Man Makes Video of Himself Serenading Sharks -- We Ask Why

Andy Brandy Casagrande IV may very well be a shark whisperer -- or, rather, a shark singer. As in, a dude who sings to sharks.

Yep, the 33-year-old wildlife cinematographer, who works for National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, gets off on strumming a waterproof guitar in the depths of the ocean while sharks flock around him. He even uploaded a YouTube video of himself performing for his shark audience off the coast of Mexico.

The song, which is titled "If I Was a Great White Shark, I Wouldn't Bite You," features Casagrande twirling and swirling in the ocean sans cage. It debuted about a year ago, and since then he's developed a cult following. In fact, the song is screened at film festivals all over the world.

Though his infatuation with sharks -- and the fact that he puts himself in death's path -- may make Casagrande look like a crazy person, the underwater serenade actually has a purpose.

"The song is meant to inspire protection, conservation, education and further research into the lives of these amazing animals," he tells Asylum in an exclusive interview. "The lyrics are meant to give great white sharks a voice for their survival."

That partially explains why Casagrande opted for the animal that inspired such a scary 1970s movie (that'd be "Jaws") as his wildlife crush. After probing for more details though, we discovered there's a little more to this love story. It all stems from an encounter he had with a great white at the ripe age of 7.

Continue reading to see the video and learn more about Casagrande's obsession with sharks.

"A 17-foot female, as big as a bulldozer, was swimming straight for me," he recalls about his first encounter with a shark. "Oh f**k, I thought. But at the last moment she changed her mind, veered off and decided not to eat me. Or maybe she just couldn't see me hiding behind my couch since I was watching a National Geographic television documentary."

He continues, "After that intensely surreal moment, I have never, ever been the same."

Casagrande's love continued blossoming as he had more and more interactions with the species.

"I like that [sharks] are always smiling," he confesses to Asylum. "They make me want to smile all the time, too."

And as for getting frightened by the toothy sea creatures?

"I only get frightened of sketchy people," he firmly states. "Not wild animals"

Fair enough, Casagrande. There are some truly frightening human beings out there.



You can visit Casagrande's website or IMDB page to check out all sorts of shark-related pictures. You can also befriend him on Facebook. Otherwise, tune into the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic to check out some more of this shark lover's ongoing work.