When my late husband, Peter Benchley, and I celebrated our 40th anniversary, I had one wish: to go cage diving with great white sharks. After decades of ocean expeditions together, I’d often been the last one in the water − if I made it in at all. This time, I wanted to come face-to-face with the animals we now know are critical to ocean health.

June 20 marks the 50th anniversary of when "Jaws" − the blockbuster film based on Peter’s bestselling novel − first hit the big screen. What began as a fictional thriller about a coastal town became a cultural phenomenon. It thrilled audiences. It scared them, too.

But it also sparked something else: fascination and wonder.

In the years after "Jaws," Peter received thousands of letters from people all over the world. Students, teachers, divers and future marine biologists − they........

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