Beneath The Waves

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Beneath The Waves is a global NGO working to conserve sharks and the habitats they occupy through cutting-edge scientific research.

Beneath The Waves is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization working to protect our oceans. Beneath The Waves' mission is to advance the conservation of sharks and their habitats through cutting-edge scientific research. As top predators, sharks are crucial to maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems but, as slow-growing species with low reproductive rates, they are highly sensitive to overexploitation and population declines. Beneath The Waves uses innovative technologies and research approaches for advancing our understanding of the biology of sharks in order to create information needed to support their conservation.

10/07/2026

Five newly identified important shark and ray areas. Five areas to which Beneath The Waves contributed data and expert analysis.

The latest IUCN + ISRA update identifies 259 important areas across North America and Caribbean Waters - mapping places where sharks raise and chimeras move, feed, reproduce, and aggregate.

Our contribution brings years of tracking, field research and scientific expertise into a larger conservation picture helping identify the places that matter most to ocean giants.

ISRAs turn scientific evidence into a spatial resource that can help inform future conservation and management.

From research to action.

More details exploring this coming soon.

Read the full press release and download the report through the link in our bio.

09/28/2026

Even when we aren’t working with them directly, so many of us spend our free time in, on, or under the water. We study these animals because we truly love them and appreciate their role in nature.

Photos by

09/24/2026

We look at our research through different lenses to better understand the ocean giants we study—and the ecosystems they move through.

Where they go is one of those lenses, but it’s about more than just a location.
Movement tells us where animals travel and how they use space. Behavior helps us understand what they’re doing along the way. And connectivity reveals how those movements link habitats, populations, and ecosystems across the ocean.

Because when we follow where animals go, we start to see the bigger picture: a connected ocean, and the animals that help reveal how it works.

09/21/2026

This year on our continued Mola project, we tagged our largest yet. Measuring a length of 238 cm, this fish is getting close to the size of a VW Beetle. Often, while tagging an animal of this size, we find ourselves making sure we are keeping the boat even keeled and sometimes getting in simply to reach the other side of the fish!

The Mola mola truly is an ocean giant.

Photos by Drew McDougall

* Measurements on the graphic were estimated mathematically using the length and measurements of the animal for visual purposes. Understand they may not be exact, but are realistic.

09/13/2026

From time to time we like to simply be present with the animals we work with, to remind ourselves why we’re conducting the research.

The Mola mola has quickly become one of our favorite Ocean Giants, and with each individual fish we encounter, we are able to collect a large volume of samples to maximize our analyses and better understand their role in the world oceans.

09/03/2026

Update From the Field // Our team has recently completed more field work in the Cape. The Mola Project has been underway for 5 years now as we continue to gather more information about this mysterious fish. Our understanding of its amazing qualities grow with every sample — we always look forward to spending time with this amazing ocean giant.

09/02/2026

Although we have been exploring different parts or our oceans for new species, ocean giants, and whatever mysteries it may hold, sharks have always been at the forefront of what we do. Since our inception they’ve captivated us, inspired us, and have become valuable partners in protecting the ocean.

08/24/2026

Our annual impact report is out! Strategic growth, ocean giants, new countries, and plenty of publications and discoveries. Copy the link below or look in our bio to dive in to the details of what we accomplished in 2025.

https://beneaththewaves.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/BTW-2025-Annual-Impact-Report-compressed.pdf

08/04/2026

Publication Highlight // Fragmentation of sharp-tail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) caused by high-impact ramming behavior in orcas (Orcinus orca)

Orcas are among the ocean's most intelligent predators, continually revealing new and complex hunting behaviors.

In a recent study in the Gulf of California, our team members and collaborators documented adult orcas using a powerful "ram-to-fragment" hunting strategy to target sharp-tail sunfish (M. lanceolatus). By striking the fish with enough force to break it apart, the adults may make prey easier to consume, create feeding opportunities for younger orcas, or even reinforce social learning through cooperative hunting.

Observations like these offer a glimpse into the remarkable adaptability of apex predators and remind us that there's still much to discover about how marine species interact, learn, and thrive in life beneath the waves.

Read the full paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ethology/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1835536/full

04/20/2026

Looking well be on the surface into the deep Waters of Japan. Our team has made its second stop to record some deep sea creatures in Suruga Bay.

Address

200 Portland Street
Boston, MA
02114

Website

https://www.beneaththewaves.org/, https://linktr.ee/btwaves

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