The Save Our Seas Foundation presents ‘Sharks in the City’,

a week of awe, fun, and awareness dedicated to bringing sharks

– their importance, and their plight – to the Swiss lake’s shores.

Sharks in the City: a week of events in Geneva

The Save Our Seas Foundation is launching “Sharks in the City”, a week of exciting and engaging events in the city of Geneva to raise awareness of sharks: their biology, their important place on our planet, and the need for their conservation.

“Sharks in the City” is the Foundation’s reminder to us all that protecting sharks is everyone’s business.

These animals are often misunderstood, feared, and reviled, but they play an essential role in the proper functioning of the marine ecosystems that we need for our survival.

The threats that sharks face: overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation, and the complex shifts that our changing climate bring, call for collective awareness and action.

A life-size treasure hunt

From 16 to 25 May, the Save Our Seas Foundation will be running a major treasure hunt on the left bank of Geneva. Follow a free, fully bilingual (English and French) trail of seven illustrated panels through the cityscape, tracking clues and discovering different shark species by completing the quizzes on a free mobile app.

Every player that completes the treasure hunt will receive a gift pack, and will be automatically entered into a competition draw to win fantastic prizes, including two introductory diving qualification courses, memberships to and courses with the Geneva Ocean Academy, and a family pass for Aquatis.

Treasure Hunt Map. Illustrated by Kelsey Manners Dickson

Meetings with marine biology professionals

To raise awareness of the fact that everyone has an impact on marine conservation, a course in shark ecology will be given by Geneva Ocean Academy, on 19 May at 7pm at the Centre des Arts of the International School of Geneva. Speakers will discuss the evolution and biology of sharks, as well as their ecological role in the ocean, and the relationships that human societies have with sharks.

The week will close on 22 May with a screening at the Centre des Arts of the documentary “Older Than Trees” by Oscar-winning director Pippa Ehrlich, which plunges viewers into the heart of the oceans. The screening will be followed by a discussion with two experts in the marine world: biologist Noémie Coulon, who was the winner of the Jeunes Talents L’Oréal-UNESCO Pour les Femmes et la Science in 2024, and Sheena Talma, a deep-sea specialist from the Seychelles and consultant for the Save Our Seas Foundation. Christophe Ungar and James Lea, marine biologist and director of the Save Our Seas Foundation, will guide this scientific panel and the Q&A session that follows, accompanied, before everyone gathers for a convivial moment over cocktails. The event, open to all, is free of charge but requires registration.

Reserve your spot here.

Sharks in the City - Film Screening & Shark Science Panel. Artwork by Rohan Chakravarty | © Save Our Seas Foundation. Illustration by Kelsey Manners Dickson

SHARKS IN THE CITY - TIMELINE

• May 16 – 25: Treasure Hunt

• May 19 – 7 pm: Shark ecology class by Geneva Ocean Academy

Free event – registration required. Reserve your spot here.

Centre des Arts – École Internationale de Genève

• May 22 – 7 pm: Screening of Older Than Trees, directed by Pippa Ehrlich. A scientific panel discussion and audience Q&A will follow the screening.

Free event – registration required. Reserve your spot here.

Centre des Arts – École Internationale de Genève

More information here.