Jaws and The USS Indianapolis

Has anybody noticed that there are a lot of 50th anniversaries lately? Well, today we have another one—50 years ago today, Jaws debuted. The PG-rated (yes, you heard that right) thriller helped launch the now ubiquitous “Summer Blockbuster.” It also helped encourage, and maybe not for the better, the vilification of the shark.

Of course, people have always feared sharks to some extent, but Jaws catapulted this fear to new heights. And one of its tools was the infamous scene where the character Quint recounts the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. As a result, the tragedy is forever bound with the film, and several myths around the sinking and the role sharks played were reinforced.

If you are unfamiliar with the USS Indianapolis, here is a brief history:

The USS Indianapolis delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian Island in 1945. After dropping off its secret parcel, it headed to the Philippines. During the transit, it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. It sank in minutes, killing around 300 and sending approximately 900 into the sea.

What followed has become the stuff of legend. For days, nobody noticed that the ship was missing. As a result, the sailors who survived were left struggling for their lives against dehydration, drowning, and…the shark. But maybe not in the way many think.

The narrative emphasized in the film and media at the time of the sinking was that those in the water became easy pickings for the predatory shark. The implication being that still living survivors were grabbed from the water and eaten.

This idea, however, contradicts many stories told by the 316 men who survived. It also goes against the natural behavior of sharks. Usually, when sharks attack humans, they are mistaking them for food. But once they bite, they realize their mistake and let go. The subsequent damage and blood loss from the bite are what often kills victims.

This is what is believed to have happened to many sailors. Either they died because of being bitten, or the sharks took them after they had already died from another cause. To this day, no one knows the number of sailors actually killed by sharks.

Sadly, this didn’t stop the media’s demonization of the shark, and many were slaughtered as a result. This open season on the shark saddened the survivors of the Indianapolis. Jaws also added to the “evil shark” mythology.

The scene in Jaws also got other things wrong about the Indianapolis, including the date of the sinking. In fact, Jaws is another example of how we shouldn’t learn history (or science) through movies. So next time you watch this classic, enjoy the thrilling story for what it is: fiction.

For those who are interested in the actual story of the Indianapolis, try:

In Harm’s Way by Doug Stanton

Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic

Pamela M.
Antioch Branch