Reports of shark sightings on beaches in recent years is inspiring the project.
A clone of the fishing boat from the film Jaws is getting another shot at fixing its reputation in the ocean. The Orca will soon hit the waters of New England, but this time around its mission isn’t to hunt sharks.
It’s actually to help save them.
A group of ocean advocates and movie fans are transforming an old lobster fishing boat into a replica of the Orca. The work is also taking place on Martha’s Vineyard, where Steven Spielberg shot the blockbuster movie in the 1970s.
This occasion, however, doesn’t call for a bigger boat.
David Bigelow, who acquired the craft and is heading up the project. When finished, he said, "Orca III will be used as an educational tool to help the public understand sharks and as a research vessel for scientists." The boat will be called Orca III because there were actually two vessels in “Jaws” — Orca and Orca II.
Bigelow also appeared as an extra in Jaws, so the project holds a special place in his heart. His drama teacher Lee Fierro, who recently passed away, also played the mother of a shark attack victim in the film.
So why is he so devoted to the project? Reports of shark sightings on some New England beaches in recent years is inspiring Bigelow to tackle the mission.
“The need to educate people about the new ecosystem we’re living in, because of climate change and the seal population, is probably our only defense,” Bigelow told the Associated Press, referring to increased shark sightings. “We have basically taken on this role where the boat is going to be used for education.”
Bigelow also said that he thinks the retrofitting work can be completed soon and that the boat can start helping people study sharks by Spring 2020.
The conservation group Beneath The Waves has signed on to use the new Orca on expeditions. The group’s board of directors includes Wendy Benchley, widow of Peter Benchley, who wrote the 1974 novel on which the movie is based.
“The return of the Orca is a celebration for the fans of Jaws, as well as an exciting new resource in the pursuit of a greater understanding about our oceans and the life teeming in it,” she said.
By Matthew Sterner
