Everything Ocean Podcast

Dan OConnell
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Leisure
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Everything Ocean Podcast, powered by Boardsox. This is a podcast dedicated to the people whose lives are shaped by the ocean. From marine biologists and ocean innovators to big-wave surfers, sailors, spearfishers and everyone in between, we explore their stories, knowledge and unique connection to the sea. Through these conversations, we hope to share the ocean’s power to inspire, challenge and transform our lives—and remind people why it’s so important .

  1. Sep 25

    Shark Chat 5: He Helped Save His Mate after he had been inside of a Great White's Mouth. Then He Built Shark Eyes.

    This week on Everything Ocean, I sit down with Shanan, who grew up fishing, diving, surfing and shell collecting around Esperance, WA, before becoming a commercial abalone diver as a teenager. We talk about growing up in that remote pocket of Australia, buying a 21-foot boat with twin 85s at 16 without a licence, learning to tow surf and spending years diving in shark-heavy waters. Shanan then recounts the 2013 day fellow abalone diver Greg Pickering was attacked by a great white near Esperance, including the hours-long rescue mission to get him help. Greg survived and still dives today. Shanan also opens up about the mental-health toll of the attack, another close encounter and the later death of his friend Chris Boyd. Those experiences led him to create Shark Eyes—a low-cost, non-invasive shark deterrent using eye-spot stickers and the principle that predators rely on surprise. We discuss the theory behind it, the Botswana “eye-cow” study and Shanan’s views on drone programs, drum lines, shark tagging and changing white shark behaviour. Content note: This episode includes a graphic account of a shark-attack injury. The person involved survived and is doing well today. Shark Eyes: https://www.sharkeyesglobal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sharkeyesglobal/ Boardsox: https://www.boardsox.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/boardsox/ Surf coaching and tours: https://www.deewhysaltysurfschool.com.au/ https://www.saltysafaris.com.au/ Got a guest we should talk to? Drop them in the comments. Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro 0:20 — Growing up in Esperance 1:50 — Leaving school at 15 and buying a boat at 16 4:40 — Spearfishing, scuba and the Esperance Archipelago 7:00 — Discovering big-wave and tow surfing 11:00 — Learning to tow in Tasmania and King Island 16:00 — Starting commercial abalone diving 19:20 — First great white encounter at 15 20:00 — Why white shark encounters feel different 20:15 — Greg Pickering’s 2013 shark attack (graphic detail) 25:00 — The improvised, hours-long rescue 28:30 — Greg’s survival and return to commercial diving 30:00 — The mental-health toll and Chris Boyd’s fatal attack 34:00 — Heather finds Shanan gluing eyes onto a wetsuit 38:30 — Eye spots, biomimicry and the element of surprise 39:00 — Professor Neil Jordan’s “eye-cow” study 43:00 — Building Shark Eyes into a business 47:00 — Testing, formal proof and government pushback 50:00 — The upcoming Shark Eyes documentary 53:00 — Shark drones, alerts and public complacency 55:30 — WA’s lethal and “smart” drum-line programs 58:00 — Do great whites learn to target people? 60:00 — Shark tagging and possible behavioural changes 63:30 — Don’t live in fear: get educated and prepared 65:00 — Where to find Shark Eyes and outro

  2. Sep 14

    Ep 6: Grant Williams (Surfing With Grant) - Surf Coaching Series

    Grant Williams (@surfingwithgrant) is a surf coach, retreat host and one of the most relatable surf content creators going around. In this episode we break down the real progression path from beginner to advanced — why almost everyone drops to a smaller board too early, the one paddling "cheat code" that fixes half your surfing, and how to actually manage fear when the waves get bigger. Grant also opens up on the early, cringe-worthy days of building an audience and why he stopped caring what the haters think.

  3. Sep 4

    Shark Chat Ep. 4: Mike Psillakis on Losing His Twin Brother, and helping to build the NSW Drone Program

    Mike Psillakis is a Northern Beaches surfboard shaper whose twin brother Mercury was killed by a white shark at Dee Why, the first fatal shark attack on Sydney's northern beaches in around 80 years. I was working at Dee Why Beach that day. We talk about growing up together, the connection twins share, the day everything changed, and how Mike and his family turned grief into action, becoming a driving force behind the NSW drone shark-spotting program with Surfing NSW and the state government. We also get into why shark activity along the coast has shifted, bull sharks vs great whites, what's actually working to keep people safer, and Mike's take on where shark mitigation should go next. Content note: this episode discusses a fatal shark attack and grief. Boardsox: ocean-first apparel and boardsox. https://boardsox.com.au/ Surf coaching: Dee Why Salty Surf School / Salty Safaris. https://www.deewhysaltysurfschool.com.au/ https://www.saltysafaris.com.au/ Got a guest we should talk to? Reach out via socials or email.

  4. Aug 21

    Sydney Shark Chat Ep 3 with Dr Robert Harcourt (Who's Tracked Them for 40 Years)

    Sydney has had a run of shark bites over the past six months, and the headlines — and social media — have been loud about it. So we sat down with someone who actually has the data. Dr. Robert Harcourt is an Emeritus Professor at Macquarie University and leads Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) animal tracking facility — a federally funded program that has tagged and tracked 180 species of fish, including every dangerous shark species in Australian waters, for the past 20 years. He's also a lifelong surfer and diver who's in the water most days. In this episode we cover: Why the "bull sharks are exploding in numbers" narrative doesn't hold up against 20 years of tagging dataThe vested interests behind some of the loudest voices in the shark conversationWhy you're statistically far more likely to drown than to be bitten by a shark — and why that doesn't make the fear irrationalThe dawn-and-dusk hunting myth (it's wrong)Bull sharks vs. tiger sharks vs. white sharks — how to tell them apart by behaviour and seasonShark nets vs. smart drumlines vs. AI-powered drones — what actually works, and what doesn'tThe real history behind Sydney's shark net program (Coogee and Malabar in the 1930s)Why the ocean is warming faster than models predicted, and what that means for the East CoastA genuinely hopeful stat: humpback whale numbers off Australia's East Coast have gone from ~500 to ~50,000 since whaling was bannedRob's rule of thumb after 40 years in and around the ocean: "If it feels sharky, get out. You can always surf another day." 🎙️ Follow Everything Ocean for more conversations on the science, stories, and people behind our relationship with the sea. 🏄 Boardsox — boardsox.com 🏄 Surf coaching — DIY Salty Surf School / Salty Safari Surf Tours

  5. Aug 11

    Inside NSW's $120M Shark Drone Program w/ Steve Pearce, CEO Surf Life Saving NSW

    We sat down with Steve Pearce, CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, to get the full picture on the state's $120 million shark drone surveillance program — the largest drone shark-spotting operation in the world. Steve has spent 37+ years across fire and rescue and NSW State Emergency Service, and now leads an organisation of 76,000+ volunteers and members. He breaks down exactly how the drone program works, what triggers a beach closure, and the surprising side of this technology that's already saved four lives — and it's not about sharks. Topics covered: the scale-up to 500,000 drone flights a year, the real protocol when a shark is spotted, AI cameras saving rock fishermen at Little Bay and Malabar, busting the shark net myth, and what this all means for nippers and beach culture heading into summer. 🎧 New episodes of Everything Ocean every week. Follow the show and leave a rating if you enjoy it — it genuinely helps.

  6. Aug 7

    Why Shark Attacks Are Spiking in Sydney — Dr Mcphee Marine Biologist Explains

    Sydney just had one of its worst years on record for fatal shark bites. Marine biologist Dr Daryl McPhee joins the show to unpack what's really driving it — and what actually works to stop it. We cover: the real long-term bite trend data since 1980, why bull sharks spike after 45mm of rain, why white sharks follow baitfish schools, whether shark nets and culling actually reduce bites, how smart drum lines differ from traditional ones, and which personal shark deterrents (Shark Shield, shark bands, shark-eye stickers, shark-proof wetsuits) are backed by real testing versus marketing claims. Whether you surf, swim, or just want to understand the science behind the headlines, this is the most detailed shark-safety conversation you'll hear this year. Key topics: shark attack statistics, bull sharks vs white sharks, shark nets and drum lines, the NSW $120M drone program, shark culling debate, Reunion Island shark cull, personal shark deterrents. Everything Ocean Podcast (formerly Oceans Matter) — conversations with marine biologists, surfers, adventurers and ocean-impact organisations.

  7. Jul 29

    El Niño Is Coming — What It Means for Your Summer Surf | Felix Levesque (Weatherzone)

    Everything Ocean Podcast is back — relaunching with a look at the El Niño headed for Australia this spring and summer. In this episode, Dan sits down with Felix Levesque, meteorologist at Weatherzone, to unpack the strong (possibly "super") El Niño now forecast: what it actually means for surf conditions, water temps, and bushfire risk, and where the media hype gets it wrong. They cover why this El Niño means smaller, cleaner south swells for the east coast but pumping surf for California and Hawaii, the viral claim that El Niño will "release 500 years of stored ocean energy" (fact-checked), the ocean as the "battery" behind storms and heatwaves, and the unsettling link between warming water, bull sharks, and jellyfish turning up further south than usual. Felix closes with one honest forecast for the season — and one piece of media hype to ignore. Got a guest recommendation? Send it through, link in show notes.

  8. 08/14/2023

    S2 - EPISODE 9 ZAC DURYEA & JACK VITNELL (PHYCOLOGIC)

    Join us on this exciting episode of The Oceans Matter Podcast as we dive deep into the world of innovation and sustainability. Meet Zac Duryea and Jack Vitnell, the Co-Founders of Phycologic, a remarkable bio-tech startup that's harnessing the incredible photosynthetic abilities of marine macroalgae to revolutionize indoor spaces and bring a breath of fresh air. My first encounter with Zac started years ago during a memorable surfing expedition in South Sumatra. A fearless heavy water enthusiast, riding big boards and conquering even the most challenging slabs along New South Wales' coastline by board and by body. Co-Founder Jack shares the same adventurous spirit. A true waterman and an exceptional rock climber, Jack's passion for the elements is undeniable. Discover the inspiring story behind their flagship product, the Seatree—a unique creation crafted from marine algae. Seatree is transforming indoor air quality, indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. Zac and Jack are offering a solution that not only enhances indoor spaces but also promotes cleaner, healthier living and presents as a memorizing display .

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About

Welcome to the Everything Ocean Podcast, powered by Boardsox. This is a podcast dedicated to the people whose lives are shaped by the ocean. From marine biologists and ocean innovators to big-wave surfers, sailors, spearfishers and everyone in between, we explore their stories, knowledge and unique connection to the sea. Through these conversations, we hope to share the ocean’s power to inspire, challenge and transform our lives—and remind people why it’s so important .

Information

  • Creator
    Dan OConnell
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dan OConnell
  • Show Website
    Everything Ocean Podcast

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