2025 Celebrity Guests

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Multi Time Best Actor Oscar Winner, Richard Dreyfuss joins us to celebrate Jaws 50th Anniversary. Richard played the iconic role, Hooper, in the first Jaws film. He is known for other roles as well in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Hollands Opus, Stakeout, and more. You will be able to purchase autographs and photo ops here shortly.

 G. Thomas Dunlop is known for Jaws 2 (1978), CBS Afternoon Playhouse (1978) and Eight Is Enough (1977). 

Jeffrey Voorhees is a well known actor for fans of the movie Jaws, for his role as the ill-fated Alex Kintner. In one of the scenes of the iconic 1975 Steven Spielberg film, Voorhees portrays the boy Alex, who is attacked by the monstrous shark Bruce while swimming on his raft from the beach. 

Jeffrey Voorhees may have only had a brief appearance in Jaws, but his portrayal of Alex Kintner has left a lasting impression on moviegoers around the world. With his unique claim to fame, he continues to be a beloved figure among Jaws fans and he enjoys going to signings, cameos and conversing and sharing stories with the fans and also running his dog on the beach... the same beach that he died at on Martha's Vineyard while playing Alex when we was 12 years old in 1975.

While attending Brown University in the mid-70s, the aspiring actor was cast in Universal's sequel to Jaws (1975), Jaws 2 (1978). He relocated to Hollywood and continued to work as an actor for the next 6 years. He had substantial roles in the films, Making Love (1982), Delusion (1981) and Split Image (1982), and on television in Family Ties (1982), Little House on the Prairie (1974), Taxi (1978) and the Jim Jones docudrama, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980). He finished his career in New York working on the Broadway and off-Broadway stage. 

John Putch He is the son of actress Jean Stapleton. After guest starring on his mother's series All in the Family (playing a Boy Scout in 1973 episode "Archie Is Branded"), he was in a recurring role as Bob Morton on the sitcom One Day at a Time, appearing in 14 episodes from 1976 to 1983. Putch's next notable role was in the film Jaws 3-D (1983) co-starring as Sean Brody the son of Roy Scheider's character, Martin Brody. His other film credits include appearances in The Sure Thing (1985), Welcome to 18 (1986), Men at Work (1990), Skeeter (1993), and the horror film Curfew (1989), opposite Kyle Richards.

In 1985, Putch made his directorial debut with the short film Waiting to Act starring Ed Begley, Jr., Helen Hunt and Lance Guest. . His television directing credits include Big Bad Beetleborgs, Son of the Beach, Grounded for Life, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, My Name Is Earl, Tycus, Rush Hour, APB, Cougar Town, and American Housewife. Some of Putch's film directing credits include Bachelor Man starring David DeLuise, The Poseidon Adventure, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, Murder 101: College Can Be Murder starring Dick Van Dyke and Mojave Phone Booth starring Annabeth Gish and Steve Guttenberg, which won numerous independent film awards.

In 2007 Putch began making a trilogy of comedies surrounding US Route 30 in his home state of Pennsylvania. Route 30, Route 30, Too! and Route 30, Three![3] respectively take place in south central Pennsylvania in Franklin and Adams counties.

 SharkCon 10 welcomes Michael A. Smith.

Michael authored the book Finatics: 50 Years of Jaws and coauthored Jaws 2: The making of a Sequel.

Dr. Mike Heithaus is vice provost for Environmental Resilience and for Biscayne Bay Campus at Florida International University. He is also executive dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University. He is a marine ecologist specializing in predator-prey interactions and the ecological importance of sharks and other large marine species. Heithaus was a scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research. He also worked with National Geographic's Remote Imaging Department where he conducted studies using their "Crittercam." Heithaus has been involved in the production of more than a dozen natural history documentaries, including two featured on Shark Week, and has hosted a National Geographic Channel television series. 

 Dr. Yannis Papastamatiou is an associate professor and marine biologist. With over 100 research publications, Papastamatiou is one of the world’s leading shark behavioral ecologists. Papastamatiou’s use of new tag technologies on species ranging from pelagic oceanic whitetips to home-ranging reef sharks has advanced the field of predator ecology and led to evidence-based marine protected area zoning. His work has appeared on National Geographic and BBC. A native of London, Papastamatiou has conducted research in California, Florida, Hawaii, South Africa and throughout the Mediterranean and Northern Pacific Ocean. He earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

 Dr. Cardeñosa, a 2020-21 Distinguished Postdoctoral Scholar, uses molecular and forensic tools to fight the illegal trade in endangered sharks, from Hong Kong to Latin America. His latest focus is on understudied small shark fins, many of which are taken from protected species, and he has also proposed a study in coordination with several national governments in Latin America to develop new protocols for interrupting illicit trade in sharks and other species. Dr. Cardeñosa is working in the Predator Ecology and Conservation Lab and supporting the anti-trafficking efforts of the Tropical Conservation Institute and the International Forensic Research Institute. 

 Angela Rosenberg is President of ANGARI Foundation and captain of R/V ANGARI. With over 20 years of marine research experience, she founded the foundation to merge her passion for the ocean, science and boating. Previously, she was Director of Programs at The International SeaKeepers Society and a marine geochemist at the University of South Carolina. Rosenberg holds a M.S. in Marine Geology and Geophysics, a B.S. in Marine Science and Biology and an M.B.A. She is a licensed captain and experienced diver, overseeing over 100 research expeditions aboard R/V ANGARI. 

 Associate Research Scientist Brent Winner (right) received his masters’ degree in marine biology, specializing in sharks, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
He’s caught, studied, and published scientific papers on a variety of Florida fish species including red drum, snook, sheepshead, snapper/grouper species, and sharks and rays.

Carlee, a true force of nature, is making waves in the world of marine biology with her unrelenting passion for the world’s most misunderstood creatures: sharks. Known as a trailblazer among her peers, she has dedicated her life to studying these creatures and educating others about their importance to the world’s oceans. 

From her debut on international TV with National Geographic’s Sharkfest, to media interviews, podcasts and the release of 2 books…Carlee is sprinkling her Black girl Magic in the shark and marine science world!

Stephen J. Godfrey,  received his B.Sc. in Biology from Bishop’s University (Quebec) and a Ph.D. in paleontology from McGill University (Quebec).  Well-known museums or theme parks where his work is now on display include the Field Museum in Chicago, the Noorder Dierenpark in Emman the Netherlands, and at both Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.  He has also had numerous sculpting contracts with the University of Chicago (Paul Sereno) and National Geographic and has appeared in three of their TV specials on extinct dinosaurs from Africa.

In 1998, Dr. Godfrey became the Curator of Paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland.

Joe Wasilewski  graduated from Florida International University (1981) with a BS Degree in Biology.

He has been appointed to the IUCN, as a member of both the Crocodile Specialist Group and Iguana Specialist Group. He is a member of the IUCN CSG Tomistoma Task Force, a Director for the Bahamas National Trust as well as the Explorer’s Club located in New York City.

Joe is president of Natural Selections of South Florida, an environmental consulting firm.

He has made appearances on NBC’s Today Show, the Tonight Show (with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno), ABC Evening News and CBS Nightly News. He also regularly consults with natural history productions and national/international news outlets such as National Geographic, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, BBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, HGTV, History Channel and Al Jazeera News.

Pam (Saltman) McDonald has worked in Conservation and Animal Care for 30 years. Currently, she is an Aquarist at a major Florida theme park and cares for numerous aquatic animals including sharks and rays. As a Divrmaster,she has  the opportunity to bring guests diving with sharks and introduce them to these amazing creatures. Pam has had the unforgettable opportunity to volunteer with New England Aquarium and assist  with shark projects.  Conservation efforts are a huge part of what makes her world go around and since 1995 she has sat on a Conservation Fund Grant Review Committee and has the shared responsibility to give over one million dollars a year to marine conservation projects around the world.  

Samantha Whitcraft is a marine conservation biologist, environmentalist, and oceans advocate. Logging 5000+ research and educational dives around the world, she created the first classroom-at-sea in Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. After earning her Bachelor’s in natural science at Harvard and her Master of Marine Affairs & Policy at University of Miami, she worked to legally protect endangered marine species, especially sharks, whales, and manatees. She’s studied coral reef MPAs’ connectivity and investigated the shark fin trade in China all while promoting sustainable ecotourism over her 30+ year career. Whitcraft initiated and developed Aggressor Adventures® awardwinning sustainability program, Green the Fleet®, and is Executive Director of the Sea of Change Foundation, providing leadership in community-based conservation, globally. 

Sophia Hemsi is a first-year Ph.D. student at Florida International University in the Marine Community and Behavioral Ecology Lab, where she studies the social behavior and ecology of marine animals. Her research explores topics ranging from bull shark social networks in the Everglades to the community dynamics of cetaceans in the Caribbean and the foraging patterns of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. Originally from Colorado, Hemsi moved to South Florida to pursue her passion for marine science. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marine biology from FIU as a Presidential Scholar and graduated summa cum laude. She is also an NOAA Hollings Scholar and has conducted extensive fieldwork and outreach through her work with the Heithaus Lab and the FIU-ANGARI Foundation. Through her work, she aims to inspire environmental literacy and support conservation through science that tells a stor 

Will Sample is a Ph.D. candidate in the Marine Community and Behavioral Ecology Lab at Florida International University. His current research uses both long-term historical datasets and newer methods, such as high-resolution accelerometry, to study the movement and behavioral ecology of juvenile bull sharks. He specifically focuses on the way these sharks may be transporting nutrients across habitat boundaries, how they may be optimizing their movements to save energy and what the long-term implications of different behaviors they specialize in may be. Sample’s research in the Florida Everglades studying the ways sharks move through this crucial ecosystem is important for conservation and informing habitat restoration and management efforts. Sample earned a B.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Florida Atlantic University in 2018 and has lived all throughout Florida for most of his life, from Jacksonville to Jupiter to the Keys. He is passionate about community outreach and education, particularly regarding Florida’s natural habitats, and currently serves as lead scientist for ANGARI’s Palm Beach County based Coastal Ocean Explorers: Sharks program aboard R/V ANGARI.