Leading ocean scientists, entrepreneurs, & storytellers Dr. Austin Gallagher, Jamie Fitzgerald, and Sami Kattan cover everything ocean, sharing the journey and stories of a team working to save our seas.
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Join the team live from the Turks & Caicos as they recount their latest mind bending experience - swimming alongside a humpback mother, calf, and male escort. Joined by new friends Mateen and Paisley, get ready to open your hearts and dive into a lifelong ocean dream fulfilled.
Ep 16: Tiger Sharks & Square Groupers ft. Tadzio Bervoets
Friday, March 17, 2023 • Duration 48:57
We sit down with ocean conservationist and Caribbean expert Tadzio Bervoets as he recounts a week diving in the Galapagos, talks blue carbon with the squad, and wonders if a tiger shark has ever consumed a square grouper or two... and what the results would be.
Ep 7: When Things Go Wrong
Friday, December 9, 2022 • Duration 40:28
Description:
When you spend a lot of time working on the ocean, things are eventually going to go....wrong. Our team happens to spend a lot of time on the high seas and thus have quite the collection of these experiences...which happen to make the best stories!
On today's episode we recount some of our favorites, from engine failures on the banks of the Turks & Caicos, to a shark biting (and popping) our inflatable research vessel, to nearly being capsized by a rogue wave off of the shores of Nantucket. So grab some popcorn and settle into to the nail-biting and, at times, hilarious, recitings of these character-building moments.
Lately at Beneath The Waves, we have been venturing into the DEEP sea - an incredible part of our ocean that we know very little about. Austin and Ollie lead the team on a journey into all that this incredible part of our planet has to offer - from how organisms survive in extreme environments to the potential discovery of new species - there is no limit to what the deep sea can reveal to us.
The team welcomes Olivia 'Liv' Dixon to the podcast, the newest member of the Beneath The Waves Team. Coming off of a deep sea expedition on R/V Tigress in the Bahamas, the squad dives into the juicey (and at times downyright slimey) deep sea creatures they interacted with on the trip - as well as suprises on the surface as Liv unknowingly shared space in the water with a short fin mako shark! We also dive into the majesty of the hammerhead shark - an animal that continuously leaves us in awe.
Olivia Dixon: Research Coordinator: https://www.instagram.com/livdixon14/
Ep 4: Side Quests In Egypt
Friday, November 18, 2022 • Duration 48:42
Description:
Austin & Sami suit up and head across the Atlantic to the ancient land of Egypt, to attend the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27. Of course when you travel halfway across the world you can't just go to the conference, so the journey to Egypt was filled with epic side quests to ancient pyramids, desert oases, adventures in new cuisine, and summiting Mt. Sinai to catch the sunrise.
The Middle East is a place Austin has always wanted to visit and a land where Sami's ancestors called home, so the two went on a journey that was aided by Sami's Arabic that helped unlock the charm of the Egyptian locals. The team attended COP27 as part of the Bahamian delegation, supporting their blue carbon efforts through the cutting-edge science Beneath The Waves has been conducting for the past 5 years. A true work-hard-play-hard adventure ensued, which we fully dive into in this episode.
Key Takeaways:
[1:20] Introduction from COP 27
[3:00] Motivations to Travel to Middle East
[4:30] Speaking the Local Language to Unlock Cultural Adventures
[8:00] The Journey to the Pyramid of Giza
[23:00] Atteding to COP27 to Leave a Sustainable Legacy
[33:00] Summiting Mt. Sinai
[40:20] It's All About The Side Quests
[42:15] 'Mithl Asfour' - The Inside Joke of the Trip
You can never really predict what will happen on a dive, especially when encountering a predator like the oceanic white-tip shark. Senior Research Scientist Dr. Oliver Shipley shares how one of his early experiences with these formidable creatures off Eleuthera Island cemented his passion for a career in shark science. Due to their bold personality and predatory nature, we discuss why it is so crucial to keep calm and exude confidence when in their presence.
No matter your level of experience, working with sharks is always a game of Russian Roulette. Sometimes we need unspoken cooperation with our teammates to stay safe in the water. Jamie shares her experience fending off bull sharks with nothing but a GoPro and a PVC pipe, keeping them out of range of our film crew while producing a shoot for Nora en Pure. These moments are what create trust and community within our team at Beneath The Waves and build long-lasting friendships in every expedition.
Key Takeaways:
[1:20] Introducing Dr. Oliver Shipley
[2:34] Growing up in Scotland visiting Troon Beach
[4:30] Realizing that Marine Biology was a potential career path
[6:00] Discovering his passion while studying sharks on Eleuthera Island
[7:55] Meeting Oliver
[10:45] Capturing the iconic Photograph of “Mabel” the Tiger shark
[11:45] Tagging and Tracking Mabel
[13:20] Smooth seas never make a good sailor
[15:00] Swimming with the formidable oceanic white-tip shark
[20:45] When shark diving starts feeling like Russian Roulette
[23:40] Sharks can sense when you’re uneasy so you need to maintain confidence in the water
[24:25]Fending off bull sharks with nothing but a GoPro and PVC pipe
Ep 2: Tiger Sharks & Coffee
Episode 2
Friday, November 4, 2022 • Duration 48:57
Description:
Welcome back to Beneath The Waves Radio. Today, we are introducing our Blue Carbon Program Manager, Wells Howe, to discuss how blue carbon is a tangible solution to greenhouse gas emissions. Seagrass is already working hard to store carbon in the ocean’s seafloor, proving that nature always finds a solution. When humanity is faced with a crisis like climate change: what if the best action is to simply get out of nature’s way? We want to protect the natural mechanisms already in place and allow nature to take its course.
Conversations about conservation don't have to be depressing. The truth is, every expedition is an adventure. Tune in to hear the team share their experiences diving with tiger sharks at Tiger Beach. What would you do if you were face to face with an apex predator? Don’t let their size fool you, tiger sharks may seem big and slow but they are graceful ambush predators. The team describes just how humbling it is to interact with these amazing creatures and how they manage to keep their cool when dealing with such a dangerous animal in its element.
Key Takeaways:
[2:11] Wells’ first certified dive with apex tiger sharks
[3:30] Even these massive sharks are effective ambush predators
[4:25] The aggregation of tiger sharks at Tiger Beach
[5:05] Diving through reef and lemon sharks to get to the tiger sharks below
[8:24] What goes through your mind when you’re face to face with a mega predator
[9:55] Sharks don’t want to kill humans but they are dangerous and should always be respected
[11:20] Entering the flow state in the presence of hypnotic tiger sharks
[14:10] Forging deep familial connections while on expedition
[15:40] It’s challenging to get a good cup of coffee on an expedition
Ep 1: Bringing The Ocean To You
Episode 1
Friday, October 28, 2022 • Duration 52:12
Welcome to Beneath The Waves Radio. Our team of researchers, scientists, and innovators is working every day to protect endangered marine life and explore and conserve our ocean. Every member of the team has a unique origin story, and we will be sharing everything from our first diving experiences to the moments that changed our lives and catapulted each of us into marine conservation.
Today, we are introducing Austin Gallagher Ph.D. (CEO), Jamie Fitzgerald (Managing Director), and Sami Kattan (Media Director). We were inspired to create this podcast to bring our adventures to you—and we hope to show just how exciting, awe-inspiring, hilarious and sometimes terrifying the ocean can be—and why it is worth protecting.
With a mission as vast as protecting our ocean, Beneath The Waves attracts some adventurous and passionate people. Get to know our podcast hosts, the leaders of the team at Beneath The Waves. Each week we will be introducing more of our team and sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from our expeditions.
Dr. Austin Gallagher is the founder and lead scientist at Beneath The Waves. His vision for the NGO is to study and preserve a thriving shark population within our oceans. He has been featured in Forbes, Scuba Diving Magazine and even serves as the editor of the Scientific journal Endangered Species Research. Dr. Gallagher is notably recognized for his repeat appearances on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. He has published over 100 research papers that have had a direct influence on the legal protection of endangered marine life. His combination of research and strategic partnering with government agencies has attracted and grown the Beneath the Waves team into the dynamic organization it is today.
Jamie Fitzgerald is the Managing Director at Beneath The Waves, where she manages key partnerships, communications and marketing, and execution of brand strategy and growth. A passionate conservationist and ocean lover, she grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and has spent her life on or in the water. Jamie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from Tulane University, with concentrations in Marine Biology and Political Science. She spent her early career in marine and coastal conservation organizations on Cape Cod and in New Orleans, scuba diving throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and working in production and marketing in NYC before joining Beneath The Waves in 2018. She is a PADI Divemaster and member of The Explorer’s Club.
Welcome to Beneath The Waves Radio
Thursday, October 27, 2022 • Duration 02:22
Welcome to Beneath The Waves Radio, the podcast for building an adventurous and fulfilled life. We're your hosts, the leaders of Beneath The Waves Group, a collection of ocean companies focusing on cutting-edge science, conservation, and media. Our team of explorers, entrepreneurs, and storytellers are here to share lessons for living a more impactful and purpose-driven life, while getting a deeper understanding of the ocean. Here is your raw, unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at the world beneath the waves. Let’s dive in.
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“The toughest days in the field always yield the most interesting results and I get more attached to those data points and what we’re doing on those days is more memorable for me.” [20:35] -Dr. Austin Gallagher
“These things are like, I don't know, like fighter jets. They come at you from all different directions like this real pack mentality and so you’re kind of having to look below you, look behind you, look left and right, look forwards and they come right up as well, they do not care, they are so bold.” [25:25] -Dr. Oliver Shipley
“You can’t control sharks. That’s the biggest thing I’ve actually come to learn more over the years, is that you can still put bait in the water, with you diving with them and try to manage the situation but you still can’t control the animal they are going to do what they want to.” [28:53] -Dr. Austin Gallagher
“If you get in the water feeling weird and dicey, either if that’s psychologically or if the shark is sensing it, it’s gonna kinda spiral downward. You know you need to be a presence in that water.” [31:57] -Sami Kattan
“You have to be like 360 vision all the time, thinking about what sharks are gonna do but if you’re a camera operator or the model in the shot, which is what the 3 of them were, you can’t focus on anything but the task at hand, so I’m there trying to make sure they’re safe and keep the bull sharks out of the shot.” [35:04] -Jamie Fitzgerald
[24:37] Beneath the waves merch available
[25:30]What is blue carbon?
[26:30] Seagrass undergoes photosynthesis and actually traps carbon in the marine sediment [28:47]Providing a tangible solution to greenhouse gas emissions
[32:45] When humans do less and let the earth do its thing, nature heals itself
[34:48] Conservation doesn't have to be depressing
[35:54]Celebrating with a waterslide every once in a while!
[38:50] No matter what the objective is, every expedition is an adventure!
[40:10] Getting stuck on a zipline in Costa Rica
[43:34] Pushed over the edge bungee jumping in Puerto Vallarta
“There really is no logical explanation for how big sharks just appear out of nowhere and it literally happens with white sharks as well, in crystal clear blue water at the surface, so they’re just ridiculous animals. Insane predators.” [1:57] -Austin Gallagher PhD
“You’re out in, what feels like, the middle of the ocean and you can’t see anything other than just blue, blue water and just to sink below and be completely surrounded by this shark whirlpool, shark spiral, is just unreal!” [6:00] -Jamie Fitzgerald
“There can be so much grace in that moment, knowing where you are, grounding yourself and not taking your eye off the ball or in this circumstance the shark’s eye.” [12:03] -Sami Kattan
“To grow underwater, seagrass is using sunlight, undergoing photosynthesis, just like grass outside…and taking in carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen from its leaves. So, if you actually look underwater sometimes you can see little oxygen bubbles leaving seagrass and you can hear them popping, which is a really cool thing to see when diving but then all those carbon molecules are getting transported straight through the root system and trapped underwater in marine sediment” [26:46] -Wells Howe
“What we are talking about is supporting life processes on earth that have existed for a millennia and simply either getting out of the way or stopping the degradation of that and providing a real tangible solution to the issues around greenhouse gas emissions.” [29:10] -Wells Howe
Sami Kattan is the Director of Digital Media at Beneath The Waves. A digital media producer and entrepreneur, he is the Founder and CEO of Nomad Creative, a digital storytelling agency producing content for purpose-driven individuals and organizations. From documenting blue whales to the jungles of Costa Rica to tiger shark research in the Bahamas, he provides impactful media for a global audience. His previous clients include the BBC, National Geographic, Spartan Race, and Virgin Unite, and his media pieces have garnered millions of views across digital channels, being featured in Forbes, Virgin, Lonely Planet, and Yahoo. He graduated with honors from the University of Florida with dual degrees in Anthropology and Psychology. He is involved in all aspects of Beneath The Waves’ digital media strategy, from creating, managing, and deploying projects, to engagement with key partners, donors, and stakeholders. Kattan has also led entire research expeditions throughout the Caribbean.
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