Ep 11 | Dr Riley Elliot | NZ Shark Tracker | Crossing the Tideline

<p>Dr Riley Elliott is one of the world's leading shark scientists. Before that he was, and still is, a surfer and diver from New Zealand trying to understand the animals he shared the ocean with.<br /></p><p>That curiosity has taken him around the world studying Great White Sharks, tracking their movements, producing documentaries and trying to communicate the science to people who actually need it.<br /></p><p>In this conversation we get into the migration of Great Whites between New Zealand and Australia, what decades of research is beginning to reveal, and why there are still so many questions that science can't confidently answer. Riley talks about how Great Whites navigate vast stretches of open ocean and why understanding their movements matters for both conservation and public safety.<br /></p><p>We also spend a lot of time on mitigation. Drones, electronic deterrents, shark nets, public perception and political decision making. Riley speaks openly about what appears to be working, what isn't, and why he thinks the uncertainty needs to be spoken about more honestly than it currently is.<br /></p><p>He also understands what shark incidents do to communities firsthand, having visited Elliston in South Australia and worked around several fatalities in New Zealand.<br /></p><p>And in a world first, he tells us what actually had a nibble of Ed Sloane's foot at the 2026 Raglan WCT event.</p>