42
COROMANDEL LIFE
SUMMER 2014
New Zealand’s
SHARK
GUARDIANS
Above, Riley Elliott heads out to tag one of New
Zealand’s sharks. Below, Riley chooses a caged
encounter for murky water conditions.
Left, Mike Bhana films close in with his new 3D
video camera.
RILEY ELLIOTT
Not many people would volunteer
for an internship at the White Shark
Research Institute in South Africa. This
experience was the beginning of PhD
student Riley Elliott’s fascination with
sharks. At the prime age of 28, Riley
is a fine example of the new face of
science and conservation: passionate,
confident and media savvy. Rather
than joining the queue for government
funded research grants, Riley turned to the likes of Kelly Tarlton’s,
Line7, documentary film companies and the University of Auckland to
support his costly ($4000 apiece) satellite tagging system.
Going down this avenue has resulted in increased public awareness,
including hosting the world renowned
Shark Week
“Top Ten
Sharkdown” on Discovery Channel. Such amazing exposure has
enabled enthusiasts to follow the tagging system and the migration
patterns of Riley’s tagged blue sharks.
Riley’s connection with the Coromandel started in his younger days
hanging out with the summer crowds in Whangamata, but to seek
more isolation he trekked “north to Hahei, where I lived and worked on
the Glass Bottom Boats for three summers (great fun!)” Riley reflects
“Hahei lifestyle has groomed my expectations for everyday living – sea,
surf and fun! We have such an amazing country, and the Coromandel
is some of the best. Living in Auckland is a tough reality, but I escape
back to the Coros as much as possible”.
Riley’s research is presently the largest satellite tracking project in New
Zealand history. See tracking maps at
d
Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland
offers many “Shark Mission” displays and exhibits, including the walk-
through shark tunnel and opportunity to dive or snorkel with them. Visit
MIKE BHANA
Going for a swim with sharks is
nothing new for local film maker Mike
Bhana. Combining his passions of
film making and shark conservation
has resulted in an admirable career.
Mike’s entree into film came from
being a journalist/photographer, then
working in TV news.
Mikes clients include TV3 news,
The Discovery Channel, National
Geographic, Animal Planet, and the
Red Cross (“Hope in Hell”). He has
created over 18 films exclusively on sharks. Earlier this year on the
very popular
Shark Week
, “Megalodon – The Monster Shark Lives” (a
mockumentary style film Mike helped produce) garnered the highest
rating with tens of millions of American’s tuning in. It was also the
biggest mockumentary in US television history.
Mike has always had a close connection with the Coromandel
Peninsula. “I’ve been coming to Tairua since I was about 12. My folks
bought a place in Tairua around 20 years ago, and I bought and moved
here 11 years ago”, recalls Mike. “I’m a bit of a transient though.
Always away with work and for the last 6 months I have been working
in Auckland on a bunch of shows”.
Not only is Mike behind the camera, he sits on the board for the New
Zealand Shark Alliance and serves on the media advisory board for
Foundation for Social Responsibility New Zealand.
Mike has recently expanded by filming in true 3D, producing a stunning
new DVD about the Coromandel,
Hidden Treasures New Zealand -
The Coromandel.
You can view Mike’s fifty-minute Auckland Museum lecture on YouTube
titled “Sharks on Film with Mike Bhana”. Learn more about Mike’s films
a
Summer
bookings
available
now!
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