RI SHARK WEEK: Shark Man Joe Romeiro
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Joe Romeiro is not an adrenaline junkie who gets high off of danger. He is not some brazen pirate who loves seeing what menaces the high seas will present to him. And he is definitely not crazy… Although some might disagree.
Joe Romeiro is, however, a native of Rhode Island. He is also a world-class diver and a filmmaker. And he is most definitely crazy about one of the world’s most fascinating predators: sharks. In a society that continually presents sharks as the bad guys of the animal kingdom, Joe Romeiro is in a constant fight to promote sharks as a vital and gorgeous part of our natural world.
A love of the ocean
Romeiro has always had a love affair for the ocean and for the creatures who inhabit it. He was born of oceanic roots in the Azores, an archipelago of 9 islands located east of Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean. At the
age of 3 he moved to the ocean state of Rhode Island, where he has lived ever since. Now he makes his home in Exeter, on a quiet South County road that is a quick drive to docks... and the ocean.
Rhode Island’s own shark guy admits that he has been interested in sharks his entire life. “It was always my dream to be around sharks,” he says. “I knew I wanted to film them even as a kid. I learned how to speak English from Godzilla movies and natural history films. The thing about a nature film is that it can speak to you no matter what country or language. Nature is universal.”
Filming sharks
It was nearly a dream come true for Romeiro, then, to join the very genre that had inspired him as a boy. The 35-year-old made his mark on the natural film scene in 2009, with Death of a Deity, his short film that made its way to national circuits and won both critical claim and awards. Since that time he has produced several other short movies promoting the beauty and complexity of these extremely misunderstood marine creatures.
Talking to Romeiro about sharks offers an observer an insight into the man’s heart and soul, and reveals his genuine love for the animal. When asked about his favorite species to interact with he excitedly responds, “Mako sharks. They are the most interactive sharks I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. They are the most impressive with the most attitude of any shark I’ve ever seen. When you see the animal, it is like lightning. You watch this thing just zip around. As far as a predatory animal, this creature was built for what it does.”
The thrill of it all
Not only is filming sharks underwater a transcendent experience, says Romeiro, but also an incredible thrill. “Mako gap shots are really exciting to film because you have to hold the camera right in front of the shark’s mouth," he says.
"Another exciting moment for me was when I had a [Great] White shark bite on my camera lens and hold on for about 12 seconds.” Romeiro has a long list of tales to tell. And no surprise, given that he is in the water with them as regularly as another person might go to the gym. “Around 3 to 4 times a week during the summer,” he says. “In the winter I do Great White and tiger shark expeditions as well.”To preserve a species
This constant interaction with one of the planet’s apex predators is entirely devoted to their preservation. “I’m trying to push shark culture," he says. "Every single one of my films is promoting shark conservation.” And shark protection is something which is desperately needed. “More people kill them than appreciate them,” he says. “There’s a whole lot of trouble for sharks. There are no international laws which protect them. We never really know what the future will hold for them.”
“The more we present [sharks] in the media, the more people are going to want to save them," he says. "I really want these animals to thrive.”
The good in a million hits
It appears that Romeiro is having an influence on people’s perception of sharks. In addition to his critically acclaimed short films, he has posted YouTube videos that have received more than a million hits, and also has a few video segments featured on Discovery Channel’s current Shark Week. Clearly, the man’s stock is rising.
However, that does not blind Romeiro to the reason why he started filming sharks in the first place. “I’m not in this business to make any money off of it," he says. "These New England sharks are our sharks and we shouldn’t kill them before the future has a chance to see them and appreciate them. They have a place on our planet. Contrary to public thought, they are so tolerant to human presence, yet we are so intolerant to theirs. It is a decay of culture, a decay of intelligence. Most people are distracted, separated, or just aren’t connected to them. But if the connection is there you will always want to save these animals.”
To form your own connection with sharks and to discover where Joe Romeiro’s passion derives from, check out his Web site at www.joeromeiro.com.
