Dangerous Animals: We go on a shark dive to celebrate the release of this new horror flick (2025)

Dangerous Animals marks director Sean Byrne’s third film, following his cult classic The Loved Ones and The Devil’s Candy. The film was so highly anticipated that it made its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (check out our review HERE), and we were also lucky enough to chat with Byrne, and stars Jai Courtenay, Josh Heuston and Hassie Harrison (check out the interviews HERE). To help celebrate the release on June 6th, Shudder and IFC invited a select group of journalists and influencers to a shark dive at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, New York. With Courtney himself in attendance, each person was required to slip themselves into a wetsuit, adorn themselves with weights (you float to the top otherwise, naturally) and step into a shark cage with a licensed diver. Then, for twenty very special minutes, you’re in the water with several sharks and various vibrant fish. While the sharks have no interest in harming you or messing with the cage, you’re urged not to stick your hands out of the cage to touch them. They might just think you’re providing them with a snack…

My first time having an experience like this was truly remarkable, one I’ll never forget. (No doubt it was the quickest twenty minutes of my life.) The sharks were so majestic it’s impossible not to have a newfound respect and admiration for them. While of course they make for thrilling villains in horror movies, the truth is they’re surprisingly gentle and calm creatures… As long as you keep your hands in the cage. Check out our video of the experience above and some more from the trip below:

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