Ballito’s Dr Ryan Daly dives deep into uncharted shark behaviour in a new documentary, Apex Alley, premiering November 30 on South African screens.

Written and directed by award-winning producer Julie Laurenz, the film prominently features marine scientist Dr Daly as it follows a range of shark species navigating the Benguela Current, one of the ocean’s most extraordinary marine highways. From Mozambique’s tropical spawning grounds to the kelp forests of Cape Town, the documentary offers a stunning exploration of how sharks and ocean currents are intricately connected.

Bull sharks emerge as standout navigators, with one female rewriting the science books after swimming an astonishing 6 500km from northern KwaZulu-Natal, where she was tagged, to Lagos, Nigeria, where she was sadly caught and killed.

“We have never before recorded any shark swimming from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean,” said Daly.

As a senior marine scientist at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), Daly has spent his career tracking sharks across southern Africa using advanced acoustic tagging technology, from the Southern Ocean to the Seychelles.

“Sharks keep their secrets really well,” he said.

“I’ve long been intrigued to uncover those secrets, to truly understand where they go and why.”

He sees Apex Alley as an opportunity to educate the public on the value of shark research and the urgent need for conservation.

The documentary highlights two major threats to sharks: overfishing, which has reportedly wiped out 70% of shark populations since 1970 and climate change, which is altering the very currents they depend on.

Also featured is Wild Oceans activist and traditional Zulu healer Thandeka Hlongwa, who challenges cultural fears by diving with sharks at Aliwal Shoal and in Cape Town’s waters. A segment filmed in Mauritius with veteran diver Hugues Vitry showcases the contrast between protected and threatened environments.

Catch Apex Alley on People’s Planet (Openview) this Sunday, November 30, at 9.30am and 8.30pm. Repeat broadcasts will air on December 27 and January 24 at the same times.

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