Award-winning documentarian, director of Sharkwater, and conservationist, Rob Stewart, mysteriously disappeared after a deep dive off the coast of Key Largo on Tuesday, January 31.
Over the course of 72 hours, Coast Guard rescue teams, volunteer dive crews, and even Richard Branson’s private helicopter scoured the ocean. A GoFundMe page was launched to support search efforts as well. On Friday, February 3, shortly after the search for Stewart was suspended, divers found his body on the bottom of the ocean floor.
Rob was last seen at the surface of the water after a deep dive using a rebreather in search of the elusive and shy Sawfish. His dive partner, Peter Sotis, reportedly blacked out after climbing back into the boat and amidst the commotion of aiding Sotis, Rob, still in the water and despite having flashed the OK sign, likely suffered the same fate, sadly drifting away without watchful eyes.
Outside Online published a detailed obituary, the wonderfully inspiring story of Rob Stewart, and it is well worth the read. The article covers everything from his upbringing and how he discovered his passion for conservation, to the creation of Sharkwater, and the events leading up to his untimely passing. The oceans have lost a champion.
Though best known for his films and actions pertaining to the protection and preservation of sharks, Rob took aim and solving a much greater crisis. That of global conservation, and saving the oceans in order to save human life. His most notable effort on this grander scale is seen in his 2015 film Revolution.
Revolution tells the 3.7 billion year tale of the evolution of life on this planet and addresses the greatest risks to species, including humans, faced today.
REVOLUTION TRAILER
Rent or buy Revolution on Vimeo today.
Rob had as of September 18, 2016, successfully raised funds to begin production on the Sharkwater sequel, Sharkwater Extinction.
“Rob Stewart’s newest documentary takes him on a dangerous quest to find 80 million missing sharks, revealing a multi billion-dollar scandal that implicates us all in the greatest wildlife massacre ever known.”
This story would go beyond exposing the cruelty of finning and addressed a deeper, more complicated issue in that more than half the sharks killed annually are unaccounted for, and there is a shocking truth as to where those sharks end up in our daily lives. We will await updates as to the fate of Sharkwater Extinction, and if Rob had completed enough of the film for his team to carry it through production and release.
In 2013, Stewart released his acclaimed and influential documentary, Sharkwater, to Vimeo for educational purposes. The film received over 40 international awards, and due in part to its release as well as Rob’s work with the Fin Free organization, the global trade in shark finning has been reduced by a third over the last decade.
In honor of Rob’s memory and inspiring life work, please take the time to watch the film. It may change the way you feel about these misunderstood “monsters” of the deep, and if you feel so compelled, the movement awaits at finfree.org.
Rob Stewart was just 37 years old.
SHARKWATER FULL DOCUMENTARY
Great blog you have here.. It’s difficult to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. So sad about Rob…
Take care!!