In 2023, Brett Burcher had a close encounter with a Great White Shark while surfing at his local beach in Forster, NSW. The entire incident was captured on drone, in clear blue water, from directly above. He was a new father with a three month old daughter at the time.
That moment became the catalyst for Crossing the Tideline, a podcast sitting right at the line where certainty gives way to unpredictability, and where most of us, despite the risks, keep choosing to step in.
Right now it has never been a more complex time to be an ocean user in Australia. Sightings, encounters and near misses are common. Conflicting theories, limited data, sensationalism and reactionary commentary leave coastal communities feeling confused, scared and frustrated. The car park chats are happening everywhere. This podcast is a series of those conversations, with people who occupy those same car parks but who also spend a lot of time learning, researching, responding to and living with shark related risk.
Brett speaks with shark attack survivors, families of fatal attack victims, scientists, conservationists, first responders, policymakers, First Nations custodians, swimmers, surfers, mitigation experts and community members from a range of countries, coastlines and communities.
The goal is simple. Better information, clearer thinking, calmer responses. So we can all make more informed decisions in and around the ocean.
Crossing the Tideline is also a companion to an observational documentary of the same name, currently in production with Stitch Films & Regen Studios. Distributed by Madman Entertainment.