Paul de Gelder, a former Australian Navy diver who lost his right hand and leg in a 2009 bull shark attack, is using his platform to promote shark conservation during Discovery Channel's Shark Week.
He appears in three specials this year: "Invasion of the Mega Sharks," "Bull Shark Dinner Bell," and "Ultimate Shark Dive."
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Shark Week Specials
"Invasion of the Mega Sharks" features a mission to track a massive great white shark nicknamed "Big Rose."
In "Bull Shark Dinner Bell," de Gelder investigates bull shark behavior in Florida's Jupiter area to understand what triggers confrontations with humans.
"Ultimate Shark Dive" includes a daring dive by world-class high diver Molly Carlson, who jumps from a helicopter into shark-infested waters.
De Gelder described the lineup as "edutainment," blending education, entertainment, adventure, and science.
From Attack to Advocacy
Reflecting on his attack, de Gelder admitted he once hated sharks. "I spent so much time in the water with the Navy as a diver.
I just thought, let's just kill them all," he said.
He now says he does not blame the shark, recognizing it acted naturally, and noted he chose a risky lifestyle.
"At least this way, I got a cool story out of it, and it was at work, so the military pays for all my prosthetics," he added.
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After the attack, de Gelder resumed diving and became a media expert on shark incidents. Researching sharks, he realized they are more threatened by humans than vice versa.
