Blue Water, White Death

Before JAWS shocked moviegoers everywhere in 1975 there was this great documentary movie from 1971 that remains one of the best shark films of all time with great underwater shark footage. The movie features a cast of divers that includes Ron and Valerie Taylor who provided the real life shark footage shown in the original JAWS. Blue Water White Death follows a film crew on a 12,000 mile boat adventure led by legendary Peter Gimbel as they search the Indian ocean to capture a great white shark on camera for the first time. The movie gets a little slow and boring in the middle but the underwater footage is excellent and makes the film a must-see for every shark enthusiast. Folk singer Tom Chapin provides some peaceful folk songs from the boat with his guitar including the beautiful ballad "Chilly Winds" that brings a tranquil atmosphere throughout the film. This was the original shark movie of the 1970's that paved the way for all others that followed. If you swim in the sea, anywhere in the world, you do not do so without risk. The shark is an ancient, wide-ranging, ever-present threat. Sharks do not ordinarily feed on human beings, but as volumes will attest, they do attack. How and when and why is still unpredictable. All sharks, no matter what their size; should be treated with respect. The seas off our shore are aprowl with many killers. There are at least 500 species of sharks. Most are predators, born with a full set of teeth and the instinct to use them. Even a shark much smaller than a man has the ability to inflict fatal injuries. Every year, around 80 unprovoked shark attacks are reported worldwide. On average, there are 16 shark attacks per year in the United States, with one fatality every two years. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), between 1958 and 2023 there were 2,900 confirmed shark attacks around the world, of which 633 were fatal. The 98 shark attacks in 2015 was the highest yearly total on record. According to the ISAF, the U.S. states in which the most attacks have occurred are Florida, Hawaii, California, Texas, and the Carolinas, though attacks have occurred in almost every coastal state. New Smyrna Beach Florida has experienced more shark attacks than any other spot in the world, while Australia has the highest number of fatal attacks in the world. Sharks do not seek out humans as prey and most attacks are believed to be cases of mistaken identity. Out of more than 500 shark species, only 3 are responsible for a double-digit number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans: the TIGER, BULL and the GREAT WHITE. A number of other species have also attacked without being provoked, and have on extremely rare occasions been responsible for a human death. This group includes the oceanic whitetip, shortfin mako, hammerhead, Galapagos, gray reef, blacktip, lemon, silky and blue sharks. These sharks are also large, powerful predators which can be provoked simply by being in the water at the wrong time and place, but they are considered less dangerous to humans than the previous group.

Classic documentary from 1971. No flash - real. Great photography and sound. And its wide screen!!! The 25 min. backstory is also very good. I found out about this from the JAWS, 30th anniversary edition backstory which is 2 hours long. (Blue Water White Death is not mentioned in the Jaws 25th anniversary ed. backstory which is 55 min.)

I remember seeing this when it first came out and have waited years to see it again. I have been a diver for 20 years. This is one of those movies that started it all. The stars of the movie, Stan Waterman, Peter Gimbel, and the Taylor's are icons in the diving and underwater film making business. This is the first movie of Great White sharks and the lengths to which these people went to film them are astounding. These adventurers went out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, parked themselves next to a sperm whale carcass, and got up close and personal with large oceanic sharks at feeding time. They also went to the Hermes wreck at 180 feet and off the coast of Dangerous Reef in the Sourthern Ocean. - no dive computers, no DAN to evac you out, and never quite knowing what to expect. This is a true life adventure caught on tape when diving really was by the seat of your pants. If you are a diver or adventurer you must see this film. If you like the film buy the book that documents the adventure - Blue Meridian - The Search for the Great White Shark by Peter Matthiessen

Having waited a long time for this DVD to come out, I was knocked out by the quality of the transfer, fantastic, all the scenes came flooding back from the first time that I had seen it, it is very informative for its time, as only one person at the time had filmed great whites, Rodney Fox, the voyage to find them, from south Africa to South Australia, the Taylors really show there understanding for these creatures, even getting out of the cage to swim with them, the extras are great, showing the young Taylors and Fox, then more recent footage, how they have aged over the years, see the movie that inspired Jaws, get an understanding of these sea creatures, no change in 300 million years, still perfect.

Not worth the money. I'm very disappointed that Amazon can charge $12.99 for garbage that's 50 years old.

Blue Water, White Death is a wonderful blend of action, suspense and historical underwater cinematography. The shark encounters might seem a bit tame by today's standards, especially if you are used to watching leaping Great Whites on NG's Shark Week and other wild-life shows. But the movie was shot in the innocent pre-Jaws early 70's, when few people knew much about sharks or shark behavior. Watching the divers fend off schools of circling Oceanic White-tip sharks off South Africa is intense as it gets. Later, in Australian waters, you feel the adrenelin pumping as the divers film from inside cages while Great Whites rake their razor-sharp, serrated incisors along the bars. A special treat is watching legends Stan Waterman, Valerie and Ron Taylor, Rodney Fox, and the late Peter Gimbel, diving in their prime, and then seeing them today and listening to them reprise their exciting experience. The movie is unique and belongs in every ocean lover's collection.

In 1969 Peter Gimbel set off on the First ever Expedition to Film The Great White Shark. His Team included other World famous underwater Photographers: Stan Waterman, Ron & Valerie Taylor, and also Shark Attack Survivor Rodney Fox. Their search for the Great White lasted for 9 months and it took them from South Africa to South Australia. The tension, the drama, the setbacks... of a long journey, plus the first ever awesome underwater photography make this documentary an all time classic and a living tribute both to the team and the sharks. A lot of the footage that was Filmed had never been seen before. Some highlights like the dives with the feeding Oceanic Whitetips, and the final encounter with the Great White Shark are simply awesome. Peter Gimbel and his team were the first to introduce me to SHARKS with this Documentary when I first saw it in 1971 and Since then, my life has never been the same again. A True Masterpiece!!

Its easy to watch this and see the dated clothing, the bewildering lack of knowledge about Great Whites (compared with today) and think less of it as a result. Instead, focus on the superb underwater footage and the genuine sense of exploration that this film shares with the viewers. It is an absolute classic, long before Jaws, long before "shark week" or anything similar, these guys were out there looking for sharks. The whale hunting scenes are heart breaking, but should be seen for what they are - history. An excellent documentary, if you have even the slightest interest in sharks, diving or ocean-based adventure I would watch this.

This movie directed by Peter Gimbel and Stan Waterman has more sharks than shark week. Filmed back in the 60s when there were still sharks in the ocean. Totally a great movie and would recommend to anyone.

Something to see , some folks must LOVE their work.

This is definitely a great documentary, from a time when sharks weren't really on film. The ending scenes are pretty intense. A different perspective on filming sharks, compared to how it is done today.

I heard that this was the best documentary ever on the Great White Shark. I heard rave reviews from the author of Jaws, Peter Benchley, as well as the creators of the movie Jaws. I was so pumped when it finally came out on DVD. This was shot in 1969/1970, but amazingly the quality is still great. HOWEVER: The "filmakers" follow around whaling ships and the viewer watches in horror as helpless whales are harpooned time and time again. You see the whales suffering and you can hear them moan. The "filmakers" dont care. In fact they want to see more whales killed just because a dead whale carcus attracts sharks. So in essence the "filmakers" are endorsing whaling. One time they let the whalers harpoon a whale and just have them leave it there. It's disgusting. THEN: When they are swimming with sharks, one of the divers shoots a shark right in the head for no reason at all other than for the viewer to see how a shark dies. This made me sick. I stopped the movie after 40 minutes. It is pure disgusting. These people dont care anything about the life of mammals or fish. It is rated G but I would never show it to anyone young or who loves animals.

The quality of the sumptuous wideangle cinematography, both above and below the surface, has stood the test of time, despite being locked in a distributor's vault for 30 years. The shot of Sperm Whale carcasses being carried behind a locomotive is memorable. Stan Waterman is still fit and well. I was diving with him in Fiji last month, one week after his 85th birthday. His hunger for the oceans and a good cine shot is undiminished