A mural depicting a diver filming sharks was designed and painted by New Zealand artist Freeman White as a tribute to late Sharkwater filmmaker Rob Stewart.
Freeman had help from student John Berryman, who was a volunteer for the festival. The mural also features Hammerhead sharks, which were Rob’s favorites. The piece includes a quote from Rob that reads: “Conservation is the preservation of human life on earth.”
The mural was painted in five days during the festival from March 20 to 25 and is Freeman’s largest mural to date at approximately 23 x 4 metres.
Rob went missing during a dive in Florida on January 31, 2017. He was working on a sequel to Sharkwater at the time. The sequel, titled Sharkwater: Extinction, is still in production and will be completed by his team to honor his memory.