HOW JAWS CHANGED THE WORLD

Updated for 2025 with a new voice over to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cultural phenomenon Jaws!

"Well, this is not a boat accident! And it wasn't any propeller, and it wasn't any coral reef, and it wasn't Jack the Ripper! It was a shark!" 

50 years ago in the summer of 1975, the movie Jaws made the Great White Shark famous. The theme tune alone was enough to make people think twice about going swimming in the sea! Sharks became the epitome of evil. They were mercilessly hunted and slaughtered, causing great damage to marine ecosystems. However, as the years passed, Jaw’s legacy has become far more positive: It inspired a whole new generation of shark enthusiasts.

Nearly 40 years after the film’s premiere, scientists, shark attack victims, divers, hunters and conservationists came together to tell the amazing story of how Jaws led to a new and more respectful relationship between humans and sharks. We trace the impact of Steven Spielberg's Hollywood blockbuster: from igniting widespread panic to inspiring ground-breaking advances in oceanic research.