The Discovery Channel’s highly-anticipated Shark Week is back on TV this week, giving shark enthusiasts a whole week to learn about these “lords of the sea.”
While the annual week-long programming aims to answer questions users may have about both sharks and the great unknown that is the ocean, Benjamin Lowy helps show us through his new “Legacy” collection.
Lowy is well known for his in-depth war coverage, documenting conflict in countries like Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq. When he had the opportunity to suit up, he traveled to the depths of the ocean to find himself face-to-face with a different kind of subject: great white sharks.
“When you see something the size of a minibus, it’s pretty fantastic,” Lowy said. “We know we’re supposed to be scared of them because of movies and stuff like that, but they’re actually quite amazing creatures once you get passed that.”
Lowy added how much of a rush it was to see a shark come out of the deep blue and confront him through the cage. Luckily, Lowy’s line of work has helped him learn how to tame that exhilaration so that it doesn’t keep him from getting his work done.
“You need to be able to swallow your fear and do what you need to do,” Lowy said. “If you were working by yourself in Iran or if you’re in a cage near a great white, and you’re not even a little bit scared, you’re in the wrong business.”
Lowy made the switch to underwater photography partly to be closer to his family. He also wanted to give his kids something special to appreciate about this world.
“If the ocean dies, we die,” he said. “Great whites are the apex predators of the sea, but not only that they keep the balance of the ocean.”
Last year, Shark Week drew 36.3 million total viewers, with the Discovery Channel expecting to see similar, if not greater success for the 29th anniversary of its annual programming. The channel will air episodes in 220 countries and territories, starting at 8 p.m. E.T. Sunday, July 23.
For more of Lowy’s collection, visit Sony Square NYC.