You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Sharks, You Should Be Afraid for Them

So says January Jones, Oceana activist

Shark Week might have ended earlier this month, but January Jones supports the fierce fishies all year long. In 2009, she became a spokesperson for Oceana, a Washingtonian nonprofit that advocates for ocean conservation. Among the group’s various campaigns is “Scared for Sharks,” to which January Jones has lent her face, voice, and wetsuit-clad bod. The Mad Men actress, who’s been fascinated by sharks since she was a young girl, wants people to know that they aren’t the flesh-hungry monsters Jaws would have us fear, but in need of our protection thanks to commercial fishing, finning, and bycatch (when they are caught accidentally, in lieu of other fish). In fact, “sharks now represent the greatest percentage of threatened marine species on the IUCN Red List of threatened species,” says Oceana’s website. 

For her part, Jones has swum with whale sharks in Belize, assisted with research on lemon and nurse sharks, and starred in some lovely public service announcements. She may play everyone’s favorite bad mother on TV, but Jones is certainly a good candidate for teaching social responsibility to her own son, Xander. —Kate Guadagnino

Visit Oceana’s website to become a wavemaker yourself!