 |
Ocean Ramsey | |
|---|---|
 Ramsey in trailer for She is the Ocean, 2018 film | |
| Born | 1987 (age 37–38) |
| Occupation(s) | Conservationist and Model |
| Website | https://oceanramsey.org |
Ocean Ramsey (born 1987)[1] is an American shark conservationist and model.[2][3] She gained international media attention for free diving with sharks, including great white sharks, to raise awareness about shark conservation and promote her business.[3][4][5][6] Ramsey is based in Hawaii and has dived with 47 species of sharks around the world as of 2019.[2]
Career
[edit]
Ramsey operates One Ocean Diving, LLC, a company based in Hawaii that facilitates dives with marine life.[7] She is the subject of a 2025 Netflix documentary, the Shark Whisperer which covers both her conservation work and the controversy surrounding her approach.[8][9]
Great white shark encounter
[edit]While filming tiger sharks in Oahu, Ramsey and a film crew encountered a 20 ft (6.1 m) long female great white shark, later identified as Deep Blue,[10] or Haole Girl.[11] The encounter was captured by Ramsey's then-fiancé, Juan Oliphant, and the footage received worldwide media attention.[12] While she has been praised for raising awareness of the species, she has been criticized for her actions in the footage. Marine biologist Michael Domeier, founding director of the non-profit Marine Conservation Science Institute, criticized Ramsey for appearing in the viral shark interaction video. David Shiffman, a marine conservation biologist who studies sharks, told The Washington Post: "I can't believe that 'please don't grab the 18-foot long wild predator' is something that needs to be explicitly said out loud but here we are."[13][14].
Legislative efforts
[edit]Ramsey and dozens of individuals and organizations had for many years sought a law banning the killing of sharks. After several years of failed votes, Hawaii House Bill 553 was passed in 2021, making Hawaii the first state to ban the killing of sharks.
References
[edit]- ^ Ellis, Sophie (2025-06-11). "Who is Ocean Ramsey? Meet the freediver who swims with one of nature's deadliest apex predators". Discover Wildlife. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ a b "Model Ocean Ramsey dives with great white shark to dispel Jaws myths". Metro.co.uk. 2013-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- ^ a b "Diver Ocean Ramsey Swims With Sharks". ABC News. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- ^ Roberts, Christine (2013-02-18). "SEE IT: Woman swims unprotected with great white sharks". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- ^ "Ocean Ramsey, Shark Diver, Swims With Great White Shark (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. 16 February 2013. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- ^ "Hawaiian bikini model swims with great white shark". Now.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-14. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- ^ "State of Hawaii Business Registrations". hbe.ehawaii.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ Spilde, Coleman (2025-07-02). "Netflix's "Shark Whisperer" documentary is cold-blooded". Salon.com. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Power, Ed (2025-06-29). "'Irresponsible': The shark whisperer encouraging us to swim with great whites". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "World's largest great white shark 'Deep Blue' gives diver a close-up: 'Thought my heart was going to explode'". 18 January 2019.
- ^ "A Huge Great White Shark Controversy". February 2019.
- ^ Ocean Ramsey on 60 Minutes Australia. Youtube.
- ^ "Marine Biologists Raise Flags About Viral Great White Shark Encounter". 18 January 2019.
- ^ Allyson Chiu (2019-01-19) [2019-01-18]. "A diver's extremely close visit with a giant great white shark went viral. Marine biologists say don't copy her". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.[please check these dates]
 | This article about an environmental activist or conservationist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This shark-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |