Sharks get a bad rap. Sure, as a kid I watched “Jaws” and was a little freaked out about even getting in my family’s swimming pool, but for every sensationalized shark terror film, there are tons of sharks going about their business in the world’s oceans without bothering humans.
This past week, I swam with Galapagos sharks off the north shore of Oahu. The family-owned outfitter, Islandview Hawai’i, respects their culture, the ocean, and its inhabitants, and through their cageless pelagic shark dive give guests the opportunity a much deeper understanding of sharks beyond the irrational fears many of us are guilty of fostering.
While that experience was incredible for me, it’s OK if your road to supporting sharks is a little less like diving into the deep end. One way to do that is to snag some sunglasses from Costa’s OCEARCH collection.
The collection serves as a tribute to sharks and their place in the ecosystem that keeps oceans balanced, with frames and colors inspired by sharks. And better yet, each purchase helps fund research expeditions aboard M/V OCEARCH (with its data-centric organization helping scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean) and their mission to help protect sharks.
There are eight sunglass frame designs in Costa’s OCEARCH collection, from Half Moon to Cay Cay and Remora to Caballito, and you’re bound to find at least one that’s a favorite. My favorite is Slack Tide, with a frame big enough to protect my eyes from the sun, but small enough to not overwhelm my face. The frame style can be combined with three different lens selections, from gray to blue mirror to gray silver mirror. All Costa’s lenses are polarized, so you don’t have to worry about choosing the right style lens other than color.
Pick your favorite on Costa’s OCEARCH site. The Slack Tide ranges from $189 to $269 (depending on lens choice). As long as you don’t drop them over the edge of the boat, they’ll last a long, long while.