Full body view of a great white shark taken on a surface cage dive.
I’m addicted to sharks. I fell in love with them when I was around nine. It happened while vacationing at the New Jersey shore—which we did most summers, coming from Ohio to visit our East Coast family. This was the first year I found shark week on Discovery and delved into the world of sharks. After sharks, I fell in love with the ocean, reefs, and all of the creatures within, realizing I must learn to SCUBA dive.
After over four years of SCUBA diving, I decided to undertake the trip I’ve always dreamed of. I spent a month in Australia diving the Great Barrier Reef and diving with Great White Sharks.
In the spirit of shark week, here are some of my favorite photos and experiences with the sharks.
To dive with the Great Whites, I booked another four day live aboard with the infamous Rodney Fox dive company, out of Port Lincoln, South Australia. Rodney Fox is a famous diver who created the shark cage after being attacked by a Great White. The Rodney Fox boat and company are dedicated to the conservation and understanding of Great Whites while using the boat as a research vessel for those studying great whites.
While diving the Great Barrier Reef from Cairnes, Queensland, Australia, I dove with Tusa on the T2 for a few day dives and spent 4 days on a live aboard with the crew of the Mike Ball dive company where we spent our time in the Coral Sea, some 13 hours by helicopter to the nearest hyperbolic chamber. There was no land in site halfway between Australia and Papau New Guinea.
All of the photos were taken from these lovely vessels.
Great White Shark taken from a surface dive.
Great White Shark cruising the sees. This photo was taken from a surface cage dive with the Rodney Fox Expedition in South Australia.
Close up of a great white.
A close up of a great white shark swimming by
Great White swimming in South Neptune Islands, Australia
This is a great white shark seen while diving about 50ft under the surface. The Rodney Fox crew is the only dive operation licensed to submerge their cage and allow certified SCUBA divers the opportunity to see sharks on the floor of the ocean, closer to their natural habitat and patterns.
Great white cruising by our cage on the ocean floor. The water here is chilly--we needed full 8mm suits, hoods, gloves, and the water would get chilly after 30 minutes or so.
This shark has engaged the protective covering over its eyes because he's going to turn into the cage and give it a little test bump.
This beauty was swimming directly towards my station in the cage. I think he looks oddly like a smiling puppy.
great white
This great white wanted a closer look at these bubble-blowing humans.
Great whites are often identified by their unique markings, such as the ones shown on this tail fin. While on the Rodney Fox expedition, we identified over 20 sharks who were known and cataloged by their markings and other unique traits.
Great white shark at the surface, getting close to the cage.
This is a great white shark above us as our cage is ascending to the surface.
This is one of the cages we are diving in. They are sturdy, but some of the sharks are longer by quite a few feet.
From what I was told, we were witnessing the rare occurrence of an open water shark cleaning station. There were just under a dozen of the larger reef sharks--including greys--and even an oceanic or two in the distance. They would swim by while remoras and fish cleaned their skin and gills.
Reef shark leaving the cleaning station with remoras
Reef shark at the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by coral
Reef shark and human. We were close to these guys at the Great Barrier Reef.
Great white swimming in the South Neptune Islands, Australia. Taken by photographer Andrew Fox, son of Rodney Fox, who operated the expedition I participated in.
Reef or Oceanic shark seen at the Great Barrier Reef.
While this picture is a bit hazy, there are two reef sharks resting on the coral. These reef sharks are known to live there and are often seen together as a family on this part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Sharks, like nurse and reef, are often seen resting on the bottom of the ocean like the one seen here. They will tolerate you getting fairly close if you are calm and not disruptive.
This is a shark, nurse shark if I recall correctly, that I followed through a rocky opening on the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea.
This is one of the groups favorite shots from Andrew Fox. He captures the divers expressions and the shark so well. He is a professional photographer, google his work.
Andrew Fox.
These photos from Andrew Fox put mine to shame. This is what a real photographer can do underwater.
A great white photo captured by Andrew Fox.
Another amazing image by Photographer and shark expedition operator, Andrew Fox of a great white getting friendly.
Me, Rachel Colyer, swimming with seals as captured by Andrew Fox. After shark diving, we went swimming with their food and had an amazing time with these creatures.