Valerie Taylor is the Grand Madame of Australian nature filming and to this day a passionate diver and wildlife advocate. Together with her husband Ron Taylor she produced some of the most iconic nature films about sharks and other marine wildlife. From their days as professional spearfishing champions the couple became wanted experts in their field of filming and swimming with sharks. This led to Hollywood knocking on their door in the mid 70s and asking for their help in making Steven Spielberg´s breakthrough film “JAWS” - one of the most iconic, successful and genre-breaking films of all time. On this episode Valerie shares some stories of her unique life, from her childhood in New Zealand during the war to her present passionate engagement for the environment.Make sure to check out Valerie´s latest children’s book “Melody the Mermaid”.This episode of Talking Australia is hosted by Chrissie Goldrick (Editor-in-chief at Australian Geographic) and produced by Ben Kanthak (www.beachshackpodcasts.com).You can also follow us on Instagram @australiangeographicSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.