They showed massive rubbish sites the size of Texas floating in our ocean gyres. Without pictures and videos, even I wouldn’t have understood the significance of the problem at hand. Media is the most important way to prove the urgency of conversation and that is something we desperately need.
Who or what do you draw your inspiration from?
Everything, everywhere, all the time. My sharky friends inspire me to travel and share and keep learning, while my friends back home and around the world that don’t work in the ocean are often a huge influence. I can be having a down day, feeling a little hopeless about the impact I can have on the big wide world, and I’ll get a message out of the blue from someone I haven’t heard from in years sometimes, saying they loved a photo, or were inspired by a blog I wrote, or learned something from my podcast. Knowing that I’m making a difference, even to a handful of people, is probably the main thing that motivates me to continue even when times get hard.
What has your experience as a woman in ocean science been like?
Honestly, I have barely experienced inequality in my career. I had an awful experience in Mexico a year ago, but otherwise every job I’ve had has been full of kind, helpful people of every gender. I think it’s less likely to find imbalance in this line of work, simply because if you respect the ocean, you can probably respect gender equality too. There are definitely exceptions that prove that rule, but generally speaking, I have felt encouraged by men and women throughout my experiences.
What is one thing you wish someone had told you/taught you a long time ago?
Just apply for the job. Whatever it is. Try for the scholarship. Attempt the record. Invest in whatever certification. There are so many things I haven’t done because I didn’t feel like I was ready- but in marine biology, everything is learning on the job! Just apply for anything and everything you feel passionate about, because you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Oh, also, I wish someone had sat me down and forced me to learn R and generally become literate at statistics!
How has the recent COVID-19 pandemic affected (or not) you and your research?
It has been a little bit of a disaster. I got dragged home from heaven, in the Silver Bank of the Dominican Republic. I was working on a liveaboard with Conscious Breath Adventures, who run weeklong humpback whale swim trips. The last 2.5 trips of the season got cancelled due to the pandemic and I was repatriated back to England. I was also supposed to be working in Tonga from July 1st, but that’s not happening now. I’ve been able to work on a few projects though, including my new website www.catsharks.co.uk – but lord knows I’m ready for the ocean now.
Where do you go from here?
With the pandemic I can’t be certain. But I’ve recently invested in a Sony a6500 camera so I’m hoping that my videography and therefore my outreach will step up to a whole new level. Whatever happens, as long as I’m surrounded by the sea, I’ll be happy.
