Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Partners with the Orca III
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) is pleased to announce a new partnership with a group recreating the famous shark hunting vessel from the 1975 smash blockbuster hit JAWS.
The goal of the partnership with the Return of the Orca group is to provide shark research and education from Martha’s Vineyard, MA aboard the ORCA III, the first ever replica of the famous boat from the classic movie.
Through this partnership, both organizations envision a strong presence on Martha’s Vineyard where the ORCA III will be used to learn more about the great white shark population frequenting the waters nearby and use that research to provide education to children and adults on the island.
The initiative will expand AWSC’s reach on Martha’s Vineyard and provide Return of the Orca with an experienced research and education partner who can provide real-world information about the great white shark population around Martha’s Vineyard.
“This partnership with the Orca III is an exciting new expansion of our organization’s mission to help inform the public about great white sharks in the region,” said AWSC CEO and Co-Founder Cynthia Wigren. “By having a presence on Martha’s Vineyard aboard this classic boat, we will enhance our understanding of great white shark behavior off Massachusetts.”
Wigren said the aim is to provide educational programs that will offer both island residents and visitors a chance to “learn about these sharks and how humans and sharks can co-exist peacefully. We couldn’t be more excited about this new direction forward.”
David Bigelow, the leader of the project to create the Orca III, shares Cynthia’s enthusiasm.
“We believe that our partnership with the AWSC will complete the mission of the Orca III to provide people with real world data and education about great white sharks. By working with them to provide a learning experience for residents and visitors of Martha’s Vineyard, we feel highly confident that the research and conservation information shared with the public will foster respect for the species, as well as provide an understanding of how beachgoers can improve their safety as they enjoy the waters surrounding the island,” Bigelow said.
Leading many of the great white shark research expeditions aboard the Orca III will be the state’s top shark research scientist, Dr. Greg Skomal.
Skomal, a long-time partner of AWSC, credits the film JAWS with his early passion for learning about sharks.
“JAWS was a huge influence on me as a kid and it partly led to my calling as a shark biologist,” Skomal said. “We will finally be able to get a really clear picture of shark behavior around the island and I can’t wait to start the research. I’m really excited to be able to work with the Orca III as a platform for research of the shark population around Martha’s Vineyard.”
The plan for the Orca III is to complete the boat’s transformation by November 2020. She will then go through water trials and then be dry-docked for winter storage until the vessel is ready to begin research and educational missions in the spring of 2021.