This film was actually released in US theaters in late 1979 under the title SEAKILLER (all caps and no spacing). It had the European poster, which put emphasis on the Shark, and the same cast and crew credits. It is visibly advertised in American newspapers of the time along side other films such as Meteor or Star Trek The Motion Picture.
Dayton Ka'ne, who had also played the romantic lead opposite Mia Farrow in the 1979 remake of Hurricane, was thought by producer Dino de Laurentiis to have potential for stardom. When de Laurentiis lost millions on both films, he reluctantly admitted he had been wrong, and Ka'ne went back to obscurity.
This was made on the same sets and locations as " The Hurricane " (1979) using many of the same crew.