1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: James and Amanda jam Nation. 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 2: Well, my next guest is a former Australian Navy diver 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 2: who feared only two things in life sharks in public speaking, 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 2: But after losing part of his arm and leg and 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 2: a shark attack during a routine military exercise, he became 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 2: the two things that he feared. A motivational speaker and 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 2: a shark advocate. Who better to talk about Shark Week 8 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 2: than the man who knows how to survive a shark attack? 9 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: Paul de Gelder, Hello. 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 3: Hello, Paul. 11 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: Good guys. 12 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: Would you have imagined, years ago, before your close up 13 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 2: and personal incident with a shark, that you would have 14 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 2: been a shark advocate hosting Shark Week? 15 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely not. I hated sharks. 16 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 4: I just thought if we killed them all, then we 17 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 4: could just swim free and clear in the ocean and 18 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 4: not have to worry about getting eaten. 19 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: But you know, that was. 20 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 4: Living in ignorance, and as all things, knowledge to spells fear. 21 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 4: And after the shark attack, because I guess I'd never 22 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 4: blamed the shark, and the media kind of lashed onto 23 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 4: the pluses. You know, my recovery was quite awesome, I 24 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 4: would like to think, and so the media would come 25 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 4: to me with all these questions after shark interactions and 26 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 4: ask me what I thought about it, and why a 27 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 4: shark attacking people and how do we stay safe? 28 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: And I had no idea. 29 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 4: And so I thought, well, you know what, I'd better 30 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 4: learn about this so I could give an educated opinion 31 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 4: instead of just an opinion, which we have so much 32 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 4: on social media these days. 33 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: It must be hard, though, because you lost your leg 34 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 3: and your arm or part of your leg in your arm. 35 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 3: What went first? What was the first thing that the 36 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 3: shark munched into? 37 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: Oh, Brendon, do you mind talking like I'm sorry? 38 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: I have It's all good, It's all good. 39 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 4: I've been doing this speaking job for years and years, 40 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,199 Speaker 4: and so you know, I take great pride in being 41 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 4: able to have survived such a horrific thing. And you know, 42 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 4: I take the surgery photos and the actual footage of 43 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 4: the attack around when I do these presentations, and I've 44 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 4: had seventy people pass out in my audiences over the years, 45 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 4: so I've had to dial it back a little bit. 46 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: So no, I have no qualms. But it was all 47 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: in one bite. Wow, it grabbed me. 48 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 4: So I was on the surface on my back, kicking 49 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 4: my legs moving from point A to point B, and 50 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 4: the bull shark came up from underneath me and I 51 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 4: had my hand by my side, so it got all 52 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 4: of my hamstring and my right hand in the same bite. 53 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: Wow, you said that since that accident that you have 54 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,399 Speaker 2: far more knowledge and empathy for the shark. Do other 55 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 2: shark attack victims feel the same? Do you know how 56 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 2: many turn like you to shark protection. 57 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 4: I think a lot of them do, And I think 58 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 4: partially the reason for that is the people that are 59 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 4: being bitten by sharks, they're people that love the ocean, 60 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 4: and we have to understand that the ocean is a 61 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 4: wild place. It's not your backyard swimming pool. If you 62 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 4: want to be safe from sharks. Is a really easy 63 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 4: way not to be bitten by a shark, just you 64 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 4: don't go in the ocean. But for those of us 65 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 4: that do, it's like an unwritten waiver. You understand that 66 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 4: there are dangerous animals out there, especially around our beautiful coastline. 67 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 4: You know, we've got two of the world's deadliest jellyfish, 68 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 4: we've got the world's deadliest occopus. Apparently stingrays can kill 69 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 4: you now, and we've got sharks and so you know, 70 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 4: I think most people that do get bitten ocean loving people, 71 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 4: and they understand it wasn't malicious. It was just wrong place, 72 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 4: wrong time. But there are ways that we can mitigate 73 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 4: those risks as well. 74 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: And how do you. 75 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 3: Other than not swimming in the ocean. But say I'm 76 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 3: in the water and a bull shark comes up to me, 77 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 3: what do you do? 78 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 4: The very complex situation depends on a lot of variables, 79 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 4: whether you're diving, whether you're swimming, whether you're on a surfboard, 80 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 4: whether you're waiting the I guess the best way would 81 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 4: just be, against all natural instinct, stay calm, do not 82 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 4: thrash around. If you have goggles or a mask on, 83 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 4: you always keep your eyes on the shark because sharks 84 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 4: know when you're looking at them, and more often than not, 85 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 4: if you look at them, they're not going to be 86 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 4: driven by that predatory instinct of the chase to come. 87 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: Up and grab you. And I've dived with you know, 88 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: I've been surrounded. 89 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 4: By four great whites that are at forty meters off the. 90 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: Coast of Western Australia without a cage. 91 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 4: I've been in the water with seven to ten giant 92 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 4: tiger sharks, thirty bull sharks. And this works like We've 93 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 4: done experiments whereby I will face the other direction and 94 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 4: a tiger shark will be coming behind me, sneaking up, 95 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 4: and then I'll turn around when I get the radio call, 96 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 4: and I'll turn around and the shark's almost like embarrassed. 97 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: Oh mate, of. 98 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 4: Course, Oh, I wasn't going to do anything else, just 99 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 4: coming for a look. So you want to stay calm, 100 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 4: You want to keep your eyes on them, and you 101 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 4: want to get out of the water as fast as 102 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 4: you can without making too much of a splash. 103 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 2: Wow, that's quite the taste, Hey, Paul, we just want 104 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: to run a little cheste over them this morning. Wow. 105 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 4: Well, I actually did an experiment as well where we 106 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 4: drained a leader of my blood into a bag and 107 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 4: then I jumped off the back of the boat and 108 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 4: the Bahamas, surrounded by a tiger sharks, hung their heads 109 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 4: or bull sharks, and then I ripped the bag open. 110 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 4: I was engulfed in this plume of my own blood, 111 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 4: and the sharks did nothing. They weren't attracted to the blood. 112 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 4: There's different pH levels and bat levels and things like that. 113 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 4: Then they threw a bucket of fish blood into the water, 114 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 4: and I had to swim through that, and that was 115 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 4: a vastly different experience. 116 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 2: But do you have any post traumatic issues that you're 117 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: seeing your own blood swirl around you and there are 118 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: sharks in the water. 119 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 4: No, I don't think I do. You know, I've never 120 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 4: had nightmares, I've never had flashbacks. Whether I have PTSD 121 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 4: or not, that's I don't know. I feel like that's 122 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 4: a pretty hard question for someone who has it to 123 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 4: answer or someone who doesn't. I actually started thinking there 124 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 4: was something wrong with me because there wasn't something wrong 125 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 4: with me. 126 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 3: What's your favorite shark out of all the sharks? 127 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: Oh, it's like asking me what my favorite animal is. 128 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 4: I find them all miraculous in every way, from the big, 129 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 4: alien shaped hammerhead shark to the beautiful and cruisy, chill 130 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 4: tiger sharks, and then the aggression and majesty of the 131 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 4: great white all the way down to the weird and 132 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 4: beautiful like the ninja lantern sharks that glow and live 133 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 4: fifteen hundred meters below the surface. 134 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: So you know, I'm going to get a tiger shark 135 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 2: because I've got some rubbish I need to get rid of. 136 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 2: And it's so hard to just dump your. 137 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 3: Put it under a sink. It'll be like from the Flintstone. 138 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: Paul. 139 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 3: We can talk to you all day. 140 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: This is fascinating. 141 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 3: Paul to girl, and thank you for Johnny's. You can 142 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 3: stream or watch Shark Week from Sunday at seven thirty 143 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 3: on the Discovery Channel. 144 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: Paul, thank you for joining us. Cheers, guys, thanks for 145 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: having me.