Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
They made a vow to survive together, no blame, no panic, just 28 hours of pure will against sharks, jellyfish, and the open ocean. My guest, Michael Tougias, lived inside this story for years to bring it to you, and I promise you'll never look at the water the same way again. This episode is special!
Michael J. Tougias is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of over thirty books for adults and middle readers. His books include Fatal Forecast, The Finest Hours, Overboard!, A Storm Too Soon, So Close to Home, The Waters Between Us, Extreme Survival, and The Power of Positive Fishing. He offers slide presentations and an inspiration program titled “Survival Lessons: Decision Making Under Pressure.”
Read his absolutely brilliant new book, which I could not put down: "In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage" here: amzn.to/4eQcS7k
Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio.
Pre-order my next book, All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump, out on the 17th of September in the UK and the 22nd of September in the US: scaramucci.net/allthewrongmoves
Timestamps
0:00 Michael J Tougias Introduction
1:51 Why are we so fascinated by the sea?
2:59 Are sharks smart?
3:45 Why is Michael so fascinated with crisis and danger?
5:43 The psychology of survival
7:21 How the boat went down
9:09 Hypothermia, jellyfish, and sharks circling: how does someone stay calm?
10:22 Applying survival lessons to business and life
12:28 Inside the Coast Guard's J-Hawk helicopter
13:58 The selflessness of First Responders
15:10 What it means to be resilient as a human
16:55 What makes Michael's writing so special?
18:38 What's next for Michael?
21:07 Five Words
They made a vow to survive together, no blame, no panic, just 28 hours of pure will against sharks, jellyfish, and the open ocean. My guest, Michael Tougias, lived inside this story for years to bring it to you, and I promise you'll never look at the water the same way again. This episode is special!
Michael J. Tougias is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of over thirty books for adults and middle readers. His books include Fatal Forecast, The Finest Hours, Overboard!, A Storm Too Soon, So Close to Home, The Waters Between Us, Extreme Survival, and The Power of Positive Fishing. He offers slide presentations and an inspiration program titled “Survival Lessons: Decision Making Under Pressure.”
Read his absolutely brilliant new book, which I could not put down: "In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage" here: amzn.to/4eQcS7k
Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio.
Pre-order my next book, All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump, out on the 17th of September in the UK and the 22nd of September in the US: scaramucci.net/allthewrongmoves
Timestamps
0:00 Michael J Tougias Introduction
1:51 Why are we so fascinated by the sea?
2:59 Are sharks smart?
3:45 Why is Michael so fascinated with crisis and danger?
5:43 The psychology of survival
7:21 How the boat went down
9:09 Hypothermia, jellyfish, and sharks circling: how does someone stay calm?
10:22 Applying survival lessons to business and life
12:28 Inside the Coast Guard's J-Hawk helicopter
13:58 The selflessness of First Responders
15:10 What it means to be resilient as a human
16:55 What makes Michael's writing so special?
18:38 What's next for Michael?
21:07 Five Words
