Endurance athlete challenges shark fears with swim around 'JAWS' island
Lewis Pugh completes multi-day icy Greenland swim to highlight climate crisis
Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh has never shied away from extreme conditions—whether navigating the icy waters of Mount Everest or braving the remote Arctic seas. Yet, throughout his remarkable career, one topic has remained largely off-limits: sharks.
This week, that silence ends.
Pugh is setting out to swim around Martha’s Vineyard, the same Massachusetts island that served as the backdrop for Jaws, the blockbuster thriller that has shaped public fear of sharks for five decades.
“This swim is very different: We’re just talking about sharks all the time,” joked Pugh, who, in keeping with his signature style, will don only a swimsuit, cap, and goggles—no wetsuit—as he faces the island’s frigid 47-degree Fahrenheit (8°C) waters.
Now 55, Pugh is taking on this challenge not just for personal achievement, but to spark a shift in how the public views sharks. He aims to highlight their importance and advocate for stronger protections, countering the lingering effects of the 1975 film that cast them as merciless killers.
“It was a film about sharks attacking humans and for 50 years, we have been attacking sharks,” he said. “It’s completely unsustainable. It’s madness. We need to respect them.”
Launching from Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse on Thursday, Pugh plans to swim three to four hours each day, using the rest of his time to engage the public on the island about the plight of sharks. The full 62-mile (100-kilometer) swim is expected to take around 12 days, though he’s prepared to continue as long as needed.
His swim coincides with the New England Aquarium’s first confirmed white shark sighting of the season off Nantucket, adding a layer of reality to a swim inspired by cinematic fear.
“It’s going to test me not only physically, but also mentally,” Pugh admitted, watching the wind conditions before his start. “I mean every single day I’m going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I’ve got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I’ll be thinking about.”
For someone who has swum near glaciers, volcanoes, and among wild animals like crocodiles and polar bears, Pugh calls this swim one of his toughest yet. Remarkably, no one has ever completed a full circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard by swimming before.
The legacy of Jaws looms large. When it premiered in 1975, it broke box office records and sparked what many consider the beginning of the modern blockbuster era. But its impact on public attitudes toward sharks was profound—and lasting.
Even the film’s creators, director Steven Spielberg and author Peter Benchley, later expressed regret about its role in demonizing sharks. Both became active in marine conservation efforts, as scientists have documented the drastic decline in shark populations, driven by overfishing and climate change.
Marine biologist Greg Skomal, from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, notes that the fear sparked by Jaws is still felt today.
“I tend to hear the expression that, ‘I haven’t gone in the water since ‘Jaws’ came out,’” he said.
Skomal, who wrote a book challenging the myths the film perpetuated, also acknowledged its influence in sparking interest in marine biology. In the 1970s, he said, scientists knew little about sharks. The movie filled that void with fear.
“If Jaws were made today, it wouldn’t have the same effect,” he added. “But at the time, it was just perfect in terms of generating this level of fear to a public that was largely uneducated about sharks.”
Today, Skomal sees a shift in public sentiment. “We’ve really moved away from this feeling, or the old adage that, ‘The only good shark is a dead shark,’” he said. “We’re definitely morphing from fear to fascination, or perhaps a combination of both.”
The global threat to sharks remains severe. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed annually—roughly 274,000 per day—according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Demand for fins, meat, and other products continues to drive overfishing.
Pugh, who serves as the United Nations Patron of the Oceans and frequently uses his swims to spotlight environmental issues, believes bold efforts are needed to reverse the damage.
He is well-prepared for the dangers of the swim. A support team in a boat and kayak will accompany him, and he’ll use a non-lethal “Shark Shield” that emits an electric field to deter sharks.
Pugh recalls the fear he felt watching Jaws at age 16. But over the years, his understanding and respect for sharks have grown.
“I’m more terrified of a world without sharks, or without predators,” he said.
As he dives into the waters that once inspired fear, Pugh is turning dread into dialogue—and using endurance to advocate for the ocean’s most misunderstood predator.
