Crossing the Tideline

In 2023, Brett Burcher had a close encounter with a Great White Shark while surfing at his local beach in Forster, NSW. The entire incident was captured on drone, in clear blue water, from directly above.

That experience became the catalyst for Crossing the Tideline — an observational documentary and podcast exploring fear, risk, trauma, perception and our evolving relationship with the ocean.

Sharks dominate conversation in coastal communities. Sightings, encounters and near misses sit alongside uncertainty, conflicting opinions, media noise and the emotional weight of wanting to keep using the ocean, but not knowing how to cope.

Behind the headlines are real people navigating not just uncertainty, but the reality of everything that ripples out after a shark encounter. Through conversations with survivors, scientists, victims' families, surfers, conservationists, first responders, policy makers and community members, this podcast explores one question: what does coexistence actually look and feel like?

• No. of episodes: 4
• Latest episode: 2026-05-19
• Education Society & Culture Documentary

Where can you listen?