Sharks in the City

A tale of two cities, filmmaker Jason Markland's Sharks in the City offers a reality-TV-style look at the growing number of sharks invading the neighborhoods of Australia's Gold Coast and Corpus Christi in Texas. As the documentary alternates between each place, viewers learn about rising bull shark attacks (resulting in some fatalities) in suburban areas, as well as possible underlying reasons. It turns out that both cities have fairly recently built extensive canals that run through bedroom communities and resort areas—waterways that connect with rivers and, ultimately, the ocean. As the fish that sharks routinely feed upon move closer to where people live, sharks (some up to 12 feet) inevitably follow, bringing them much nearer to human prey. As a result, going in the water has become more hazardous. Much of the documentary focuses on research efforts to track the movements of sharks in these canals and rivers, leading to alarming discoveries. In one dramatic scene, an Australian scientist realizes just how smart a particular shark—tagged with a transmitter—is as he follows the beast's signal as it travels beneath boats and even swims right below where children are playing on a dock. Meanwhile, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, an annual “Sharkathon” finds expert fishers collaborating with researchers on reeling in, tagging, and releasing sharks. Solutions appear to be elusive, while officials seem to be largely resigned to the situation. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)