Jim Abernethy
#364,531 Most Popular
About
Conservationist, underwater photographer and filmmaker, and activist known for promoting the protection of sharks and other marine wildlife, for pioneering cage-free encounters with large predatory sharks, and for spending more than four decades leading wildlife and photography expeditions. He is also known for being the founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization WildlifeVOIC and for sharing content on Instagram.
Before fame
He earned his open water scuba certification when he was 12 years old and eventually earned a degree in business management before becoming a scuba instructor and licensed boat captain. He began operating shark diving trips during the 1980s and eventually established Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. He founded the nonprofit WildlifeVOICE in 2014.
Trivia
He received the Eleanor Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award from Loggerhead Marinelife Center in 2011 for his work in shark conservation. He has appeared in productions including This Is Your Ocean: Sharks, Netflix's Tales by Light, IMAX's Deep Sea 3D, BBC's Tiger King, Sharks of North America, and Sharks, My Love.
Family life
He grew up on the beach at Singer Island in Florida and developed an interest in ocean wildlife from a young age.
Associated with
He appeared alongside Guy Harvey in the 2011 documentary This Is Your Ocean: Sharks.
