Baby shark rescuer saves lives at his Brighton hatchery

A diver who has saved sharks along the Sussex coast says he puts his work on social media to help people appreciate British wildlife.

Gio Reale, from Lewes in East Sussex, has gone viral on social media for his efforts saving sharks, including finding a live egg on Brighton beach, then hatching and releasing the baby shark back into the wild.

The 25-year-old has also set up a hatchery at Brighton Watersports, which he says has helped to save hundreds of cuttlefish in the area.

Mr Reale said: “I just get in the water as much as I can – I walk along the beach all the time looking for washed up stuff.”

He added: “I started my social media as a hobby and it was when I started posting dives in places like Brighton, Bognor and Eastbourne, that the videos really started to get people’s attention.

“I just think the UK is so unexplored for diving.”

Mr Reale, who was born in Italy, says he has been diving since he was 11 and started posting videos on social media to show people how beautiful British marine life can be.

While speaking to BBC South East, Mr Reale found a live catshark on Brighton Beach mid-interview and was able to rescue it, nurse it back to strength and return it to the sea.

In 2023, he found a live egg case on Brighton beach, which he hatched at Brighton Watersports and then released the baby shark.

His video documenting this hatching has had 1.3 million views on Instagram.

He said catshark egg cases can wash up during stormy weather and that young sharks that have been caught and released can become disoriented and strand on beaches.

Mr Reale said, so far, there have been three sharks sucessfully reared and released and 200 cuttlefish saved at the Brighton Watersports hatchery.