Valerie Taylor - New Biographical Film 'Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story'

In 2019 I had the pleasure of travelling to Australia to do two Everest presentations for the Australia New Zealand chapter of The Explorers Club…one in Melbourne, the other in Sydney. 

During my presentation in Sydney I noticed a lovely woman seated near the front.  Afterwords a friend whispered in my ear “do you know who that woman is?’ I obviously didn’t.  He said “that’s Valerie Taylor, she and her late husband Ron worked with Steven Spielberg in the filming of Jaws….world renowned for their underwater photography of sharks”  I was beyond intrigued, then someone introduced themself to me…  When I picked my head up to find Valerie Taylor, she’d already departed. 

Very recently I became aware that Valerie Taylor is the subject of a film called PLAYING WITH SHARKS, The Valerie Taylor Story, -  a National geographic documentary that you can find on Disney+. I actually got Disney+ just so I could see the film.  It’s amazing, tells the story of her life and her late husband Ron’s as pioneers of underwater photography and filmmaking and their conservation efforts to protect sharks and marine areas…. They were the first ever to film a great white shark underwater...out of a cage, no less. Valerie was the first to ever hand feed a shark….seriously. 

The 1971 film BLUE WATER WHITE DEATH, features the Taylors and two other divers entering the water with hundreds of white tip sharks, known as the most deadly shark...the sharks were feeding on a dead whale, and the underwater crew entered the water unsure if they’d survive the encounter.  That footage is a magnificent scene in the new film about Valerie….

A couple of years later they were hired by Steven Spielberg to film underwater footage for Jaws, which would go on to become the biggest selling film of all time. One day during filming almost turned  tragic when a great white shark became entangled in the wires of an underwater cage...the diver escaped just before the cage was ripped from the boat….

All the while Ron filmed this underwater, and Valerie from the boat….the footage was so dramatic and terrifying, that Spielberg literally re-wrote a scene in the movie to incorporate the footage, and instead of the character Hooper dying, like he did in the book, Hooper played by Richard Driefus survives..all because of the work of the Taylors. 

The Taylors were beyond dismayed at the fear of sharks that grew from the movie, as sharks were hunted and killed by millions, misunderstood and maligned. 

Valerie and Ron filmed for dozens of documentaries and films, and Valerie wrote her memoir, called Valerie Taylor: An Adventurous Life: The remarkable story of the trailblazing ocean conservationist, photographer and shark expert 

I interviewed the one and only Valerie Taylor from her home in Sydney Australia last week, and wanted to hear some of her remarkable stories and her cautionary tale about the state of our oceans today…..

let me just add this caveat, the beginning of her interview is not an easy listen for conservation and environment minded individuals….90% of the world’s sharks are believed to have been killed, hundereds of millions killed for shark fin soup, still a desirable dish in China…..the ocean certainly is not what it was when Valerie and Ron Taylor, once world champion spear fishing hunters, first dived in the water back in the 1950’s. Ron passed in 2012….Valerie never stopped campaigning to save the sharks…..

Transcript

Thom Pollard: 0:00

This is tools for nomads. Tools for nomads is an up close and insightful look into the lives and habits of passionate and creatively prolific people who embrace and cherish the nomadic lifestyle brought to you by top drawer. As creative professionals we know the nomadic lifestyle is as much a mindset as it is a way of being. Visit top drawer shop.com or visit one of their dozen plus meticulously outfitted shops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Berkeley, Chicago, and Tokyo. Top door shop.com I'm Thom Pollard. I've traveled the world in search of adventure. Since 2001. I've been a member of the Explorers Club. I'm a filmmaker mountain near even a sailor have been at the top of Everest and help build and sailed a ship made of two and a half million reads from Chile to Easter Island. I almost got eaten by a Maiko shark on filmed with orcas, elk bear, from five star hotels to the cold, cold ground. I've visited a lot of cool places over the years. But there's a whole lot of places on the globe I've yet to experience. In 2019 I had the pleasure of traveling to Australia to do to Everest presentations for the Australia New Zealand chapter of the Explorers Club. One in Melbourne, the other in Sydney. You never know where you might meet at an Explorers Club meeting since 1904. The club membership includes names like Sir Edmund Hillary Neil Armstrong, Jane Goodall, oceanographer Sylvia Earle. During my presentation in Sydney, I noticed a lovely woman seated near the front. She seemed very interested in my Mount Everest stories and photographs. Afterwards, a friend whispered in my ear. Do you know who that woman is? I obviously didn't. And he said, That's Valerie Taylor. She and her late husband Ron worked with Steven Spielberg in the filming of Jaws, world renowned for their underwater photography of sharks, namely great white sharks. I was beyond intrigued and then someone introduced himself to me. And when I picked my head up to find Valerie Taylor, she'd already left. Very recently, I became aware that Valerie Taylor is the subject of a film called playing with sharks, the Valerie Taylor story. It's a National Geographic documentary that you can find on Disney Plus, I actually got Disney plus just so I could see this film. It's amazing. It tells the story of her life and her late husband Ron's as pioneers of underwater photography and filmmaking, and their conservation efforts to protect sharks and marine areas. They were the first ever to film a great white shark underwater. Valerie was the first to hand feed a great white shark. Seriously. The 1971 film Blue Water white death features the tailors and two other divers entering the water with hundreds of white tip sharks miles out to sea. They're known as the most deadly shark. The sharks were feeding on a dead whale, and the underwater crew entered the water, literally unsure if they would survive the encounter. A couple of years later, they were hired by Steven Spielberg to film underwater footage for Jaws, which would go on to become the biggest selling film of all time. One day during filming almost turned tragic when a great white shark became entangled in the wires of an underwater cage. The diver escaped just before that cage was ripped from the boat. While this was taking place Ron was filming from underwater and Valerie from on the boat. The footage was so dramatic and terrifying that Spielberg literally rewrote a scene in the movie to incorporate the footage. And instead of the character Hooper dying like he did in the book, Hooper played by Richard Dreyfus survives all because of the work of the tailors. The fear of sharks grew from the movie and they were hunted and killed by the millions misunderstood and maligned. The tailors were beyond dismayed. Valerie and Ron traveled the world, appearing on television programs and news programs. telling that the fear of sharks was unfounded, and that they just merely needed to be understood. Valerie and Ron filmed dozens of documentaries and films with their shark footage. In 2019, Valerie wrote her memoir called Valerie Taylor and adventurous life. The remarkable story of the trailblazing ocean conservationist, photographer and shark expert. I interviewed the one in the only Valerie Taylor finally got to meet her from her home in Sydney, Australia. Last week, I'll be it via zoom, and wanted to hear some of her remarkable stories in a cautionary tale about the state of the oceans on our planet today. Let me just add this caveat. The beginning of Valerie's interview is not an easy listen for conservation or environmental minded individuals. 90% of the world's sharks are believed to have been killed hundreds of millions killed for shark fin soup still a desirable dish and China. The ocean certainly is not what it was when Valerie and Ron Taylor once World Champion spearfishing hunters first dived into the water back in the 1950s. They put their spears down and shot sharks only with their cameras for the balance of their career. Ron passed in 2012, and Valerie never stopped campaigning to save the sharks. Here's Valerie Taylor. Valerie, thank you for taking the time out. I you must be in high demand these days since the film came out on Disney plus,

Valerie Taylor: 6:31

yes, I just can't keep track. I'm not clever on computers. And something has happened to my piece for old age. There were so many things happening, that I just can't keep track. Amazing. I'm not used to this. My darling husband used to handle all this sort of thing.

Thom Pollard: 6:53

Your incredible film, playing with sharks is is is moving. I was I was brought to tears on a number of occasions. I don't know if it had that impact on you seeing you going back all those decades, when you were first learning about all this underwater world, you know, even going back to when you were a little girl when you first went swimming underwater?

Valerie Taylor: 7:19

Yes. I've been in the film industry for a property over 50 years, well, well over 50 years. And unfortunately, when I watch anything to do with myself, I mentally change it. I start editing in my brain. It's not a good thing. But it was pretty correct. I think the editor did a brilliant job. It seems to be going from success to success.

Thom Pollard: 7:51

deservedly so, one of the scenes that really blew my mind was that first time you went under water, and you were mingling with all the white tip sharks, there might have been 100 of them. And it was I think when you went underwater to film you were hoping to get the first underwater footage ever of a great white. And when you dipped into the water with the white tips, none of you knew if you were actually going to survive that filming event it it was absolutely full of courage. And it was poignant and beautiful. What that must have been one of the most incredible experiences of your life.

Valerie Taylor: 8:30

I agree it was it was I stood on the dish of the catcher, the wild catcher and I looked around I thought I might never see the sun or the crew or this vessel again. But the four of us made the decision to go in. We had been watching the sharks for a week, and we noticed that they bump before they bitch. And then we read an article about them in the Reader's Digest where 600 people are in the water after being shot by a German submarine. This is during World War Two. And how the British fought them off and survive. And the Italians being challenged had a different sort of personality. Panic climbed on the boats the RAF's tipped them over, and over 200 of them were taken. And we realized if you fought them off, because the British fought them off their offices was a vibe that were in the water with them, and they were yelling at them. Unfortunately, the kalian officers were taken off, but the German submarine went surface to look at the sinking of the ship. So that gave us the courage to think if we fight them off, we'll make ourselves a place in the pack. And we did and they eventually I accepted us, as other marine animals come to feed on the whale. And it was a strange feeling. You know, it was like going back a million years was like that a million years ago in the ocean hadn't changed, like a timetable. And something happened in my brain. I thought about it survive. I suppose it was just so rare for anybody to go back in time to something that hadn't changed in millions of years. And that was, to this day, very special.

Thom Pollard: 10:43

And it was captured so beautifully it I looked at it and it was like a, like a ballet that could have turned into a tragedy. And they're the you are floating, hovering in the water, and these enormous sharks swimming in behind you, sometimes bumping into heads, as you said, they tap into things, it must have been pretty terrifying at first. But then when you got out and there was that that scene of you out on the boat afterwards, You looked like you would dodged a bullet and you didn't dodge a bullet, you learned a new thing for the world about sharks.

Valerie Taylor: 11:24

That is the most dangerous shark in the world, because it has killed more people than all the other sharks put together. Because it takes people in shipwrecks. And when airplanes go down, it's an open Ocean Shark, you don't have to worry about it swimming up the beach. And there's not hardly any left now because they've been online for their fins. And, but they are rather brutal, large based. I eventually became quite fond of them. Not when I'm when I say fond of them. I'd sort of look around, say, Hi guys in my brain. And we realized that we had made ourselves a place that they recognized us as, as other marine animals. And they were learning to this we were learning. Well, I was fortunate to be in that position. Very few people were ever that was sent all ago, ever in that position, to be able to try something like that, living on a weld catcher. Going in the audit was all although sharks feeding on the whale, not one or two hundreds, as far as you could see, we were at two miles off the coast of South Africa, in the Indian Ocean, and it was crystal clear, we could see as far as you can ever see underwater. And believe it was, it was very, very deep. And it was an experience I've had in a very fortunate life. I have another fortunate aspect. I don't get afraid. When things go wrong, I get angry. I want to fight. I want to go forward. So don't make me angry, though. You might get in trouble. I'll hit you over the head from Australia.

Thom Pollard: 13:31

I will I will. If there's a fight in an alleyway. And we happen to be together You go first. So it takes a little lady to charge. Oh, yeah. Don't underestimate a little old lady. Because boy, they pack a wall up especially that Valerie Taylor in the pink wetsuit. So why are sharks so important? Why is it so important for us to know now of their importance in the ocean? It seems to me that you really want the world to know about this and and I want to know, too, and so what is it about them and what can we learn from them?

Valerie Taylor: 14:14

They're ancient predator. They haven't changed a great deal in millions of years. They have a place on the planet. Nature had a wave of life in the ocean. That was perfect. And the apex predator at that time, Mr. Shark and had a road reform in keeping the sick, the dying the weak out of the water, killing them. I think only the strongest survive. And they did that for millions of years and kept the oceans healthy. kept the marine animals healthy. They play their part to perfection, then along came, the human animal has a habit of not giving much thought to what it does to the planet, people don't seem to realize that nature has given us a planet that we can live on that has everything we need. As long as we take care of it, it's not progress to destroy the world that support you. It is not. And that's exactly what we're doing. It's not progress and stupidity. They were cleaning out the sharks from the ocean, and the fish. I don't know if it's true. But I saw on the computer Actually, there are only 10% of the large pelagic fish, like tuna, left in the ocean to what there was at the end of World War Two. And we're having new ways using satellites to find where these last schools of fish are, and mesh grabbing them up. The problem is, you have to leave the breeding aggregations alone. And sadly, I know because in Australia, we're doing it as well. They're now harvesting the breeding aggregations, rank stupidity. But I've said it before, they're free for the taking. And we are a very greedy race of animals, like humans. And if it's free, and we can make money out of it. Most of us have a tendency to utilize that aspect of whatever we're looking at, be it a beautiful tree that might be sold as timber, or a beautiful fish that might be sold as food or a beautiful shark whose fins can be sold to make soup. And I'm asked all the time, do I think there's hope? There is only hope if we stop doing what we're doing destroying the planet that supports us. Because if we destroy it, it won't support us anymore. And they might have began to do.

Thom Pollard: 17:25

So what can we do then? Is there I mean, so you said hope? And so should we less fish? And you know, I mean it I'm being completely serious? How does how does one individual make a difference? Especially given that in China, shark fin soup is prized, so highly and they go and they take hundreds of 1000s if not millions of sharks a year

Valerie Taylor: 17:49

yet and forgotten how many million a year, it can't go on. Those sharks that were in blue water white guess they wait to show me around all those white chips, oceanic white chips, they big. They gone. About four years ago, I went back. And I couldn't in two weeks, not one single shark in the Indian Ocean could I find not anything gone? Amazing. Even the reef sharks were gone. And I mean, I didn't only had a little bit of bait, but even the bait didn't attract any. It's it's what we're doing to ourselves, we're doing to the planet. We're killing the planet. And in doing so killing the planet, the supporters and killing ourselves. I don't know how it's going to end up, I won't be there to see it. I've lived through the best 6070 years the planet has ever known. I'm a fortunate person. And I feel for my nephews and nieces and people that I love who are very young. Because I can see a catastrophe ahead. Unless we change our ways. And we're not going to change our ways. We both know that. It's it's an Done deal, in my opinion.

Thom Pollard: 19:29

It It seems very Code Red. And you know, I sailed across the South Pacific when I met you in Sydney. I showed some pictures of that a couple of years ago, and we didn't see much, much in the way of fish at all at all. during that whole trip. We caught a few tuna that we consumed but that was it. It was it seemed like a desert out there.

Valerie Taylor: 19:55

A desert of plastic pollution and water bottles. What's this thing about water bottles? Cat wars? Well, in Sydney, it's cleaner than the water in the box. Some of the water comes straight out of the chat when they sell it. It's ridiculous. It's, I must be five years ago now. Ready to cross the Pacific, Australia, all the way across to I think I got off the ship in Tahiti. I did it once, before in 1973. And there were islands so pristine, and so perfect. No one moved on them. And we stopped, we sort of Island hopped across, and I did it again, same company. I stopped, we stopped at one of the islands that we had been to, or I have been to so long ago, which was pristine, and I couldn't see the sand on the beach for garbage. Most of it to do with plastic, I couldn't see the sand on the beach, and no one lived there. That is what we're doing to the planet. I just can't I can't explain. I mean, if they say Seeing is believing. Well, it's certainly not knowing is believing because I really believe that everybody who can listen to the radio, read a book or watch the computer knows what's happening. They don't care. That's what I think. I think I'm right.

Thom Pollard: 21:50

We're listening to Valerie Taylor discuss the new biographical film by National Geographic about her called playing with sharks. The Valerie Taylor story now on Disney plus. Valerie, I want to ask you about your craft, you put the spear down at your prime and, and you came on the scene with this camera. You know, this desire to film before which is a it's it's hard to fathom this before anybody had ever ever filmed a great white shark underwater. I mean, that's it only can happen once right the first time. And you know, I was thinking about this, that you You came along in this time in history that was perfect for this to all happen to you. And you were at the right time at the right place and had talent and desire and passion. And Ron. And the combination of you two was just kind of off the charts like this. Like you can't make this stuff up. It's like pouring, you know, like one substance into another and bubbles start pouring out by over the top. And that's what happened. When you met and you you really kind of broke the mold for what you did.

Valerie Taylor: 23:16

What we didn't know we were doing this, we were just trying to make a living doing what we love. And we both were very good underwater. We can both hold our breath for a long time. Both very Fitch and not afraid. I think that was a big thing. We didn't believe what the newspapers said about sharks, because when we were spearfishing, say I spear a good fish at a bronzy siphon bull shark would come in. I found I could fight fight him off at least nine times out of 10 by poking him with the spear and hitting him over the head. If he didn't go away, I'd give him the fish.

Thom Pollard: 24:09

So Valerie, you know what really fascinates me and I have to ask you about this. I was I was I couldn't get enough of the fact that Ron made his own housings for the cameras that used underwater that is so innovative and it is it's just so ahead of his time. This guy who just loved to be at some tool machine carving out clear plastic and how do you wind up the bolex camera and that is so ahead of its time. This he must have been an amazing technician of of sorts.

Valerie Taylor: 24:49

He was a genius. Absolutely a genius if it hadn't education, who knows what he would have become but he made All our housings for all the cameras mine and his. And when my hair I've got arthritis when the Arthritis started to affect my hands, he made big fat handles that I could hold easily. And when you cameras came out, another housing was made

Thom Pollard: 25:17

one thing I also really enjoyed about the film. I love that the film started with you packing a bag for a trip. And I just want and you said well, you got to pack jammies. So one of the things you pack where your pajamas is what what what else when other than the pink wetsuit? What What, what did you bring on your trip to Fiji?

Valerie Taylor: 25:41

three pairs of knickers, three t shirts, and one jacket. And every night when I had a shower, I bought a pair of knickers on a T shirt under the shower. Easy peasy. ATPG one thing I do is travel a lot. Are you one pair of good shoes? One pair of stones? Because the carrier and with your dive gear? You get very heavy. Yeah. You know the God gave is one which suit two bases. Two skins, flip his way back five times as much as my suitcase. In the camera, huh?

Thom Pollard: 26:24

Incredible. Um, so you you I'm sure you know that the the great white shark population off of Cape Cod near Woods Hole is off the charts now. And it is it it's big time. It's almost like the jaws film that you helped with is not the you know, not the fake, you know, 30 foot shark thing. But there are a lot of sharks now. And you could probably go see one pretty easily.

Valerie Taylor: 26:56

Well, you always could, they were always there was just the population wasn't so big. And it wasn't noticed so much. That's all. I mean, this, you people don't realize that these animals have always been there. They belong there. And they do a job there, whatever it may be. Nature doesn't make mistakes. Well, she has made one.

Thom Pollard: 27:26

And that was

Valerie Taylor: 27:28

you and me, the human race. We're destroying all her hard work as fast as we can. Even in America, where you think that have more sense of Australia, all these supposedly civilized countries are not that civilized. It's not progress to destroy the planet that support you. And that's stupidity. I've said it before I'll say it again. And that's exactly what we are doing. And I can't say them enough. I'm just an old lady, and who cares what I think. But I've lived long enough to learn a few lessons. And I've lived out there I haven't gone from flesh hotel to flesh hotel while I travel. I've traveled on boats, fishing boats, stay intense, sometimes no dent. We never had any money. We travel hard. But we had a life and real life. And I think I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. No one can have that life again, it's over, it will never happen again.

Thom Pollard: 28:43

Amazing. So if there's a little girl or a little boy who happens to be listening to this or watching and you and the end, they might have a mom and dad who says you got to go to school, you got to go to college, and then you're going to work for this company, and then get a 401k plan or a retirement plan. And then the kids like oh, I don't like that. What would you tell a child you know about following? what's what's there? You know,

Valerie Taylor: 29:13

I would tell the parents, when on my 15th birthday, my mother said Valerie, you leave school on Monday. Just tell them you're not coming back. Then she said you have to go out and get a job and support yourself. I was 15 just turned. I walked out the door of our state commission house we were poor. And I I could do anything I wanted. The world was mine. I could all I had to do was make a living. I got sacked for my first two jobs. And then I got a job that I was really really good at because I couldn't draw I'm a painter. And I couldn't draw and I got a job as an as an animator The days when animation was done on a big sell in the original Disney fashion. And when we came back to Australia, I got a job drawing comic strips there illustrating children's books. I did everything I did, I did it because I wanted to. Same with my brothers. Our parents never said you have to do this. You have to go to school, you have to go to college, or we could never cost money. But they never pushed us anywhere. We went where we thought we should go. And my brothers and I have always done well.

Thom Pollard: 30:40

Wow, I that's incredible. I that's it. That is, you know, see, my mom and dad were pretty cool too. And they said, you know, follow your follow your dreams and we support they always support it, whatever I did, but when I quit my job to go climb Mount Everest 22 years ago, they were mortified. They're like, why'd you quit your job, you just bought a house and you have a, you have a toddler a little boy around. And I was like, screw it. I'm out of here. You know, and, and they were mortified. But they loved it. They lived vicariously through me. They were not risk takers in their life. And I was like, I'd be miserable. If I say no to this opportunity. And my kids are 20 and 23. And I think, I don't know, they, they're just kids, but it's like, do whatever you want. You want to be a ballet dancer, be a ballet dancer, you want to be an underwater camera, scuba diver, do it. You want to be the best couch surfer in the world and go around the world sleeping on people's couches, go for it, literally, I don't care.

Valerie Taylor: 31:47

Be happy, be happy and be satisfied with your life. I think too much is expected of young people now. And they are expected to go out and make a lot of money and get married and have children. And really my way of thinking, to my experience to get out and live a life. That's the way to go. I've been fortunate. My parents were poor, but they gave me a freedom that children don't seem to get any more. Expect expectation is good. If I was a brilliant mathematician or something, I guess something different would have been expected. My dream was to be a dancer, but of course folio put that to bed very smartly. And so I became a diver that you simpleness that a Spiro? a diver. an underwater camera woman, filmmaker. Wow. Hello. Had a great life and then I became a serious conservationists.

Thom Pollard: 32:57

So what are you? Are you a book reader? What's your inspiration? Do you listen to music? Or are you a book person? Or is it your painting? What's your outside of your if you will work even though I know you love photography, and it's a passion, but

Valerie Taylor: 33:12

I love books. I really love books. When I was lying my back as a little girl. books were my education. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, loner Dune. All those incredible books 20,000 leagues beneath the sea. I'm not going to read them once I read them over and over a bridge adventure. My dream was to go down the Mississippi on a raft just like Huck Finn did all these things. There's also small never know how much joy I've got from reading their books.

Thom Pollard: 33:57

Last thing I want to ask is because I I don't scuba dive, I did swim. I was a swimmer. I put myself through college on a swimming scholarship, but I was always afraid of the water. Yes, but I was afraid of the water when I couldn't see the bottom. So I was always like, yeah, so it was like I didn't have your courage. But for anyone who doesn't know. And including me in terms of scuba diving, and as you said in the film, I will be scuba diving when I'll be diving when I'm in my wheelchair, a wheelchair. What does it feel like to go underwater? With your gear on what is the sensation? Is it beautiful?

Valerie Taylor: 34:44

Well, I'm sitting in that gym boat, and we've seen that patch underneath the water somewhere. And you roll suit up rolling, break the surface, it could be something that someplace No one's ever seen in the history of the world. Everything is new. And it's changing every minute. It's full of wonder, and beauty and mystery and excitement. Who, who's out there. beyond your vision. I mean, it might only be 30 feet vision might only be 20 feet. Or if you're lucky, it can be 60 feet, you don't know what's there, you never know what's going to come bursting out of the gloom. So there's that edge of excitement. Every dive is different. It's not the same, because it's a liquid world. And the animals live there. And there are many, many animals, same as they used to be on land and in the forest. And they, they're changing and moving around all the time. Now often take down fish scraps, food, and I break it up in the water just to see who comes. And you'd be amazed who comes for free fame. And what's even more amazing. As who hangs around with you hoping you do it again. I'll swim along with you. cover my best marine friends have been more angels. I get along really well with eels. Feed them once a friend for life. And they remember you from year to year. Oh, my favorite year wasn't in the film. Her name is honey. She lives in the band of sea off the island of Banda. And from year to year, I'd go and see a once a year. And she never forgot me. If there was footage of her rapping body right around me my bass line on the sand together hugging each other. And that's true. I'd have liked to have seen it in the film. But they said they couldn't put on everything. Oh, he's a white eel was blackspots very unusual.

Thom Pollard: 36:58

Beautiful. Valerie, I I thank you so much. And I just feel like I was I got a gift today to be able to take this time and hear your story.

Valerie Taylor: 37:10

Well, I've enjoyed talking with you. And I wish you luck.

Thom Pollard: 37:22

Among the many awards and honors presented to Valerie Taylor is the Order of Australia established by Elizabeth the Second and the honor that recognizes Australian citizens and other persons for achievement and meritorious service. The Australian geographic lifetime of conservation award, the Australian cinematographers society Hall of Fame and in 2012 renaming of the newly declared Neptune islands group marine park surrounding the Neptune islands in South Australia, to the Neptune islands group Ron and Valerie Taylor marine park. her memoir is an adventurous life, published in 2019, and the recently released National Geographic film playing with sharks, the Valerie Taylor story can be seen on Disney plus, Valerie, thank you for your incredible work and passion for conservation, for taking time out of your incredibly busy day. Thanks for visiting tools for nomads, and up close and insightful look into the lives and habits of passionate and creatively prolific people like Valerie Taylor, who embrace and cherish the nomadic lifestyle tools for nomads is brought to you by top drawer. at top drawer nomadism isn't simply about being on the move. It's about loving and living life with the things we carry directly impact our productivity, our well being and even our identity. top drawer combines the quality and craftsmanship of our grandparents generation with the drive for independence function, stylish sustainability. It all results in a collection of tools curated from around the world that help you do your best work wherever you are. Visit top drawer shop.com or visit one of their dozen plus meticulously outfitted shops San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Berkeley, Chicago, and Tokyo. top drawer shop.com Thanks for visiting on Thom Pollard. See you next time on tools for nomads.