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Behind The Lens: Capturing the Great White Shark Breach – Photos and text by Amos Nachoum, Big Animals Global Expeditions
In July 1995, I embarked on an expedition to photograph the elu- sive and majestic Great White sharks in South Africa. My research revealed that these apex predators often hunt seals during the early morning and late afternoon. With this knowledge, I led a team to document Great White behavior both underwater and above the surface. Each morning, before the first light of dawn, we set out to
For hours, we sat on the vessel's platform, scanning the water and focusing intently on the dummy seal being towed behind us. We repeated this process for two hours each morn- ing and two hours each afternoon - the prime times when shark predation occurred. The sun's shallow angle over the water during these hours allowed sharks to spot seals above while keeping themselves hidden below. I must admit, I missed several spectacular breaches during those days. Each missed opportunity only fueled my deter- mination. By the third day, I began thinking about how I could
capture a different shot, something unique. I realized that most photographs of breaching sharks were taken with the camera held horizontally. But sharks don't breach horizontally - they breach vertically. So, I decided to focus on capturing the ac- tion in a vertical format. This decision added a new layer of dif- ficulty. Shooting vertically meant I had only 24mm of frame space compared to 35mm in the horizontal format. I had to be extremely precise and fast. Consider this: a Great White Shark can breach the water at speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph), launching several meters into the air. Now, imagine trying to capture that from a moving, shaking vessel, while holding the camera vertically. It was demanding, to
sea, cruising slowly at three knots around Seal Island. Our mission was to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. This time of year saw a boom in the seal population on the island, as many young were born. The adult seals would venture into the ocean at dawn, feeding to sustain their offspring. However, they did so with great caution, knowing that sharks lurked beneath the surface. One morning, as we watched a group of seals hesitating at the water's edge, it be- came clear that they were aware of the predators below. The seals couldn't see the sharks in the pre-dawn darkness, but the sharks could easily spot the seals' silhou- ettes above. Finally, one brave seal made the first leap into the water, and the others
say the least. I had to block out all discomfort - the pain in my muscles, the fumes, the ocean spray - and focus entirely on the viewfinder. There were no tools, no tricks, to tell me when the shark would breach. It required only stamina, concentration, pas- sion, patience, and a willingness to take risks. In the end, this approach paid off, and I managed to capture that elusive, powerful moment: a Great White Shark leaping out of the water in a stunning vertical breach, perfectly framed within the narrow confines of the shot. It was an image that reflected
followed quickly, swimming fast into the deeper waters. Sud- denly, there was a splash to our left, followed by another- sharks were already on the hunt, and it was only 6:20 a.m. Over the next three days, my guests and I spent the early hours hoping to capture the spectacular sight of a full breach on film. But predicting when and where a shark would breach proved to be nearly impossible. The unpredictability of these powerful creatures made it a daunting challenge. Our skipper, however, devised a clever plan to increase our chances. He fashioned a dummy seal from rubber and towed it behind the vessel, 20 feet out, on a thin fishing line. The idea was simple: lure a shark to take the bait, breach after the decoy, without causing harm to the shark jaws and hopefully catch the moment mid-air on camera.
not only the raw power of the shark but also the intense effort and commitment it took to docu- ment such a fleeting, magnificent sight. Nikon F4, 70 - 200mm. Provia film puhed to 200 ISO, f- 8.0 at 1/400 sec
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