When National Geographic approached with an opportunity to swim with sharks to kick off its it was an easy yes for the Marvel star who is the new Captain America.

The water, says Mackie, is a 害羞草研究所渟afe space害羞草研究所� where he 害羞草研究所渃an just tune everybody and everything else out.害羞草研究所�

Mackie has been a certified scuba diver for nearly two decades. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e swam with some crazy stuff, and I害羞草研究所檝e swam with sharks before. I just swam with Great Whites in South Africa. I did whale sharks in Mexico. I swam with a blue whale off the coast of Cape Town.害羞草研究所�

For debuting Thursday, he wanted cameras to visit the waters near where he is a regular boater and fisherman. An increase of sharks in the area are swarming boats and eating fishermen害羞草研究所檚 catches, leading to a greater risk of hungry sharks becoming aggressive. This points to a larger environmental issue that the ecosystem is off-kilter.

害羞草研究所淚f we eat all the fish, the sharks have nothing to eat,害羞草研究所� said Mackie. 害羞草研究所淪harks have babies in Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Catherine. When their babies come out, they害羞草研究所檙e full-grown pups. They害羞草研究所檙e three-foot sharks害羞草研究所� They害羞草研究所檙e not predators, but they also need a substantial food source.害羞草研究所�

Mackie says he was in the water for about four hours and 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 not that hard to find a multitude of sharks in the Atlantic Ocean.害羞草研究所� Seeing the sharks up-close reminded him 害羞草研究所渉ow majestic and powerful they are, but also you just see how beautiful they are.害羞草研究所� He was accompanied by marine biologist Jasmine Graham, whom Mackie says was his 害羞草研究所渟ecurity blanket害羞草研究所� if it got too intense.

害羞草研究所淓very time it would get to be too much, I would grab her. I害羞草研究所檓 like, 害羞草研究所楾hey害羞草研究所檝e got to pick one. So if one of us getting eaten, it better be you,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he laughed. 害羞草研究所淪he really looked out for me and gave me a lot of information that really opened my eyes to the community that we害羞草研究所檙e in and explaining the sharks害羞草研究所� behavior.害羞草研究所�

Mackie, whose show will be followed soon by Discovery害羞草研究所檚 Shark Week programing, also hopes to highlight the effects of global climate change on the coastline of New Orleans where . Global warming has both caused snow and ice to melt and it害羞草研究所檚 led to more storms that cause flooding. Also, activity from the oil and gas industry weakens the soil.

害羞草研究所淭he area around New Orleans is slowly going away. You know, the water is starting to eat away at our habitat, our home,害羞草研究所� said Mackie. 害羞草研究所淭here are certain areas where I used to go as a kid, and those areas are gone now, like oyster farms,害羞草研究所� said Mackie.

害羞草研究所淲e used to go fishing when I was little and my uncle would put me in the water. I would walk around and field for oysters with my feet, put them in a boat, and we would eat those oysters for lunch. Whole oyster beds are gone.害羞草研究所�

For someone whose career has afforded him the opportunity to travel the globe both for work and pleasure, Mackie says there truly is no place like New Orleans.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 nothing more beautiful than seeing the sun come up over the Gulf of Mexico. It害羞草研究所檚 literally breathtaking and I害羞草研究所檝e seen the sun come up over everything. When you害羞草研究所檙e in a boat, going out to the Gulf or even Lake Catherine and you see the sun come up over that marsh and wetland, there害羞草研究所檚 nothing like it.害羞草研究所�