Top shark photographers Amos Nachoum and Michael Aw lead the billing at Shark Day 2008. The conference examines the interactions between divers and sharks and shows how recreational divers can become personally involved in shark research and protection as well as presenting some breathtaking underwater photography. Amos Nachoum will make two presentations, first showcasing the very best of his great white shark portfolio shot over a quarter century. Amos will conclude with a special one-man show of his life and times shooting big animals underwater: anaconda, polar bears and blue whales are just three of his star subjects. Michael Aw will show how underwater photographers can help bring public opinion and political pressure to the aid of sharks in a talk that will be fascinating and thought provoking. James Lea, from Save Our Seas, will discuss some of his ongoing research into silky, lemon and tiger sharks. Blue O'Two will explain their findings on white tip oceanics and discuss how sport divers can become involved themselves. Trustee of The Shark Trust, Grant Bates, will be talking shark biology, helping us to better understand the animal itself. Rae Sadler will recount his experiences as a recreational diver joining a research vessel in the Coral Sea to work with tropical sharks. Chris Walter will describe his personal top five shark encounters from around the world, combining his own great stills photography with partner Anna Lawrences' stunning video footage. The Shark Day master of ceremonies will be Andrew Pugsley, a presenter for the Underwater Channel and shark diving veteran.

The event takes place November 8th in the Queen's House at the National Maritime Museum. 10:00 to 19:00.

Tickets cost £75.00.

To register you must email sharkdaylondon@googlemail.com and include a contact telephone number. Mark and Steve will be in Tanzania shooting for the Ocean Optics Digital Compact Underwater Photography Course for the remainder of October. They will call you for payment in the first few days of November. You are asked to arrange your own refreshments as we are running this event on a very tight budget! The Maritime Museum has several excellent cafes. Please don't hang around with your bookings - there are just fifty places at Shark Day 2008.

We're looking forward to seeing you there.....

Shark Day Update:

We have fantastic news about Shark Day 2008... Chris Walter has joined our speakers at Shark Day. Chris will be talking about the visceral thrill we all get when observing and filming these magical animals. Chris and Anna Lawrence, his partner, have photographed and videoed sharks around the world. Chris will run through his top five shark encounters, covering:

• Whale sharks in Galapagos
• Schooling hammerheads in Cocos
• Great Whites in Guadalupe
• Tiger sharks in South Africa
• White tips feeding at night in Cocos

Combining his wonderful stills images with Anna's exhilarating video footage; this is going to be a great divers and sharks presentation.

Michael Aw, the conservationist, expedition leader, publisher, author and award winning underwater film maker and photographer has joined our presenters for Shark Day. Michael will be very well known to many of our underwater photography clients from his many books, including two superb guides to underwater digital photography and a series of wonderful portfolio anthologies including Beneath Bunaken, Beneath North Sulawasea and Dreams From A Rainbowed Sea. He is a two-time speaker and great supporter of our Visions in the Sea underwater photography festival.

Michael has more than 20,000 published images to his credit, founded the OceanNEnvironment charity and created the Celebrate the Sea Festival. He is retracing Shackleton's expedition with his own Elyssium Project in 2010.

Michael will be explaining how underwater photographers can actively be a force for shark conservation. He'll be homing in on the threat to sharks and coupled with his wonderful photographs will also be powerful images to remind us how badly sharks need our protection. This will be a thought - and action - provoking presentation.

Read more about Michael's work...

Shark Day will be held at the Queens House, in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. We'd like to emphasise that this is quite an informal event. Only 50 places are available. We have to run this to a very tight budget. So, we're asking you, respectfully, to look after your own lunches and refreshments! The Maritime Museum has good cafes.

The day starts at 10:00 and will go on until around 19:00.

Mark and I will be in Tanzania, as you know, for much of October, so please make your bookings through Gill McDonald by email. Mark or I will contact you for payment by phone during the first few days of November. Gill is one of the organisers of Visions, and represents Michael Aw in the UK as well as being a writer for his Oceans Geographic Magazine. Gill is also working with The Underwater Channel and produces In Focus, the British Society of Underwater Photographer's magazine. To book through Gill email sharkdaylondon@googlemail.com. Please include your telephone number.

Shark Day tickets are £75.00.

See also:

• Shark Day 2007
• Shark Day 2007: post-event write up
• Mavericks Newsletter 2008 - including Shark Day info