Return Of The Orca – You Can Help Bring The JAWS Boat Back To Life

Okay, if I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, "I'm a HUGE JAWS fan". I was terrified the first time I saw it around the age of 10 and have been fascinated by all things JAWS ever since. So when I learned that a group of shark researchers and members of the original JAWS crew were getting together to build a replica of the doomed "ORCA" to do actual shark research in the waters off New England....I was very intrigued, to say the least.

The original ORCA was called the Warlock and was a fishing boat found near Martha's Vinyard in 1974. Actually, there were two boats. The second boat was used as a prop because it kept springing leaks and sinking. The original ORCA was destroyed during filming and the prop boat was lost to time after filming.

Now, the ORCA has another chance to take Hooper, Quint, and Chief Brody out in the waters off Amity...er, I mean Martha's Vineyard. Mayor Vaughn says they've never had those kinds of trouble in these waters, but I'm sure the ORCA is up to the task to research the issue.

As of right now, the group is planning on retrofitting a lobster boat they found in Nova Scotia. It's called "The Lydia", but will be renamed to the "ORCA III". Check out the pictures below...it looks enough like the ORCA from JAWS that they should be able to build a replica Captain Quint would be happy with.

Right now, Return of the ORCA is raising money to build the ORCA III, film a documentary about the project and get research underway. They have set up an Indiegogo page to raise money for the project.

The conservation group Beneath The Waves has signed on to use the new Orca III on expeditions. The group's board of directors includes Wendy Benchley, widow of Peter Benchley, who wrote the 1974 novel on which the movie is based. There are other volunteers that are helping with the movie that actually worked on the original film. Including, Joe Alves, production designer on the movie and Chris Crawford, who built the original ORCA for the movie.