In my house Shark Week is a festive time. All non-shark shows are kept on the DVR as the latest shark specials are devoured like a Great White going after a bunch of tender seals. The title Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait gives me a warm feeling as if the screaming chef is going to torn apart by a Bull Shark after calling it an “idiot sandwich.” However Ramsay means well in this special. He talks of his respect of sharks and dares to go against a traditional Chinese meal that’s popping up on menus around the world. Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait is not merely an episode of Hell’s Kitchen gone underwater.
The dish of Shark Fin soup was once exclusively for Chinese royals. But now it’s being offered everywhere around the world. Gordon Ramsay goes into London’s Chinatown district to see how it’s on every menu. Nobody working at these places want to talk about the entree. Ramsay drops by an Asian grocery store where he finds the only shark fins are hidden and locked up. They want 80 pounds for what appears to be two fins. There’s a lot of money swapping hands on these fins.
He points out that unlike catching normal fish, the only thing people want from the shark are the fins. They toss the rest of the body off the boat into the sea to die fin-less. While other countries demand the shark’s whole body must arrive with fins attached, they dump the body afterward. Ramsay travels to Taiwan to see the how easy it is to locate shark fins. What’s amazing is how nobody in the stores want to admit what kind of shark that the fins came off. Someone knows since they charge up to 200 pounds for a Great White’s fins. He even finds a neighborhood where the apartment rooftops are the curing spaces. Later he goes to Costa Rica where shark fishing is a major industry. He is shown video footage of endangered shark species being slaughtered on the deck of boats. But he wants more than to see highlights. He eventually boards a fishing boat to witness how the sharks are snagged on long lines.
Ramsay goes to one of the fancy restaurants in Taiwan to taste their most expensive bowl. He must know what makes so many people eager to eat shark fin soup. Is this the most amazing meal ever or a strange status symbol? Will this change Ramsay’s mind that this slaughter is worth it?
Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait is his finest TV work. He’s willing to put himself into the danger zone as he investigates the shark fin trade. You get a sense that he’s in jeopardy because people don’t seem happy at him peeking around. This reminds me of the glory days of 60 Minutes when the correspondents like Mike Wallace would visit the sites uninvited. There is no aspect of the world of Shark Fin Soup that isn’t explored by the chef. Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait has made me completely lose interest in ever trying the Shark Fin soup. I’ll just stick to clam chowder.
Happy Shark Week for those who celebrate!
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The show looks good for the various video cameras used during his investigation. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 stereo. The levels are right so you can hear the shark fins being cut off. The special is subtitled in English.
Trailer (1:02) has him warning us of a shark extinction including for their fins.
MVDVisual presents Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait. Directed by Helen Simpson. Starring Gordon Ramsay. Running Time: 48 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: July 14, 2026.
