A marine biologist and shark advocate, David McGuire founded the Ocean Health and Shark Conservation non-profit, Shark Stewards, 20 years ago. It’s dedicated to saving sharks and protecting critical marine habitat.
Among his numerous accomplishments:
- He has participated in trans-oceanic sailing and scientific diving expeditions with scientists, filmmakers and the California Academy of Sciences researchers, communicating the wonders of the natural world, ocean life, and the need to protect them, including a two-month biodiversity expedition to the Philippines.
- He’s the writer, producer and underwater cinematographer of several award-winning documentaries focusing on sharks.
- He’s received numerous awards for his work, including an award in Journalism with KQED for the investigative story “Sea Horse Sleuth”, the 2011 Hero of Marin Environmental Stewardship Award, and an Emmy for his work on the documentary, “Reefs to Rainforests.”
- He’s published many articles on the state of the ocean and sharks including a National Geographic Explorers column on sharks and ocean adventure.
- An ocean adventurer and athlete, David has competed in numerous endurance events including 7 trans Pacific Yacht Races, Hawaii Ironman, and he is an open water marathon swimmer, swimming for sharks.
- Current projects include an adventure film on conservation, diving with Hawaiian sharks, and a
book on California sharks, rays and sanctuaries.
David said, “It’s incumbent that we share the ocean with the next generation. Take your kids diving. Being in the water with sharks is like seeing a god, but they’re the most at-risk group of animals in the world.”
Some threats:
- 80-100 million sharks and rays are killed per year for the wildlife trade.
- 71% of oceanic sharks and rays are gone.
- There’s been more than a 50% loss of habitat.
- 335 species are threatened with extinction.
David McGuire’s presentation at the Marin Scuba Club on February 11, 2026
David McGuire
David is the Founder and Director of the shark and marine conservation nonprofit “Shark Stewards”, a non-profit dedicated to protecting sharks from overfishing and the wildlife trade, and protecting critical marine habitat through regulation and policy.
Links:
Shark Stewards
