Caleb: Beyond the Bite

Director: Nicola Gerrard

Producer: Nicola Gerrard and Lauren Van Nijkerk

Producer Company: Love Africa Marketing

Agency: Love Africa Marketing

Client: WILDTRUST

Country: South Africa

Synopsis

Caleb: Beyond the Bite is a moving short film following award-winning South African actor, para-athlete, and shark bite survivor Caleb Swanepoel. After losing his leg to a Great White Shark in 2015, Caleb returns to the ocean at Aliwal Shoal, KwaZulu-Natal, to swim with sharks for the first time since the incident. The film explores his journey of loss, resilience, and understanding as he reconnects with the animal that changed his life. Launched as part of an ongoing national campaign called Sharks Under Attack, it seeks to challenge negative perceptions of sharks, inspiring respect and advocating for their protection in South Africa.

Objectives

The primary goal of Caleb: Beyond the Bite is to raise awareness about the critical importance of shark conservation and their role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems in South Africa and across the globe. The film aims to challenge negative perceptions of sharks - a notion that remains one of the largest threats to their survival. South Africa is a top 5 global hotspot for shark and ray diversity, harbouring around 200 species and one-third of the global fauna. A large proportion of these sharks are endemic to South Africa, meaning they are unique to our waters and found nowhere else in the world. This film aims to create an awareness of the importance of protecting the many diverse shark species in our waters. There is strong scientific evidence proving how important sharks are in balancing our ocean ecosystem. A world without sharks means an unhealthy ocean, an unhealthy ocean means a world without us. Changing our perception is one way we can help ensure their survival, the more we can encourage people to better understand sharks, to acknowledge their importance, and to recognise their vulnerability, the more they may be inspired to help protect them.