Tonight on Sunday ` the man who loves sharks and why we should all love them. They're just stunning animals. Their teddy bear eyes. A merciless killing machine,... So, yeah, I love them. ...but the hunters are now the hunted. If sharks could scream, then there is no way this would be happening. So what's to scream about? MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, I am here tonight to tell you a very strange story. The biggest, most expensive puppets ever. (ROARS) Captions by Anne Langford. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Kia ora, I'm Miriama Kamo. Are you frightened of bees or being crushed by a fridge? Believe it or not, there's more chance of dying from these situations than being taken by a shark. So why do we fear sharks so much? Tonight, we take you on an awesome underwater adventure and meet a new breed of marine biologist who wants us to love sharks, stop the slaughter, and protect them. Pete Cronshaw reports, and by the way, some of the images could be challenging for some. What is it about sharks? They fascinate, amaze and intrigue us, but they also stir our primal fears and terrify us. We have about six fatal attacks a year across the globe. If you dressed up every single swimmer that gets in the water as a zebra and ran into the savannah in front of, you know, prides of lions, and only six got eaten, you'd be pretty bloody impressed with those stats. And that's the reality of how good sharks are at not eating people. They only stuff it up six times a year. So, I've just seen a nice blue shark approach the boat. Going to jump in the water and swim with it, just to make it's the appropriate size for the satellite tag. The thought of jumping into the water with a shark would make most of us shudder, but for Riley Elliott, life just doesn't get any better than this. They're just gorgeous animals. And the most gorgeous of all, according to Riley, is the blue shark. They're just stunning animals to see. Beautiful. They're puppy dogs. Their teddy-bear eyes. And they come up and you can play with them. And they always look like they've got a cheeky grin on them. So, yeah, I love them. To truly understand sharks, this marine biologist believes you have to confront them on their terms, in their territory. There's three golden rules to swimming with an animal, a shark, and that's eye contact, clear water and low heart rates. And that allows the shark to distinguish between you and what it may mistake as being another form of prey. By getting in the water, it shows people that these beautiful animals don't just come up and want to eat you, they're actually scared of you most of the time. All right, let's go get some sharks. It would be easy to dismiss Riley Elliott as a maverick, but he and film-maker Mike Bhana are on a serious mission. Nice and clear, anyway, mate. All good, eh? They want to rebrand sharks; give them a new friendlier image. So they're taking me to one of their favourite spots off the Coromandel coast. So, this is secret spot X? So, this is secret spot X? That's the one, mate. The plan is to put me in the water with a 2m blue shark so I can experience the joys of swimming with them in the wild. You really like getting in the water with them? Uh, it is what I love. I mean, look at this playground. How can you not? I can give you about a thousand reasons why not. They insist my fears are unfounded. I don't think we should be worried about the danger sharks are... are to us in NZ, but I think we should certainly be worried about the decline in numbers of sharks. When we first started making documentaries on sharks 20 years ago, we'd have berley in the water for a few minutes, and we'd have a number of sharks with us the entire day. Now it is very rare that we can go and do that. So where have they gone? So where have they gone? They've been killed. They've been hunted out. All around the world sharks are getting hammered. It's estimated 240 million are killed every year, predominantly just for their fins. And those fins are exported to Asia and used to make shark-fin soup. All of the information we have is telling us that the situation is not as bad as what we are hearing in some places. Scott Gallacher is charged with the task of making sure the NZ shark fishery is sustainable. What is your slogan? What is your slogan? Growing and protecting NZ. Are you doing that? Are you doing that? Absolutely. What most Kiwis don't realise is we are one of the world's major suppliers. It is barbaric. It is as bad as killing a rhino for its horn. These photos were taken in NZ waters. Shark finning is taking only that fin. The rest of that entire shark is thrown over, so less than 5% of the body weight of that animal is actually kept, and it has no nutritional value. It's just a horrible, horrible waste. I think if we were seeing that on a daily basis, if it was happening right there at our wharves, on our beaches, it would be very very different. Scenes of dolphin slaughter in Japan create an outcry of rage around the world, yet the continued slaughter of millions of sharks raises little opposition. I think if sharks could scream then there is no way this would be occurring. But the government insists this is a legitimate business. From my perspective, the government and the Ministry is absolutely focused on making sure NZ is a world leader when it comes to the conservation and long-term sustainability of shark species per se. But off the coast of NZ, there are troubling signs all is not well. Oh my God! It is not the blood-stained water or the sight of tons of skipjack tuna being hauled out of the sea that has Riley upset, but rather the absence of any sharks. That's insane. That net was kilometres across, kilometres deep, and 50 tons of skipjack is hundreds of thousands of fish which should have apex predators like sharks, marlin chasing them, and yet when they pulled it up there wasn't a single apex predator in that net. So the fact there were none scared you? Big time. It's almost like we've surpassed the point of decline, you know. We're not even at the point where we are getting hints of it. It is like we are on the downhill slope already. But the government remains unconvinced about anecdotal evidence like this. All the information we're seeing is that what is actually being brought out of the water in terms of blue shark, that is actually lower, and has been trending downwards in recent years. Doesn't logic suggest that might be because they're not there? Well, I think what we need to be aware of is exactly what is the information we're looking at. What if your information is wrong and they're not there? All the information we have and all of the stuff that we've got, indicate that we haven't got it wrong at the moment. Back off the Coromandel at secret spot X, the waiting game goes on, and on, and on. The sharks are nowhere to be seen. We put a chum slick nearly to Chile. I mean, it's huge. It's probably 20km long, and then we've got the berley trail going probably another 10km that way, so the amount of area we've covered and not have a single animal, is quite concerning. Depending on your point of view, this was either my lucky or unlucky day. I really wanted to see you in the water with them because it's that change from fear to awe and from fear to fascination that I love to see in people, and the instant you roll over the side, you realise this thing doesn't want to eat me; it is just coming up to see what is going on, and you can really enjoy the beauty that 400 million years of evolution has crafted, because they are stunning creatures. That one day, chumming as hard as we did, and not having a single shark of any species turn up ` it's shocking. The worst thing about it is, I know every NZer would share that thought with me if they were aware of it. And I guess that's what I'm trying to do is bring that awareness to people. After the break, we go in search of the poster boy of all sharks and ask the question, could they be worth more alive than dead? Ooh, you bastard! I hope you got that. (LAUGHS) e 400 million years of evolution has created the perfect killer. < What do you think when you see those images? < What do you think when you see those images? I think awesome, to be honest. I've never cheered harder when I've seen such a beautiful thing get eaten in such a way, because that is such an amazing event to see, not because I wanted the animal to die at all, but because if you've seen a great white jump 4m out of the water in a way that it has evolved to, it is something amazing to see. While most of us would prefer to watch from afar, Riley Elliott likes to get as close to the action as possible. Would you get in the water and swim with a great white? I've done it, and, uh, because it is the poster boy, the pin-up shark, the scariest of them all, it is awesome to tick that off your bucket list. It is that desire to tick things off the bucket list, that quest for adrenalin, that has turned these creatures into million-dollar attractions. Sharks are definitely worth more alive. There are other shark-watching operations around the world, and particularly in the Pacific, where those industries are worth millions of dollars every year. If you take those sharks out for a couple of hundred dollars for their fins, then you are foregoing that entire industry. Just hang on to that rope. Mike Haines is a pioneer of sorts. He is one of the few Kiwis cashing in on the world's fascination for sharks. If a shark is swimming past, don't try and touch it. We don't want the sharks getting used to human touch. Stewart Island is home to a healthy great white population. It is quite rare that we don't see a shark. They are one of the few species actually protected in NZ. < Are they increasing in numbers? I'd say they are. With the increase of the seals, you know. The two of them are linked together. Here he comes. Oh, there's two of them. Now they are starting to get clever. Fast, dangerous? You betcha! Ooh, you bastard. I hope you got that. (LAUGHS) It is impossible to get in the water without a healthy dose of apprehension. Nervous? Yeah, a little bit. Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? I wanted to do it in Australia, but I didn't get a chance, and when I heard you do it here, I was, like, 'Yay.' All around the world, people are paying big money to jump into a cage and get up close and personal with a big hungry shark. Never seen one before. Not seen a shark, so I want to face up to it. Closest I've been is 'Jaws' the movie. < Who bought your ticket? < Who bought your ticket? Yeah, my wife. < Your wife bought your ticket? < Your wife bought your ticket? Funnily, she checked on the life insurance before I come, so I don't know what's going on there. so I don't know what's going on there. < Mate, you're goosed. (LAUGHS) Love them, hate them, this really is a mind-blowing underwater experience. There really is nothing quite like staring a 4�m great white in the eye. I got to say, the cage is my friend. My very dear friend. I think they are worth more in this area in the water than what they were as a jaw sitting on a wall or in fin soup. Hmm. He's coming again. Mike Haines reckons if more species, like the great whites, are protected, then there will be more opportunities for shark tourism. In South Africa, it's a huge industry over there. In fact, it is South Africa's largest tourist industry. I'm not suggesting it ever will be here, but the thing is people want to do it; tourists want to do this sort of thing, and it adds a little extra to this region. Over the course of millions of years, sharks have survived everything Mother Nature has thrown at them, but man is proving their toughest opponent. Are they doomed? Are they doomed? That's a really good question. I hope not. It is a real worry. When you see the numbers of animals crashing, mako sharks, for instance, you see the catch rates at the game clubs have dropped as dramatically as 85% in the last 20 years in terms of numbers of animals being caught; so when you see a population decline as fast as we've seen, the chance of them bouncing back with every year becomes less and less. I'm very proud of the fact that NZ is and can continue to be a world leader in how we approach this, and it's on the back of good, credible, sound information. But that view isn't shared by Riley Elliott. And the race is now on to get the research, to get the facts, to try and save species like mako and blue sharks from disappearing altogether. It pisses me off. It is shocking, and it shouldn't be happening. Just going to place the sound tag on him. My study's the first study in the southern Pacific to look at blue sharks, where they go, how many there are, what they do, where are critical habitats. We know nothing about these animals, and yet we are fishing them at a ridiculous rate for a bowl of soup. Look at him go. Look at him go. Look at that tag ` beautifully out of the water. How would you feel if that blue shark was the last you ever saw? I'd be gutted, mate. I've spent my life working to this point, and I plan to spend the rest of my life doing it. And if I couldn't do it again, I'd be devastated, and I'd know that it is because of us that that happened. And that's a sad thing, and unless we do something about it, that's the reality. The government is working on a plan for the protection of sharks, but that may not mean an end to finning. From apex predators to anthropoids. There is a lot riding on the shoulders of this 1-ton silverback, because as the star of the show, he's got to put on a pretty convincing performance... (ROARS) (ROARS) Oh! It's one of the great love stories; a beauty, a beast and the greedy men who would bring him down. From the moment he entered the world, Kong Kong was legendary. Now Kong is born again in a Melbourne musical. MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here tonight to tell you a very strange story ` a story so strange that no one will believe it. Ladies and gentlemen, the eighth wonder of the world - Kong. (ROARS) The evolution of 'King Kong' is complete. Something monstrous. All-powerful. Lights! Cameras! Kong! 80 years since the original, he lives again in a musical, the most expensive puppet ever made. (ROARS) Holy mackerel. What a show! Come here and get a load of this! King Kong's newest adventure begins with the puppet master from Melbourne called Sonny Tilders. When you say to people that you're a puppet maker, they think little glove puppets, and then you say, 'Well, actually, I've got this little shed that's 3000m2 with 40 full-time staff, and we make our puppets the size of your house.' Then it sort of starts to put it in perspective. This is Sonny's 'little shed' in West Melbourne. That is impressive. 'The world headquarters of Global Creatures.' This is the neck of the puppet. Got the body in my right hand here which does the up and down and the twist. Most of us of my generation, at least, can recall 'Jaws', and the shark is probably one of the most infamous animatronic puppets ever made, infamous because it hardly ever worked. It's sort of where it all started, and then we just went in this whole era where animatronics really took over in film-making. It was the '80s when Sonny got his start on some Australian-made science-fiction television. Hollywood called. He worked on 'Star Wars' and 'Chronicles of Narnia'. Then, in 2006, Sonny and his team took puppetry to a whole new dimension. 'Walking with Dinosaurs' ` a $12-million arena spectacular based on the BBC TV series. Ambitious? Yes. Successful? You bet. For two years, Global Creatures was Australia's top-earning entertainment company. Could you ever believe the success of the company? What I love about it is it's just with puppets; this marginal sort of art form, and to have it be such a world-beater is something that none of us ever really dreamed of. Did you ever hear of Kong? Why, yes. Something monstrous? (ROARS) So, this is your big baby? Can I touch him? So, this is your big baby? Can I touch him? You may. > Ooh. Where do you start? You're making the biggest, most sophisticated puppet in the world. Well, you start with a gorilla. Well, you start with a gorilla. BOTH LAUGH You start with all the gorillas that have gone before you in the films. Kong's coming! (ROARS) That was a puppet? That definitely was a puppet ` a little stop-motion puppet about this big. Peter Jackson's film was just a bunch of pixels. There was no real puppet in that. So you look at those and see where people have gone before. I have to ask you what you thought of the '76 film. I can remember seeing it as a kid, and as much as I loved Jessica Lange, it wasn't a drawcard for me. It just looked terrible. So you got no inspiration from that? Absolutely none. His inspirational starting point was the real deal. Expressive, impressive, magnificent. What's always inspired lovers of Kong is that at its heart, it's a love story. It wasn't the aeroplanes. It was beauty that killed the beast. It was capturing that emotion, the intricate emotion of a beast with feelings ` that was the biggest challenge. The subtle breath. It's the timing of an eye blink with a shoulder flick. It's all these little things that we take for granted. It's been five years in the making. Opening night is less than a month away. It's a thundering mix of machinery and pure muscle. Lower. Technology goes so far, but manpower pulls the strings. Right now we have at least 35 people working to create every tiny move. Travels up with it... Men on huge swinging trapezes becoming his legs, guys launching off his shoulders to make his arm fly up as a counterweight. He has to run a lot. He's gotta swipe. He's gotta hit aeroplanes. He's gotta launch between buildings. Imagine having the ultimate Nintendo Wii pad, and they're controlling the tiniest little effects in King Kong's face and in his shoulders and in his wrists, to give him a hyper-realistic illusion of being real. (ROARS) There is a lot riding on the shoulders of this 1-ton silverback because, as the star of the show, he's got to put on a pretty convincing performance... (ROARS) Oh! From what we saw, this Australian beast is a beauty. After the Melbourne musical finishes, 'King Kong' is likely to have another adventure on Broadway. The last time, he caused a bit of a stir. PEOPLE SCREAM So there are a few nerves,... Just sitting there, grinding my teeth, watching, waiting for something to go wrong. ...but even greater anticipation. Such a New York story, and it would be great to have this New York story told by a bunch of Australians and a bunch of people from around the world. That would be a terrific coup. That looks pretty impressive, doesn't it? Kua mutu te mahi naianei. That's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us. Pomarie.