Dangerous Animals: We go on a shark dive to celebrate the release of this new horror flick

Last Updated on June 19, 2025
Eric

Dangerous Animals marks director Sean Byrne‘s third film, following his cult classic The Loved Ones and The Devil’s Candy. The film was so highly anticipated that it made its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (check out our review HERE), and we were also lucky enough to chat with Byrne, and stars Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston and Hassie Harrison (check out the interviews HERE). To help celebrate the release on June 6th, Shudder and IFC invited a select group of journalists and influencers to a shark dive at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, New York. With Courtney himself in attendance, each person was required to slip themselves into a wetsuit, adorn themselves with weights (you float to the top otherwise, naturally) and step into a shark cage with a licensed diver. Then, for twenty very special minutes, you’re in the water with several sharks and various vibrant fish. While the sharks have no interest in harming you or messing with the cage, you’re urged not to stick your hands out of the cage to touch them. They might just think you’re providing them with a snack…

My first time having an experience like this was truly remarkable, one I’ll never forget. (No doubt it was the quickest twenty minutes of my life.) The sharks were so majestic it’s impossible not to have a newfound respect and admiration for them. While of course they make for thrilling villains in horror movies, the truth is they’re surprisingly gentle and calm creatures… As long as you keep your hands in the cage. Check out our video of the experience above and some more from the trip below:

shark dive
Jai Courtney getting ready for his shark dive
shark dive
Our own Eric Walkuski!

About the Author

Film Critic

Favorite Movies: Jaws, Star Wars Trilogy, Aliens, Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Dawn read more of the Dead ('78), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('74), Fargo, Miller's Crossing, Reservoir Dogs, The Manchurian Candidate ('62), Taxi Driver, Back to the Future, Stand by Me, Shaun of the Dead, Boogie Nights, La Dolce Vita, 12 Angry Men, The Birds, Touch of Evil

Likes: Film, Beer (who the hell DOESN'T around here?!), writing, NY Mets, read more The Jets, Girls who love film AND beer (at the same time), Jazz, Deadwood, The Wire, The Office, The Twilight Zone, Cormac McCarthy, Graham Greene, Stephen King, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Scorsese, Spielberg, Halloween season, Marvel movies, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Ash vs Evil Dead, Game of Thrones, Edgar Allen Poe, Mother Nature

The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.

What’s Not Allowed

  • Abusive language, insults, or harassment toward other users or staff.
  • Hate speech of any kind is strictly prohibited.
  • Bickering, bullying, personal attacks, or baiting others to argue
  • Extended off-topic debates, especially those centered on politics or religion rather than the article topic
  • No AI content or SPAM