Baltimore Photographer Films Shark Week Documentary
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Shark Week, the longest running program event on cable TV, will return this weekend. Once again, it will feature the work of a Baltimore photographer.
Mike Schuh says his film captures a number of firsts.
It's called "Jaws Comes Home," the work of Baltimore County photographer Nick Caloyianis.
From National Geographic to Discovery Channel and feature films, Caloyianis is among the world's best underwater photographers.
He's nearly died from shark bites. Now he's back in Baltimore, sharing with us his story, his latest brush with death.
"The entire top of this cage was a wall of flesh," Caloyianis said.
He's talking about the three months he spent filming great white sharks near the beaches of Cape Cod.
"I was awed," Caloyianis said.
As a dead whale attracts sharks, Caloyianis captured it all.
Soon, danger arrived. He shot the biggest great white shark ever filmed, and it was just eight miles off the beaches of Chatham, Mass.
Under orange floats, is a shark cage. In the cage is where Caloyianis filmed with a scientist.
The floats are the only thing keeping his cage from dropping to the sea floor.
"Scary moment was not just being in that cage, but watching the shark the whole time," Caloyianis said. "The mouth was open. I've never seen a white shark swim around with its mouth open the entire time."
Caloyianis shot images of the confused shark, trying to get off the cage. There were fears she would cut the floats free. Then she thrashed.
Caloyianis holds a cage bar to demonstrate what happens next.
"It bent it," he said. "I was right underneath this thing. I'm almost 6"2." The cage is 6' 2". That's not good. Suddenly, I'm shorter and seeing stars."
His next project shouldn't be as scary. It's a 3-D IMAX feature about the Chesapeake Bay.
Caloyianis' program, "Jaws Returns Home," premieres Sunday at 10 p.m.
