Former Marine Turned TV Presenter James Glancy Swims With Blue Sharks In UK Waters

This stunning footage of Blue sharks was captured off the coast of Britain by James Glancy the ‘Shark Week’ host who wants to raise awareness about the need to act now to halt the rapid decline of shark numbers all across the world.

Glancy, a former British Royal Marines Commando turned television presenter and conservationist, captured the footage of the blue sharks (Prionace glauca) of the coast of Plymouth.

The blue sharks seen in the footage cruising past James and his camera primarily feed on small fish and squid and reach a length of up to 3-metres (9.8 feet).

A photo of James Glancy in South Africa. (@jaglancy/Newsflash)

This migratory shark species travels astonishing distances, often migrating upwards of 9,100 kilometres (5,654 miles).

James, who hosta the Discovery channel’s ‘Shark Week’, told Newsflash that sharks have spent decades being demonized because they are a mysterious predator that lives deep in the ocean.

He added: “But in reality, it’s very clear to us now that sharks have more to fear from humans than the other way around.”

A photo of James Glancy in Andros, Bahamas. (@jaglancy/Newsflash)

Every year humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks for their fins, skin, oil and indirectly due to fishing nets indiscriminately trapping sharks as ‘by-catch’.

James explained that humans are slowly driving shark species towards extinction with some species having declined by 90 per cent already.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that 75 per cent of all shark species qualify as in danger of extinction.

A photo of a shark by James Glancy in Florida, USA. (@jaglancy/Newsflash)

James described the situation as “disgraceful” and said that the most important thing we can do is reduce our fish consumption which is driving industrial fishing.

He says that without a rapid turnaround in the way that we treat our oceans and the marine life that calls it home, we will push countless more species to extinction in the near future.

One of James’ previous projects involved filming a series with Bear Grylls in Germany and the Bahamas.

A photo of a shark by James Glancy in Bimini, Bahamas. (@jaglancy/Newsflash)

During the filming, he captured footage of bull, tiger and hammerhead sharks which are all top ocean predators.

He described getting up close and personal with the powerful predators as an incredible experience, and he hopes that his films will encourage more people to take the plunge and get a closer look at these misrepresented animals.