Don’t start up this documentary expecting to see gruesome and bloody shark attack images, followed by the ever-so-popular Jaws themed music. Instead Great White Shark Legend takes a refreshing and truly honest approach into the life of white sharks and the local communities privileged enough to share the waters with such an amazing animal.

Ricardo Lacombe has accomplished something with this film that very few people have previously succeeded in doing; portraying white sharks in a positive light. Within the first few minutes of the film I was immediately impressed with the beauty of the documentary being left to the sharks and the natural beauty of False Bay, South Africa where this film was made. There was no overproduction, or fancy sound and image affects masking the true nature of the shark. Instead, viewers get the pleasure of seeing the grace of the shark in its natural environment, followed by reactions of people interacting positively with this animal.

As someone constantly working towards educating people about the true nature of this animal, and having been in the presence of white sharks in their natural habitat countless times, one main theme really stood out throughout this entire film; the ability of Ricardo to connect the viewer to the white shark. Children are interviewed, and all are happy to share the waters with white sharks. It amazed and impressed me to see how educated these young children were, understanding the importance of white sharks within the ecosystem. If that alone isn’t eye-opening and inspiring enough the individual personalities of sharks are discussed. This really struck a chord with me, personally, as I’ve been able to witness this first hand. And allowing viewers to see this makes the shark seem charismatic, something never-before portrayed in a documentary. Lastly, being able to witness the first time cage divers share their before and after reactions about getting in the water with such an amazing animal quickly shifts the view of white sharks to ‘respect’ and ‘awe’, with any negative connotations being thrown to the side after watching this film.

In a decade where programs like Shark Week and media outlets globally portray sharks as “terrifying” and “man-eaters” it is important for filmmakers everywhere to take note of the more genuine approach of Ricardo Lacombe and shift these negative portrayals into a more positive light. I give this film a 10/10 for finally letting viewers into the REAL world of the white shark, and turning this once portrayed “man-eater” into an animal with grace, power and beauty. Well done!

Check out the trailer for the film here!

As a side note, I also have a personal crowd-funding campaign on the go right now, to help me out as I get my dive master certificate this summer. Check it out HERE! Every bit helps and will allow me to continue posting cool blogs and reviews like this as I gain more experience in the field 🙂