i’m greg marshall inventor of Crittercam it’s a camera system of a research tool
it’s a camera system of a research tool
it’s a camera system of a research tool that we deploy on the backs of wild
that we deploy on the backs of wild
that we deploy on the backs of wild animals to see what they’re doing when
animals to see what they’re doing when
animals to see what they’re doing when we can’t be there to observe their
we can’t be there to observe their
we can’t be there to observe their behavior National Geographic Explorer
behavior National Geographic Explorer
behavior National Geographic Explorer was with me on my very first expedition
was with me on my very first expedition
was with me on my very first expedition to deploy a critter cam or shark and it
to deploy a critter cam or shark and it
to deploy a critter cam or shark and it turns out it was a lot more dangerous
turns out it was a lot more dangerous
turns out it was a lot more dangerous than I ever imagined
than I ever imagined
than I ever imagined the concept was pretty straightforward
the concept was pretty straightforward
the concept was pretty straightforward catch the shark control it dived with it
catch the shark control it dived with it
catch the shark control it dived with it and do the deployment and on the bottom
and do the deployment and on the bottom
and do the deployment and on the bottom where we could control the shark and its
where we could control the shark and its
where we could control the shark and its environment was comfortable that was a
environment was comfortable that was a
environment was comfortable that was a bad decision as I tried to insert the
bad decision as I tried to insert the
bad decision as I tried to insert the dart into the base of the dorsal fin
dart into the base of the dorsal fin
dart into the base of the dorsal fin that the shark flinched basically got
that the shark flinched basically got
that the shark flinched basically got out of the handlers control Nick is in
out of the handlers control Nick is in
out of the handlers control Nick is in the water filming the whole scene and
the water filming the whole scene and
the water filming the whole scene and watches as the shark swims away and he
watches as the shark swims away and he
watches as the shark swims away and he decides to follow the shark and and
decides to follow the shark and and
decides to follow the shark and and filming one of the handlers decided to
filming one of the handlers decided to
filming one of the handlers decided to come back and to recapture the shark he
come back and to recapture the shark he
come back and to recapture the shark he reaches down with a hook stick and hooks
reaches down with a hook stick and hooks
reaches down with a hook stick and hooks the shark again in the mouth of course
the shark again in the mouth of course
the shark again in the mouth of course the shark does what any animal would do
the shark does what any animal would do
the shark does what any animal would do to protect itself it comes back and
to protect itself it comes back and
to protect itself it comes back and turns immediately toward the closest
turns immediately toward the closest
turns immediately toward the closest target that it imagines present flicked
target that it imagines present flicked
target that it imagines present flicked at this pain which happens to be Nick
at this pain which happens to be Nick
at this pain which happens to be Nick less than two seconds later I’ve got a
less than two seconds later I’ve got a
less than two seconds later I’ve got a shark suddenly trying to tear my right
shark suddenly trying to tear my right
shark suddenly trying to tear my right leg off I took the camera shark bites
leg off I took the camera shark bites
leg off I took the camera shark bites the camera and I kept pounding it and
the camera and I kept pounding it and
the camera and I kept pounding it and every time the gel opened a little bit
every time the gel opened a little bit
every time the gel opened a little bit wiggle my leg out cuz I know if another
wiggle my leg out cuz I know if another
wiggle my leg out cuz I know if another split second or two I’d have known at
split second or two I’d have known at
split second or two I’d have known at least no foot Nick because were
least no foot Nick because were
least no foot Nick because were scrambling to get to the surface with
scrambling to get to the surface with
scrambling to get to the surface with the shark on his feet I knew it was only
the shark on his feet I knew it was only
the shark on his feet I knew it was only 15 20 feet from the surface but I had no
15 20 feet from the surface but I had no
15 20 feet from the surface but I had no help I struggled to get now with
help I struggled to get now with
help I struggled to get now with one leg working up to the top and the
one leg working up to the top and the
one leg working up to the top and the shark was coming at me the whole time
shark was coming at me the whole time
shark was coming at me the whole time and then I just kind of ran out of steam
and then I just kind of ran out of steam
and then I just kind of ran out of steam and for the first time in my life I
and for the first time in my life I
and for the first time in my life I dropped the camera
dropped the camera
dropped the camera soon the cameras dropped from Nick’s
soon the cameras dropped from Nick’s
soon the cameras dropped from Nick’s hands and it falls down to the bottom of
hands and it falls down to the bottom of
hands and it falls down to the bottom of the ocean and that cloud of sand and my
the ocean and that cloud of sand and my
the ocean and that cloud of sand and my right hand slid right into the shark’s
right hand slid right into the shark’s
right hand slid right into the shark’s mouth my thumb my finger would
mouth my thumb my finger would
mouth my thumb my finger would completely split up to the bone and I
completely split up to the bone and I
completely split up to the bone and I hear one of the local fishermen scream
hear one of the local fishermen scream
hear one of the local fishermen scream he’s dead
he’s dead
he’s dead first thing I saw Nick was in essence
first thing I saw Nick was in essence
first thing I saw Nick was in essence almost as if he were being pushed out of
almost as if he were being pushed out of
almost as if he were being pushed out of the water
the water
the water next thing blue sky they pulled Nick out
next thing blue sky they pulled Nick out
next thing blue sky they pulled Nick out of the water and he’s waiting obviously
of the water and he’s waiting obviously
of the water and he’s waiting obviously he’s not dead but he’s in trouble he’s
he’s not dead but he’s in trouble he’s
he’s not dead but he’s in trouble he’s in real trouble
in real trouble
in real trouble I just remembered his little voice
I just remembered his little voice
I just remembered his little voice saying hang in there don’t pass out
saying hang in there don’t pass out
saying hang in there don’t pass out he looked ashen he looked terrified he
he looked ashen he looked terrified he
he looked ashen he looked terrified he looked in shock wasn’t screaming just
looked in shock wasn’t screaming just
looked in shock wasn’t screaming just remember him saying it got me it got me
remember him saying it got me it got me
remember him saying it got me it got me and I was flown from Cancun to to Miami
and I was flown from Cancun to to Miami
and I was flown from Cancun to to Miami you know we were totally focused on Nick
you know we were totally focused on Nick
you know we were totally focused on Nick when Nick was finally taken care of
when Nick was finally taken care of
when Nick was finally taken care of there’s nothing else that we can do and
there’s nothing else that we can do and
there’s nothing else that we can do and we walked back down to the beach and one
we walked back down to the beach and one
we walked back down to the beach and one of the fishermen came up to me and said
of the fishermen came up to me and said
of the fishermen came up to me and said well you know what do you want to do
well you know what do you want to do
well you know what do you want to do with the shark and the what shark they
with the shark and the what shark they
with the shark and the what shark they said well we got the shark again
said well we got the shark again
said well we got the shark again the prevailing sentiment was you know
the prevailing sentiment was you know
the prevailing sentiment was you know out of respect for what had happened to
out of respect for what had happened to
out of respect for what had happened to make an out of respect for the shark
make an out of respect for the shark
make an out of respect for the shark itself who really felt that the best
itself who really felt that the best
itself who really felt that the best thing to do was to complete the project
thing to do was to complete the project
thing to do was to complete the project and actually go through with it so
and actually go through with it so
and actually go through with it so that’s we did that shark was the very
that’s we did that shark was the very
that’s we did that shark was the very first critic Pam deployed on a wild
first critic Pam deployed on a wild
first critic Pam deployed on a wild free-ranging animal that accident
free-ranging animal that accident
free-ranging animal that accident happened in May in August of the same
happened in May in August of the same
happened in May in August of the same year we did another show for National
year we did another show for National
year we did another show for National Geographic so I actually got back to
Geographic so I actually got back to
Geographic so I actually got back to work with sharks which I still love
work with sharks which I still love
work with sharks which I still love doing but I’m just glad that you know I
doing but I’m just glad that you know I
doing but I’m just glad that you know I I’m here to tell this story and it does
I’m here to tell this story and it does
I’m here to tell this story and it does have a good ending I mean I didn’t I’m
have a good ending I mean I didn’t I’m
have a good ending I mean I didn’t I’m not missing anything and I’m still happy
not missing anything and I’m still happy
not missing anything and I’m still happy filming sharks I’m just a little bit
filming sharks I’m just a little bit
filming sharks I’m just a little bit more careful on how I go about it
”
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