Frames from the film, showing Jake at work by Danny Copeland, a former Our World Underwater scholar and now an established marine conservationist and filmmaker. The film follows Jake on his quest to become the first person to film an angel shark in British waters.
Danny has his own connection to the Welsh coast, coming originally from Rhos-on-Sea. After meeting Jake, it was was apparent they had much in common.“ It became clear that Jake was part of an unfolding story, revolving around a critically endangered shark that most people have never heard of,” Danny says.
“ It’ s the sort of wholesome, uplifting and wildly unlikely series of events that it can’ t help but make you smile and remind us why we all love diving in the UK. It’ s a story that deserves to be told among our community and shared as a way of bringing others into the fold.”
After four years of work and contending with unpredictable Welsh weather, Danny and Jake are ready to invite people along for the final part of the journey, as they complete editing work on the film and prepare it for screening towards the end of the year.
Amassing knowledge
What do they hope the film will achieve? Ultimately, they want to support the conservation of angel sharks in Wales, and potentially across other parts of the UK. This begins with filling in the data gaps when it comes to angel sharks and other British elasmobranchs.
Danny says:“ More than 90 per cent of what we know about angel sharks in Wales has come from fewer than several dozen anglers and divers. They have generously shared old logbooks, memories and photo albums going back decades. But there are
Not a ray!
Angel sharks are flat sharks( not rays – the pectoral fins are not connected to the head) belonging to the genus Squatina. There are 26 species in the genus, including the common angel shark Squatina squatina, the subject of Guardian Angel. It is no longer truly common, having been all but wiped out across much of its northeast Atlantic range. The Canary Islands offer the best locations for divers to see them, though as we learn more about their presence in Welsh waters other hotspots may become apparent.
The sharks inhabit temperate and tropical marine environments; they are usually found in shallow waters at depths from 3-100 metres on the continental shelf. They have a unique way of breathing compared to most other bottom-dwelling fish. They do not pump out water from the oropharyngeal cavity in the manner of other fish. Instead they use gill flaps located under their body to pump out water during respiration. This helps them remain undetected by prey – and researchers!
PHOTO: SIMON ROGERSON
Library image of an angel shark in Gran Canaria
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