This browser does not support the Video element.
Arlington Heights native focuses on shark conservation
Living near the Great Lakes, the last thing we think about are sharks. But a suburban photographer has dedicated his life to saving the species.
CHICAGO - This week kicks off Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
Living near the Great Lakes, the last thing we think about are great whites. But a suburban photographer has dedicated his life to saving the species.
In today's Good News Guarantee, he takes you along for a swim.
"We don't have that connection to the sea like coastal towns," said underwater photographer Anthony DiSilvestro. "People in the Midwest think 'oh we can't do anything, we're so far away' but that's not true," he added.
At a young age, DiSilvestro, an Arlington Heights native, wanted to take a bite out of sharks' bad reputation.
"I played a lot of ice hockey growing up but as time went on I quit playing hockey and devoted my career to marine biology because of my fascination with sharks."
His research turned into regular underwater photographer trips to the Florida coast.
"I’ve been diving with them [sharks] since I was sixteen years old. I'm almost forty-one now so I've been doing it for quite some time… For me, it’s one of the most peaceful experiences that I could ever have in my life."
He wants others to see the beauty that he sees and understand the role sharks play in keeping the fishing industry strong.
"There are plenty of places you can go to really see for yourself and see why they're important to the whole eco-system."