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'World's Biggest Tiger Shark?': Meet Kori Garza whose fascination with sharks began with Spielberg's 'Jaws'

Garza's love for sharks began at an early age though she did not grow up anywhere near an ocean

Tiger sharks are some of the most fascinating creatures in the ocean while being the second deadliest shark species after the Great White shark. Its name is derived from the dark stripes down its body, which resembles a tiger's pattern, but fades as the shark matures. As part of National Geographic's 'Sharkfest', the network is airing the documentary 'World's Biggest Tiger Shark', which features marine biologist Kori Garza and Emmy Award-winning underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande's travel to French Polynesia to capture on video Kamakai, the biggest tiger shark Garza had ever encountered. 

Garza's fascination with sharks began at an early age though she did not grow up anywhere near an ocean. Raised in landlocked Missouri, Garza's first fascination with shark came from Steven Spielberg's masterpiece 'Jaws' and while the movie may have had audiences terrified of sharks, it only increased Garza's attraction to them. Her other influences growing up included the documentaries she watched on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, as well as the legendary Australian zookeeper and conservationist, Steve Irwin, who had a big impact on Garza and her decision to pursue conservation and science, in particular, the behavioral studies of predatory species. In the biography on her expeditions website, Garza states, "I always admired how where others saw monsters, he saw beauty."

Garza went on to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Marine Science from Hawaii Pacific University. From there, she went on to work studying deep water coral species with The Oceanic Institute and later, The Coral Reef Ecosystem of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She developed a database on mesophotic coral for the American Samoa region, focusing on the presence of light-dependent corals in regions with depth over 30 meters. Her database is now being used in support of the proposed listing of 66 coral species for coverage under the US Endangered Species Act.

However, Garza's true passion lay with sharks, in particular with the tiger shark which she considers her favorite species. In an interview with Pakaloha, she said that she believes tiger sharks are one of the most misunderstood species on the planet, saying, "Interactions with tigers are incredibly special to me, borderline spiritual even. Every moment spent in [the] water with a tiger leaves me in awe. They are just so incredibly beautiful, majestic, and powerful."

In 2014, she was approached by Discovery Channel to be featured in an episode highlighting the large predatory shark species of Hawaii. There, she met conservationist Juan Oliphant and went on to join Oliphant's One Ocean Diving/Water Inspired team, where she learned how to interact with sharks in-water. She then spent four consecutive seasons in French Polynesia with an ecotourism company to study humpback whale migration. 

After spending many years traveling to some of the most famous as well as some of the most remote hotspots for sharks around the world, Garza began organizing expeditions through her company, Ladyshark Expeditions. She hopes not only to further the understanding and positive perception of the "world’s most misunderstood predator" but to help preserve the marine environment and inspire the next generation to be captivated by its wild nature.

'World's Biggest Tiger Shark?' premieres July 19 at 8/7c on National Geographic. An encore presentation will follow on August 11 at 9/8c on Nat Geo Wild.