In this episode of the Shark Trust Podcast, host Mark Stokes-Packer is joined by Tom Hird, but you might know him as The Blowfish or just "Fish". "Fish" is a marine biologist, wildlife presenter, science communicator, presenter of Netflix’s All the Sharks, and quite possibly the world’s only heavy metal marine biologist.

Fish shares how a childhood fear of Great Whites sparked a lifelong fascination, how he found his way into science communication, and why he has made it his mission to tell shark stories in a way that reaches beyond traditional wildlife audiences.

We talk about his journey from school talks and Shark Trust videos to Blue Peter, Shark Week, Netflix and beyond. We also dig into All the Sharks and how it helped showcase the huge diversity of sharks, rays and lesser-known species that rarely get time on screen.

Along the way, we cover heavy metal experiments with sharks, the importance of making science accessible, unforgettable dives, the joy from seeing sharks, and why conservation needs more voices, more stories and more ways to connect people with the ocean.

This episode is part of our Living with Sharks series, exploring coexistence and what it means to share the ocean with sharks now and in the future! 

Useful links:

• Find Tom 'The Blowfish' Hird online: theblowfish.co.uk
• Follow Tom on Instagram: @bigpoppablowfish
• Watch the series All the Sharks on Netflix

Learn more about the Shark Trust: sharktrust.org and how you can support our conservation work! 

Thank you to SurfEars for supporting this series. If you surf, dive, swim or spend time in cold water, protect your ears.

Thank you to Rev.01 Studio for the Shark Trust Podcast artwork.

Recording by Louis Hogan.
Editing by Mark Stokes-Packer.
Research and planning for this series by Cat Gordon and Mark Stokes-Packer.
Hosted by Mark Stokes-Packer.

Thank you for listening to the Shark Trust Podcast!