Riley Elliott Instagram – I didn’t create a shark app to try and scare surfers. I created it because I am a surfer. I was afraid of sharks as a surfer. It’s easy to be a tough guy and think a good shark is a dead shark, from the safety of a boat. But try acting like that sitting on a polystyrene board, chest deep in the sharks’ domain. My thoughts were either stick with ignorance is bliss and just walk blind in the savannahs, so to speak. Or learn what a shark is, how they behave, when and where they are dangerous and apply this info out of respect to this capable predator, given I am literally playing in its hunting ground. Choosing the latter has taken me all around the world. I’ve dived with almost every single large shark species and I am still here. But I am still afraid of sharks. And it’s ok to be afraid of an apex predator. You should be. It’s natural instinct. How we react to fear is the important thing. Malice is wrong and short lived and generally only possible from cowards on a boat. Respectfully informed and accepting of self instigated risk is the reality surfers should take, and most do. The Great White app may be scary to some, but I guarantee you that in the long run, knowing what’s out there is more beneficial to you and those animals. I think it’s important to walk the talk in this day and age. I love to surf and I love learning about sharks. I have had nothing but positive feedback about the Great White tracking. I see it as similar to a ski slope, where you are provided with information about risk and then you choose where to go play. How do you feel about it? Images by @jimagesnz