Get close view of killer sharks (From Gazette Series)

Get close view of killer sharks

THE UK premiere of Sharks 3D is being held in Bristol next week, in the presence of a very special visitor.

HRH Prince Michael of Kent will be watching the film at the Imax theatre in the @bristol complex on Wednesday, January 25.

Dr Jon Hutton, director of the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and film director Jean-Jacques Mantello will also be there.

The film opens to the public on January 28 and is a fascinating programme offering incredible up-close encounters with the lions and tigers of the ocean. It is presented by renowned ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau and is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Audiences can come face-to-face with a multitude of shark species, including the Great White, Hammerhead, and Whale Shark, experiencing them as they truly are in their natural habitat. The film explores why sharks are essential to the survival of our ocean life and viewers will discover that they are not wicked man-eating creatures, but wild, fascinating, and highly endangered animals. As the ultimate predator, which began roaming the waters millions of years before the appearance of the dinosaurs, they are the final element in the marine food chain cycle, maintaining the complex webs of life below them.

Despite their position at the top of their food chain, sharks are increasingly endangered by humans. More than 100 million sharks and shark-like fish are caught and slaughtered each year. Some species have declined in number by as much as 80 percent in the past decade, and are well on their way to becoming extinct within the next 10 years.

Simon Jones, @bristol's head of marketing, said: "The film's 3D effects really place you in the middle of the colourful undersea world. Along with incredible shark encounters, you will also get up close to sea lions, be surrounded by huge schools of fish and get so near to manta rays and jellyfish swimming past, you can reach out and touch them! Sharks 3D isn't just a movie...it's an exhilarating experience.'

Tickets to this underwater adventure are available by calling 0845 345 1235 or visit www.at-bristol.org.uk