SPECIAL FEATURE
Leigh helping to tag a Tiger shark for research , in the Bahamas
most attacks on humans , and there are approximately 500 other shark species , with only a handful posing a threat to humans . Sharks may have been given a nasty reputation through various media , but there are scientists , conservationists and ocean enthusiasts out there trying to help people understand the true , magnificent nature of sharks , as well as how diverse , yet vulnerable they are .”
Although extremely rare , shark attacks do occur , and Leigh gets asked quite often why this happens . “ I explain it like this : If we find something we are not familiar with , we look closer , and we touch and smell it . Kids even put things in their mouths . Well , sharks have the same senses as us , plus two more , but they don ’ t have hands , so they take a bite … and you can ’ t blame the animal for doing what is instinctive . Most people who die from shark attacks bleed out after being bitten , instead of actually being taken by a shark , and we believe that shark attacks are more the exception to the norm , that you have to be really unlucky – in the wrong place at the wrong time – to be attacked . But people fear what they don ’ t understand – and I admit , I was once one of them , after seeing Jaws !”
The Call of the Ocean
Leigh ( 30 ) has always been drawn to nature and animals , and admits to long having both a fear of and fascination with sharks , which drove her to become a marine biologist . She grew up in Johannesburg , finishing high school in 2008 , and then spent 2009 working as a Scuba Dive Master in Mozambique . It was here that she had her first opportunity to dive with Bull sharks , one of the most feared species , and she says it was a life-changing experience . “ In the water , face to face with an animal you ’ ve been told all your life to fear , and it doesn ’ t want to attack , hurt or kill you . They are curious , they just want to check you out and then leave you alone … and I realised everything I had been told was not true .”
This prompted Leigh to study marine biology at Rhodes University , and during her studies she worked part-time as a scuba diving instructor at the university during semesters , whilst spending her holidays gaining further shark diving experience through internships with Shark Explorers in Cape Town . Leigh moved to permanently to the Mother City in 2014 and currently works at the Two Oceans Aquarium in the V & A Waterfront . “ I help to look after the animals in the aquarium , their health and wellbeing , and that covers everything , including water quality , cleaning and maintenance . You need to understand their biology and needs in the wild , in order to try give them as close as possible to that in captivity ,” she says .
Leigh says that her fascination with wildlife , and in particular the animals of the oceans , began when she was still in school . “ I lived for my holidays away from Joburg , be it at the ocean or in the bushveld , and my fascination with the sea started when I began scuba diving . So , when I got the chance to leave Joburg , I decided to pursue that in my studies and work , this great love of animals , and my desire to protect them that grows stronger with each passing year . I ’ m just trying to make a difference .”
She recently completed her Masters through the University of Cape Town , studying the feeding ecology of the Broadnose Sevengill shark in False Bay , and says that she feels blessed that her years of study were a combination of theoretical studies as well as practical experiences . “ I was very lucky , particularly in my Masters , that I got to work with sharks , where my real passion has been focused . I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the water with them , experience them up close , to see they are not the vicious ‘ eating machines ’ most people think of . Now I am able to share that info with people at the Aquarium , what sharks are really about and the threats they are facing . I hope it will change people ’ s perspectives and inspire them to make lifestyle changes to increase the wellbeing of the oceans .”
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