Rob Stewart, the documentarian behind the acclaimed conservation film Sharkwater, was found dead at the age of 37 after going missing during a deep-sea scuba dive on Tuesday. His body was recovered in the Florida Keys, where Stewart was visiting the wreck of the Queen of Nassau as part of his sequel to Sharkwater. The confirmation of his death follows days of Coast Guard–led rescue operations.
Stewart was a Canadian marine biologist best known for making 2006’s Sharkwater, a critically-acclaimed documentary that contributed to increased outlawing of shark finning worldwide. Its sequel, Sharkwater: Extinction, explores the unexplained deaths of 80 million sharks annually. The film had intentions to debut this year, but it’s currently unclear how much of it Stewart was able to complete. Stewart’s family posted a message about his death on the Sharkwater website, writing, “Rob has been found, peacefully in the ocean. There are no words. We are so deeply grateful to everyone who helped search, and happy that Rob passed while doing what he loved. We are working on how best to honour his incredible work.â€