Standing in front of original pieces from Frank Mundus’ fighting chair aboard the Cricket II, I couldn’t help but think about how much shark history was represented in one place.
Mundus was one of the most famous shark fishermen who ever lived. Operating the Cricket II out of Montauk, New York, he built a reputation pursuing enormous sharks through what he called “Monster Fishing.” His name also became intertwined with Jaws and the character of Quint. Author Peter Benchley made trips aboard the Cricket II, and although Benchley never credited Mundus as the specific model for Quint, elements of Mundus’ shark-fishing methods found their way into the story.
But there was another chapter to Mundus’ life. As the Living Sharks Museum notes, “In the years before his passing, Frank Mundus came to realize that sharks were disappearing from his fishing grounds, and had a change of heart.”
He later advocated for catch-and-release tournament fishing, shark tagging and fishing practices designed to be safer for sharks. That evolution makes Mundus an interesting bridge between the old days of big-game shark fishing, the cultural phenomenon of Jaws and the conservation efforts surrounding sharks today.
And that’s a fitting introduction to the Living Sharks Museum in Westerly, Rhode Island.
Our visit came during a New England shark expedition with my wife Lisa, daughter Faith and Marina Wilson, the first recipient of our Gulf Great White Shark Society scholarship. A major purpose of the expedition was giving Marina firsthand opportunities to learn about sharks, meet people involved in shark research, education and conservation and experience this world in ways that simply can’t happen in a classroom.
We also had some serious weather to deal with. A powerful nor’easter was bearing down on New England, and we made the decision to get off Cape Cod ahead of the worst conditions. That sent us west and gave us an opportunity to head into Rhode Island and visit a place that had been on my radar.
It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
Living Sharks Museum curator and shark historian Keith Cowley was a tremendous host. We had some great conversations and interactions as we explored the museum, and his knowledge of shark history and passion for preserving it added another dimension to the experience.
I walked away extremely impressed with what Cowley has created.
The museum isn’t enormous, but don’t let its size fool you. Cowley has packed an incredible amount of shark history, science and natural history into the space. This isn’t simply a collection of shark memorabilia. There is a tremendous amount here for anyone who actually wants to learn about sharks.
The Frank Mundus Collection was certainly a highlight for me. Among the artifacts are the original signed backs from Mundus’ Rockaway fighting chair aboard the Cricket II, his fighting belt and other pieces connected to his career.
Seeing actual artifacts from that era gives you a direct connection to an important period in shark-fishing history.
The museum also has some seriously cool Jaws material. As someone fascinated with both sharks and the cultural impact of that movie, I enjoyed seeing how this part of shark history is represented. The museum has assembled an impressive collection of artifacts and memorabilia connected to the making and marketing of the 1975 film.
But Living Sharks Museum goes far beyond Mundus and Jaws.
One of my favorite aspects was its focus on actual shark science and biology. There are jaws, teeth, fossils and specimens that allow visitors to see some of the incredible diversity found among sharks and their relatives.
I was particularly impressed with the shark and skate egg case collection. Seeing different egg cases together gives visitors a look at a side of shark and skate biology that many people probably never consider. The differences in their shapes, sizes and structures make this a display worth slowing down and examining.
And this isn’t simply a collection behind glass.
Living Sharks Museum operates the Rhode Island Eggcase Survey, a citizen-science project that monitors public beaches across Rhode Island year-round for egg cases from sharks, skates and rays. The information is being compiled as part of a coastal species monitoring initiative.
I really liked that connection. You can look at the egg cases in the museum, learn what they are and then see how that knowledge can be applied outside the museum along the Rhode Island coast.
It’s a great example of what Living Sharks Museum does well. History and interesting artifacts might get you through the door, but the experience keeps bringing you back to living sharks and their relatives, the science used to study them and the importance of understanding what’s actually happening in the ocean today.
The shark-tagging material was another highlight.
The museum has displays dealing with techniques and technology used in modern shark research, including examples of SPOT, PSAT and SPLASH tags. Seeing tagging equipment up close helps connect the dots between the technology itself and all of those shark-tracking maps and migration stories we see today.
Different types of tags can provide researchers with information about shark movements and other aspects of their lives. For someone like me who follows shark research closely, seeing some of that technology presented where the public can actually examine it was fascinating.
It also gave Marina another look at the science behind shark conservation.
Marina wants to pursue a career involving wildlife law enforcement and marine biology, and a major purpose of this expedition has been giving her firsthand exposure to the world of sharks. We want her to meet people involved with sharks, see research and conservation from different perspectives and understand the many ways someone can make a difference for wildlife.
That’s why a place like Living Sharks Museum fit our outreach so well.
In one visit, we could move from the history of big-game shark fishing to Jaws, examine jaws, teeth, fossils and egg cases and then look at the technology scientists use to study living sharks.
There is fishing history, movie history, biology, research and conservation. Somehow Cowley has made it all fit together.
That’s what impressed me most. Living Sharks Museum isn’t simply a room filled with cool shark stuff, although there is plenty of that. The collection tells a much larger story about sharks and our changing relationship with them.
We’ve feared sharks, hunted them and turned them into movie monsters. We’ve also become fascinated with them, and modern research is giving us an increasingly detailed look at where they go and how they live.
You can see pieces of that entire journey here.
Seeing Marina taking it all in was especially meaningful because that’s what this expedition and our Higher Calling Wildlife outreach are about. We want these experiences to do more than create great memories. We want them to encourage young people to pursue their calling and see firsthand the many ways they can make a difference for wildlife.
Having Lisa and Faith there made it even better, and having Cowley spend time with all of us and share his knowledge made an already impressive museum experience even more memorable.
There are museums that have impressive collections, and there are museums that educate. The best ones manage to do both.
Living Sharks Museum does.
If you’re interested in sharks, Jaws, fishing history, marine biology or conservation and find yourself in Rhode Island, put this place on your list. You might walk in wanting to see something connected to Quint and Frank Mundus and walk out thinking about shark tags, egg cases and just how incredibly diverse these animals really are.
Sometimes understanding where shark conservation is going requires understanding where we’ve been.
Living Sharks Museum gives visitors a fascinating look at both.
Website: livingsharks.org
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