Chasing Shadows

My Life Tracking the Great White Shark

De: Greg Skomal, Ret Talbot

Narrado por: Jamie Renell

Dr. Greg Skomal, one of the leading great white shark experts in the country, reveals the true nature of these mysterious apex predators, as well as the fascinating story behind their history and startling resurgence

With its quaint villages, local restaurants serving up lobster rolls, and miles and miles of warm, sandy beaches, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is famous for being America’s carefree seaside getaway. But in August 2012, the first confirmed white shark attack in almost eighty years occurred in the region. As shark sightings quickly began to increase on Cape Cod and elsewhere, and large beachside billboards warning about the growing shark population became a common sight, a boogie boarder died after being attacked by a great white shark in Cape Cod’s shallow waters. What had changed to cause news of human-shark interactions to go from being a rarity to being the new normal? As some citizens called for shark culls, nets, drone surveillance, and other extreme solutions, interactions between local residents and scientists, politicians, and those responsible for public safety became tense and frantic.

Dr. Greg Skomal, a shark biologist whose lifelong passion has been to gain a more refined understanding of great white sharks, was at the center of it all. This is the story of the great white shark’s return to the eastern seaboard, told through the life of the scientist who found himself in the oftentimes thankless position of having to balance conservation efforts and the drive to do important science with panic and fear in the court of public opinion. Greg has spent decades on a quest to tag, track, and demystify this animal, using every high- and low-tech method at his disposal, including those he invented, and he frequently comes face-to-face with these shadows of the deep. He leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of the secrets behind the largely unknown lives of these charismatic creatures and in his duty to solve the intricate puzzle of how humans can coexist alongside them. Chasing Shadows is a too-rare conservation success story about restoring an apex predator to an ecosystem that provides a profound, new understanding of a beast so notoriously fierce that it’s nearly impossible to imagine how vulnerable it truly is.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Fascinating, very human, what I wish Shark Week provided

I enjoyed the story. The author felt genuine and incredibly human, and I appreciated the focus on his science and the interactions between sharks and people over multiple decades. Admittedly, I have always been fascinated with sharks, but the book was not only interesting because of the shark focus—the story-telling itself was high quality.

Great Read

Loved it! This was very informative for any shark lover. This was a great book overall

To me it’s the education and history

I was sad when it ended. A phenomenal listen, I probably would have retained more with a physical book but may not of been heard from until I finished it! I enjoy hearing about people’s experience, Greg’s point of view, the politics around this subject, the in depth overview of how his career shaped and the direction of these studies. It makes you want to move to Boston.

My favorite fact nursing white sharks will dive to the Mesopelagic Zone (656ft-3280ft) aka the twilight zone, only 1% of light reaches this zone. A white shark has developed senses to be able to function here. I would think to avoid threats, like killer whales.

Great book!

A terrific book about sharks. It has historical information, scientific fact and stories. As a lifelong beach and ocean lover I have always been mesmerized by sharks. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who loves the ocean.

Good peek into the world of shark research

Nice mix of personal and professional stories, highlighting the natural and necessary shifts in perspective and research methods as scientists learn more and technology changes. An honest account of the political and social challenges too.