Grad just keeps swimming — with sharks

Thomas Leszkiewicz has travelled the world studying one of its most feared creatures

June 22, 2016

By Salim Valji

Montreal’s distance from shark-populated waters has not stopped Thomas Leszkiewicz, BSc 13, from pursuing his dream of swimming with the feared creatures. He’s travelled to South Africa, the Galapagos Islands and Clipperton, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean — all in the name of shark research.

Thomas Leszkiewicz’s photo of a great white shark off of the coast of South Africa.

From an early age, Leszkiewicz had a keen interest in nature and wildlife. While he was born in Montreal, his Polish heritage meant that much of his childhood was spent outdoors.

“Polish people have an affinity to nature, so my parents really instigated this passion I have,” he says. “From picking mushrooms in the forest with my mom, fishing with my dad and travelling to the ocean as a family with my sister, all of it had a profound impact on me.”

Leszkiewicz — who learned English by watching children’s TV shows Barney and Mister Rogers — credits Time magazine for spurring his interest in sharks. The publication declared 2011 the “Summer of the Shark” after a high number of attacks and sightings.

“I vividly remember standing on a pier fishing when a big bull shark appeared. It could have been 20 metres away from swimmers but it was just cruising around not interested in the bathers whatsoever,” he says.

“That incident made me realize as a young kid that they are not mindless killers, and my interest in them skyrocketed!” “Shortly afterwards someone on the beach yelled, ‘Shark!’ and chaos ensued.”

Despite those seaside memories with family, choosing to study biology at Concordia was far from an easy decision for Leszkiewicz.

“I was debating to go into engineering. However, after watching the documentary Sharkwater, I decided to go with my heart and study biology,” he says. “The university helped me a lot. I had amazing and passionate teachers.”

Leszkiewicz credits two professors in Concordia’s Department of Biology in particular for their support.

“Bhupinder Mangat had a profound effect on me in my earlier years,” Leszkiewicz says. “We took the same train, so I got to chat a lot with him one on one! It was sad hearing of his passing.” Mangat died in 2012.

“The other is Dylan Fraser. His classes were always intriguing and made my last year the best. He ended up writing a letter of recommendation for my internship in South Africa,” Leszkiewicz says.

Leszkiewicz with a Giant Manta Ray off Clipperton Island, near Mexico. | Photo: Jenni Whiteley Photography

Leszkiewicz’s 2012 Galapagos Islands trip was organized through the Concordia Biology Students Association. While on the island, he cut down invasive plant species and planted coffee beans — low profile work, he says, that fuelled his love for the Great Whites.

“Visiting those islands is a must for any biology enthusiast,” Leszkiewicz says.

He also saw Lonesome George, the last known giant tortoise from Pinta Island. At the time, George was considered the world’s rarest animal because of his age — 102 years — and the fact that he was too shy to reproduce.

“Poor guy died a couple weeks later in his sleep, so we were really lucky,” he says. “There is much to say about the Galapagos Islands, a true paradise unlike any other.”

In 2014, he spent two months as an intern for the South Africa-based Oceans Campus, helping a group of doctoral students in their research efforts. During the expedition, Leszkiewicz was a diver-of-all-trades, doing everything from filling water with bait to luring sharks with tuna heads to spotting sharks from the top of the boat.

“Working out in the ocean each day on a boat surrounded by white sharks is definitely an unforgettable experience,” Leszkiewicz says. “We had one scary moment where a female white shark torpedoed towards a tuna head we were using as bait and slammed into our boat.”

More recently in Clipperton, Leszkiewicz had a hands-on role — literally. As part of a team of scientists, and researchers, he was given the task of attaching sensory tags to the sharks for researchers to track their movements and behaviours.

The trip was partially funded by Leszkiewicz’s current employer, Sherwood Scuba in Montreal, where he works as a sales representative for the scuba diving products company.

True to his European roots, Leszkiewicz suited up for the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team for the 2008-09 season. “I’m as passionate of soccer as I am of sharks, so it was a privilege to represent my school with varsity sports,” he says.

Knee injuries ended his varsity sports career yet have not hampered his passion for marine discovery. Now back in Montreal, Leszkiewicz recently embarked on another shark-filled adventure — this one a bit more under wraps.

What is it? “I cannot speak about it much,” he said just before he left. “As soon as I can, I will let you know!”

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Grad just keeps swimming — with sharks

#CUalumni

Grad just keeps swimming — with sharks

#CUalumni

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