Paging the Shark Doctor: Dr. Craig O'Connell

Summary

Kennedy Saves the World

Guest: Dr. Craig O’Connell
Episode: Paging the Shark Doctor
Date: July 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this Shark Week special, Kennedy welcomes renowned marine biologist Dr. Craig O’Connell to discuss his latest adventures and research into sharks, focusing on his two new Discovery Channel features: Sharkzilla Takes New York and Thresher Shark: Stunned to Kill. With her characteristic humor and curiosity, Kennedy probes Dr. O’Connell on the dangers, surprises, and wonders of shark science—delving into the thrill and fear of close encounters, the importance of local knowledge, breakthrough discoveries, and the ever-present need for shark conservation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Guest and Shark Week Specials

• Kennedy introduces Dr. O’Connell as a true champion for sharks, mentioning his deep love and expertise for the species, and sets the stage for the discussion on his two Shark Week specials. (01:00)
• Quote:
  • “You want to explain these majestic animals to people… you have been maybe our very best champion of sharking.” —Kennedy (00:35)

2. ‘Sharkzilla Takes New York’—Exploring Offshore Montauk

• Dr. O’Connell recounts venturing 100 miles offshore to an area known for historic nuclear waste dumping, aiming to see if this affected local shark populations. (01:55)
• The crew encounters massive mako sharks, likely never before exposed to humans, leading to tense, adrenaline-fueled encounters as the sharks approached divers, mouths wide open.
• Attempt was made to tag a mako with a satellite transmitter for research purposes; this led to a major discovery: confirming a previously suspected nursery for shortfin makos off Montauk.
  • Quote:
    • “We encountered some of the biggest mako sharks on earth. And the thing about these mako sharks is that they haven’t necessarily encountered a human before. So they were overly curious. They use their mouth… So, we were in there in the water with a 10-foot, 11-foot mako shark.” —Dr. O’Connell (02:32)
  • Moment: Dr. O’Connell describes the primal fear and focus needed to be safe. (04:29)
    • “I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t scared…you have tunnel vision. All you see is that shark.” —Dr. O’Connell (04:29)

3. Risk and Safety in Shark Research

• The team has detailed emergency protocols, with a medic on board and helicopter evacuation plans, but survival remains uncertain with catastrophic bites so far offshore.
• Success in research is a blend of scientific training, intuition, and—critically—local fishing wisdom. (05:53)
  • “I also rely on fishermen…they have a history of knowledge because they relied on other fishermen…they’ve shared so much knowledge that it’s made our program incredibly successful.” —Dr. O’Connell (05:53)
• Anecdote: Dr. O’Connell’s first Montauk Shark Week relied on adapting tactics from local fishermen, leading to his first successful great white tagging. (06:30)

4. White Shark Biology & Behavior

• White sharks can live over 40 years; dietary habits shift from fish/squid to marine mammals as they mature. (07:22)
• Local seals can be a sign that juvenile sharks may be nearby—prompting Kennedy’s relatable worry about encountering them while surfing. (08:18)
  • “If I see one in the water, I'm out. I'm not going to stay in with that animal because I know what might be nearby.” —Dr. O’Connell (08:34)

5. Living Among Sharks—Personal Encounters and Public Awareness

• Stories traded of close encounters, including Kennedy kicking an unknown animal while ocean swimming in Santa Monica—likely a juvenile shark in a recognized nursery.
  • “Yeah, you survived. Good work.” —Dr. O’Connell (09:43)
• Mention of “the Malibu artist,” a drone pilot who documents sharks off California’s coast, with Kennedy suggesting a collaboration.

6. ‘Thresher Shark: Stunned to Kill’—Capturing Elusive Behavior

• Dr. O’Connell shifts focus to the thresher shark, noting its unique anatomy—a tail as long as its body capable of stunning prey at 70 mph.
• The episode documents an expedition to the Philippines aiming to capture a thresher actively hunting in a bait ball, leaning again on local expertise for success. (11:17–13:11)
• Advice against swimming in bait balls due to concentrated predators:
  • “If you see a giant bait ball, there’s likely predators nearby. Don’t swim in it.” —Dr. O’Connell (13:50)

7. Humility and Surprise in Shark Research

• Even decades into his career, sharks constantly humble Dr. O’Connell: the unpredictability of their presence, despite exhaustive knowledge and meticulous planning.
  • “Just when you think you know everything about sharks, you realize you don’t know all that much…they’re wild animals.” —Dr. O’Connell (14:44)

8. Near-Death Experience—Shark Alley in South Africa

• Dr. O’Connell recounts his closest brush with danger: assembling equipment in murky water in South Africa’s famed Shark Alley, feeling repeated “pressure waves” before locking eyes with a great white inches away. Emergency protocols included slow ascent, gear as a shield, and breaching onto the boat—a harrowing, cinematic escape. (15:00–18:10)
  • “On the third turn, there was a great white shark head two feet away from me…at the last second it turned away…I felt the pressure wave from their tail.” —Dr. O’Connell (17:00)
• Kennedy jokes about switching careers to “accounting” after such a scare.

9. Shark Encounters—What Should People Do?

• Not all sharks will respond like “conditioned” ones. If approached, back away calmly; do not splash or act frantic. Only as a last resort should a person hit the shark’s snout, gills, or eyes—highly sensitive areas—if an attack is imminent. (18:55–20:08)
  • “If you run away from a dog, that dog is going to run after you. If you swim away super fast from a shark…you’re acting frantic…that shark is going to treat you like prey.” —Dr. O’Connell (19:35)

10. Reflections and Closing

• Dr. O’Connell expresses pride in his Shark Week specials, especially the new ground they cover: New York makos in clear water, thresher shark hunting behaviors.
  • “They bring two very new things to Shark Week, which is often very hard to do… I’m proud of it.” —Dr. O’Connell (20:19)
• Kennedy promises to watch both episodes and expresses interest in joining Dr. O’Connell in the field someday.
• Mention of Dr. O’Connell’s conservation nonprofit: O’C’s Conservation Foundation (OCF). (20:41–20:59)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “I was young…doing a show, and I had to try and catch a baby great white…Every single day [the fishermen] gave me a new clue…eventually…we caught a baby great white, we tagged it, and it was just unbelievable.” —Dr. O’Connell (06:10)
• “Sometimes I feel bad for the seals. Like…out surfing and you see a seal…it’s kind of like, oh, great. Well, that’s like a shark appetizer.” —Kennedy (07:56)
• “It’s not like that. Those tend to be conditioned sharks…sometimes a really strong jab will work very well underwater or even hitting the shark in the gills…or their eyes.” —Dr. O’Connell on handling shark encounters (19:00–20:08)
• “Are you proud of this Shark Week?” —Kennedy (20:14)
  “I’m super proud of my shows…They bring two very new things to Shark Week.” —Dr. O’Connell (20:19–20:41)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:00 — Introduction of Shark Week specials: Sharkzilla Takes New York and Thresher Shark: Stunned to Kill
• 02:32-03:47 — Encounter with giant, curious mako sharks and tagging milestone
• 05:53 — Importance of fishermen’s expertise and adapting strategies
• 07:22 — White shark lifespan and dietary changes
• 13:11–13:54 — Risks of swimming in bait balls
• 15:00–18:10 — Dr. O’Connell’s near-miss with a great white in Shark Alley
• 18:55–20:08 — Practical advice for shark encounters
• 20:19 — Dr. O’Connell’s pride in the uniqueness of this year’s Shark Week contributions

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Tone & Style

The episode is conversational, lively, and humorous, with Kennedy’s quick wit and candid style perfectly balancing Dr. O’Connell’s expertise and thrilling storytelling. Together, they demystify sharks while highlighting the stakes and exhilaration of ocean research.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode provides awe-inspiring, sometimes harrowing, first-person accounts of shark science, practical advice for ocean-goers, and insider Shark Week revelations. Dr. O’Connell and Kennedy offer both a fearless and humble appreciation for sharks—a conversation as entertaining as it is enlightening.

Transcript

[A]

Across the country, UnitedHealth Group is working with local partners to build healthier communities every day.

[B]

That includes helping partners like the good

[A]

acre provide 45,000 meals and lower A1C in the twin Cities, and helping hello Family doulas deliver 44% fewer underweight births in Spartanburg. Because building healthier communities starts by giving

[B]

people access to the care and services

[A]

they need to live healthier lives. Learn [e-mail] commitment. Hello, and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. My guest today has dedicated his life to sharks because sharks are awesome. And like Tracy Jordan famously said on 30 Rock Live, every week, like it's Shark Week. And it is Shark Week on Discovery, we have made it. Dr. Craig O' Connell is here. Dr. O', Connell, I know how much you love sharks. I know that you have been maybe our very best champion of sharking. And you want to explain these majestic animals to people. Thank you so much for taking the time today. I know you are doing research in Montauk in New York, but you. You took a break from the boat and the sharks to come here. So welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me. I'm grateful to be here.

[A]

So I want to first talk about your two specials on Shark Week. You've got Sharkzilla Takes New York, which is going to air this Friday and Saturday. Thresher Shark Stunned to Kill. That sounds like a sexy shark. But what is Sharkzilla Takes New York? Because that's, that's the kind of title that, that might get people scared.

[B]

It is the most unbelievable show I've ever made. We took a gigantic risk. I wanted to show people what the waters of Montauk are truly like. And we went 100 miles offshore. Now we had a whole production crew. If we had bad weather, there'd be absolutely zero chance that we could go 100 miles offshore in a boat chumming for shark and it would be way too dangerous. So we went 100 miles out to a spot where they dumped nuclear waste about 40 years ago, and we wanted to see if that affected the sharks at all. We got out there and what we saw was absolutely incredible. We encountered some of the biggest mako sharks on earth. And the thing about these mako sharks is that they haven't necessarily encountered a human before. So they were overly curious. And the way sharks interact with things that they're curious with is they use their mouth. They don't have hands like us. So we were in there in the water with a 10 foot, 11 foot mako shark. And it would come at us with its mouth wide open, and all you would see were these giant teeth. And it would come at us one by one. So it would go at one of our safety divers, it would go the next safety diver. And then in the back of your mind, you're like, well, now it's my turn. I better be ready. I better not make a mistake. And would come at you, and then you got to just fend it off. And our objective was to actually get a tag. I actually have one right here. This is a satellite tag. The goal is to get one of these in these big sharks to see where they're going. And what was really amazing is we eventually got a tag in it once the shark calmed down. And we tracked it to a really special spot just off Montauk. And that spot happens to be one of the only known shortfin mako shark nursery grounds in the entire world.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. So did you know that was there before you tagged the shark?

[B]

We had an idea. We've been tagging these little baby mako sharks. We call them meat missiles. They're these perfectly designed little animals. They're this bright blue. They're perfect replicas of the adults. We were tagging them for years, but this was our validation that this site was the site. It's truly important to the mako sharks.

[A]

So first of all, were you scared when the shark was coming at you with its mouth open? Because I know you know what to do. But still, there has to be something primal inside of you that makes you want to soil your wetsuit a little.

[B]

I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't scared. Scared? The thing is, you have to be hyper focused. These are top predators. They're the best at their game. And if we make one little mistake, if we lose our focus even for a second, we're 100 miles offshore. You're gonna bleed out by the time you get to shore. So in the back, your mind, you're just. You're. You're focused. Like, you have tunnel vision. All you see is that shark. And. And you just gotta, like, rely on all your training that you've done for. Or that I've done for over 20 years.

[A]

What do you have in the boat if, God forbid, someone.

[B]

We have a medic. We have a medic who is highly skilled. And we have a variety of evacuation plans. Obviously, they'd have a helicopter come pick us up and bring us in, because that will be a lot faster and it will increase Our chances of survival, you know, but if you get a catastrophic bite offshore, it's gonna be tough to survive that one. So.

[A]

Yeah, but you. You survived. You're here. You. You found some. And what is it? Is it. Is it the years and years of research? Is it pouring over data? Or is there something about these special spots that exist that you have to listen to your gut? Like, it's. It's your. Your intuition, that thing that existed before you became Dr. Craig O'. Connell. What informs your actions?

[B]

Just, I'm going to be completely honest. I rely on a lot of past experience, but I also rely on fishermen to make some of the decisions that we do. Those are the people that have unbelievable knowledge. They're out there every single day, and they have a history of knowledge because they relied on other fishermen to get to the point that they're at. And it's really nice out here. In the Montauk community, they've welcomed me and they've shared so much knowledge that it's made our program incredibly successful. I can remember when I first came out here, I was young. I was in my early 20s, and we were doing a show, and I had to try and catch a baby great white. I had done all my training in the Bahamas, where you use these giant hooks and giant baits that are £20, and you let the sharks munch on them. So I was using that technique here, and I was failing, and. And Shark Week was here, and I can't fail on one of my first shark weeks. They'll never have me back. And so I was speaking with the fishermen, and every single day, they'd give me a new clue. Use smaller hooks, use smaller baits, use thinner wire. And eventually, on the last day of the film shoot, I used all that knowledge. It came all together. We caught a baby great white, we tagged it, and it was just unbelievable moment. So now we work collectively together to find out all our research and achieve our goals, and it's really awesome out here.

[A]

How long do white sharks live?

[B]

Oh, they could live over 40 years old.

[A]

So is that shark you tagged still alive?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. That tag, that shark is probably about, I don't know, 12, 13 years old now. And what's really neat is the young ones feed on small sharks, skates, small fish, squid. But as they get bigger, once they, you know, get to 12, 13, 15 years of age, they start feeding on marine mammals. So that shark is likely just passing right by Montauk and going straight to Cape Cod to feast on the seals.

[A]

Oh, man. And the seals. Sometimes I feel bad for the seals. Like, I never know what to do with seals because, you know, when. When you're out surfing and you see a seal like it, it's kind of like, oh, great. Well, that's like a shark appetizer. I. I'm a little worried. And then, on the other hand, seals sometimes aren't that nice.

[B]

Yeah, there's. There's two sides to a seal. You know, we were in California once at a dock, and we had one try and pull us into the water so they could be a little. A little fierce. That was a sea lion. But, yeah, the seals. If I see one in the water, I'm out. I'm not going to stay in with that animal because I know what might be nearby.

[A]

Yeah, exactly right. And I was watching a Shark Week special a few years ago about a surfer in Oregon who got bit by a shark twice in two different years. And it's like, oh, man. Like, I love surfing, but I really think I'd relocate after that.

[B]

You should play the lotto, because that's absolutely insane.

[A]

So one time I was swimming with my swim coach in the Santa Monica bay off Tower 26, and I kicked something underwater, and it was obviously like, I don't think it was a dolphin because you can always hear the dolphins before you see them. And, you know, especially on early morning swims, you'll see pods of dolphins come through, and, you know, sometimes 15, 20 at a time. It's really. It's a beautiful sight to behold, but I don't think it was a dolphin. And so I stopped my swim coach, I'm like, dude, I just kicked something underwater. And he was like, yeah, it's probably a juvenile shark. And I was like, wow, I really survived something there.

[B]

That's pretty. That's pretty awesome. It's likely that's a. That's part of their nursery area.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So, yeah, you survived. Good work.

[A]

And that freaks people out that, you know, and there. I don't know if you follow the Malibu artist.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

He's not a doctor like you, but. But he has some incredible drone technology and a lot of patience. And he is always getting great white sharks in the Santa Monica Bay. And I show them to people. I'm like, that's right by my house.

[B]

Yeah. He has some of the most unbelievable white shark footage I've ever seen. It's like he literally is outside every single day trying to film these animals, and what he's captured is. It's unreal.

[A]

It's unreal, but I feel like you guys should get together. I feel like that'd be chocolate and peanut butter.

[B]

I like the idea.

[A]

Oh, that would be awesome. Hopefully we can make that happen. Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy saves the world right after this.

[B]

Across the country, UnitedHealth Group is working with local partners to build healthier communities every day. That includes helping partners like the good acre provide 45,000 meals and lower A1C in the twin Cities and helping hello Family doulas deliver 44% fewer underweight births in Spartanburg. Because building healthier communities starts by giving people access to the care and services they need to live healthier lives. Learn [e-mail] commitment. Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20% off your first purchase at foxnewswineshop.com with code FNRADIO20. 20% discount excludes wine club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Expires July 31, 2026. Must be 21 order to order. Please drink responsibly.

[A]

So tell me about thresher shark stunned to kill. So that's coming up this Saturday on Discovery.

[B]

That one is closing out Shark Week, and it's an episode that I'm extremely proud of. I always say that Shark Week tends to focus on the big three. You have great whites, you have tiger sharks, and you have bull sharks. But you're missing all the other species out there that are incredibly cool. And the thresher shark happens to be one of them. It's this animal that has a tail that's the same length of his body, and that tail can move through the water at over 70 miles an hour to stun its prey. And so our goal was to go to the Philippines, to this really unbelievable island known as Malapascua island to try and capture a thresher shark hunting on camera. This is like, it's, you know, we often say, like the great white giving birth or great white's mating is a holy grail. Capturing a thresher shark using its tail. Capturing a thresher shark hunting, like, to me is my holy grail. Like, I want to see this. And I've luckily seen it here in New York. I've seen it very briefly at Malapascua Island. So we went back again with the Shark Week crew with an unbelievable array of gadgets to try and capture this. And what we actually learned and what we observed was it was amazing. And again, we use all our gadgets, but we, we relied on local intel to finally get A really awesome result. And that. Go ahead. Sorry.

[A]

Was it fishermen? Were they fishermen in the Philippines? That.

[B]

It was divers, and it was a fisherman who told us about an enormous bait ball that wasn't far from where we were. And I don't want to give it away, but threshers tend to hunt in bait balls, so we may have captured something very cool.

[A]

Oh, that's awesome.

[B]

Awesome. And it's neat.

[A]

Should people be scared of bait balls?

[B]

Well, you shouldn't swim inside them. I've seen people do it here in Montauk, and it drives me nuts. There's these giant schools of bunker, or Atlantic menhaden. We call it the fuel of the New York Bight. And when they move along the shoreline, that's where all the big predators are. You get spinners, white sharks, blacktips, sandbars, duskies. Everything is in there feeding, even the whales. And I see people that are a half mile off the beach swimming in the middle of a bunker pod. So you're essentially asking for trouble. So my advice is, if you see a giant bait ball, there's likely predators nearby. Don't swim in it.

[A]

No, man. That's a recipe for disaster. And you are an ingredient in that recipe now, unfortunately, yes. So I know you've been doing this a long time. I know this is your life's passion, and you know more than anyone about sharks. Do they still surprise you?

[B]

Yeah, they humble you, you think? I go out almost every single day in Montauk in the summer, and I think, you know, oh, guys, this is the plan for today. The sharks were there yesterday and they're going to be there today. It's the perfect time. And I'll even tell the parents before they drop off their kids, we're going to have the most amazing day because everything is exactly the same as yesterday. And yesterday was amazing. And we'd go out, nothing. We don't see anything. And it's the most humbling thing because just when you think you know everything about sharks, you realize you don't know all that much. They're wild animals, and there's so many things at play. And so to me, they're just always fascinating because I'm always trying to learn. So they're just incredible animals.

[A]

Have you ever had an encounter where you were like, oh, this is it?

[B]

Yes, multiple. Absolutely. I guess the worst one I've ever had was in South Africa. I was building a barrier inside Shark Alley in Hans in Durban? No, it's in Gansbaai. It's about four hours east of Cape Town. And it used to be known as the white shark capital of the world. And it used to be one of the best sites in the world to see the breach in great whites. And so I would be in the water without a cage building my barrier. And, you know, you'd be working on the bottom and screwing things into the sea floor. And, you know, you were trained to look over your shoulder every like 30 seconds just to make sure nothing was sneaking up on you. And one day we got down and like 10 minutes after we got in, the current changed and the visibility went down to about 2 to 3ft. So, like, right now I wouldn't really be able to see this computer screen. It was that murky. And I was down there working. I was like, well, I got to get this done. I got to get my PhD. Like, if I don't do this work today, I might not get my PhD in two years. I gotta go. So I keep working and all of a sudden I feel like a pressure wave go by my head. And I look behind me and I'm like, nothing there. Get back to work. Feel it again. And the hair on my neck stands up. I know something's up. And so then I'm like, you know what, maybe I'm not going to use a 30 second rule. I'm going to use a 10 second rule. So I would screw a little bit, do the nuts and bolts, look back, 10 seconds, nothing. 10 seconds, nothing. And then on the third turn, there was a great white shark head two feet away from me. I just saw it was the perfect, you know, the perfect grin and my eyes opened up and then at the last second it turned away and I felt that pressure wave again. So that's what was going on behind me the whole time I was working is these white sharks were sneaking up and at the last second turning away, and I felt the pressure wave from their tail. And the second I saw the shark, I suspected it was a shark initially, but the second I saw it, we called the dive. But the problem with that situation is that you're now in murky water. You can only see three feet away from you. You know, there's at least one great white around. And you have to swim 20ft up to the surface at a site where the white sharks come from underneath and breach with the prey in their mouth. And so we were trained of, like, how to exit the water in that situation. So what you do is you take all your dive gear off on the bottom, you hold it against your body and you swim in a really slow circle and make a slow ascent. So if the sharks do come at you, you throw your dive gear at them and you breach out of the water just like a great white. Would you breach onto the boat and hope hopefully you can get away? Luckily, on my way out, I did see the shark pass underneath me, but it had no interest and I safely got on the boat. We got back onto land and we had a pretty big party to celebrate being alive. Oh, my gosh.

[A]

So is that the point where you go, maybe I'll switch to accounting. You know, a PhD in accounting might be very, very useful.

[B]

Yeah, I was. I definitely had some second thoughts after that. But then the next day brought some clear water and we were right back in there.

[A]

Of course you were. I mean, that's absolutely incredible. So if. If someone does encounter a shark, there. There's a woman in Hawaii. I can't remember her name, but she has, like, it might be ocean, but she. She, like, she touches sharks and, like, redirects their faces, like, very gently. Is a shark like a bear, where you're supposed to talk to a common, like, hey, shark, what's going on? Hey, man, like, I'm just gonna move your face out of the way and then you're just gonna swim off because we're in harmony together.

[B]

Yeah, it's not like that. Those are. Those tend to be conditioned sharks. Yes. In some situations, pushing a shark away from the snout might work. That's where all their key senses are. So it almost tickles them and it gives them a little shock and they'll move in the other direction. What I typically tell people when we go diving is if a shark is approaching you, you slowly move away. If you run away from a dog, that dog is going to run after you. If you swim away super fast from a shark and you're splashing at the surface, you're acting frantic. You're nervous that shark is going to treat you like prey. It's going to get nervous, it's going to start acting erratic. So you got to stay calm and slowly work your way out of the water. Last resort. That's when you would hit the shark in the snout. I wouldn't say a gentle push is going to do it. Sometimes a really strong jab will work very well underwater or even hitting the shark in the gills. That's another very sensitive area. Or their eyes. That's another very sensitive area. If a shark loses its vision, it loses one of its key methods of hunting. And so that's how I would approach the situation.

[A]

Eyes. Gills. Billy, Blanche.

[B]

That's it right there.

[A]

That's awesome. Are you proud of this Shark Week? Are you happy with the way things turned out?

[B]

I'm super proud of my shows. They are. They're incredible. They're really, really exciting. They bring two very new things to Shark Week, which is often very hard to do. It brings New York super clear water, giant sharks, and it brings the thresher shark to Shark Week, and I'm proud of it.

[A]

Well, I'm gonna watch Sharkzilla takes New York and thresher Sharks stunned to kill. I'm gonna watch both those. I really appreciate your time. At some point, I would love to come out with you in Montauk. I know that you have the OC's conservation foundation, the OCF, and you do phenomenal work.

[B]

Thank you so much. I'd love to have you out here. And thank you so much for this.

[A]

Absolutely. Dr. Craig O', Connell, thank you for being a part of it. This has been Kennedy Saves the world with Dr. Craig, the sharkiest of them all. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free with a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.