Great white sharks were demonised by the movie Jaws. Nearly 40 years on, the general public’s perception of sharks is still influenced by a mechanical shark that ate boats and myths perpetuated by irresponsible sections of the media. Underwater photographers are starting to change those perceptions with pictures and films showing that even White sharks can be interacted within relative safety under the right conditions. Following South Africa’s lead, other countries are now protecting the Great White in their waters. Divers and snorkellers regularly seek out encounters with the Great White, contributing valuable tourist dollars to local economies.
“I had the immense pleasure of working with Chris & Monique Fallows of ‘Airjaws’ fame to get these shots. They trawled a decoy seal over the kill zone in the early morning light. One can only really get a true sense of the power & majesty of this incredible apex predator when one freezes the action at a fast shutter speed. I found timing that was not easy but on this occasion I got lucky & ‘froze’ the shark whilst it was still completely vertical with the decoy in its mouth.”