We jumped off the boat in French Polynesia after spotting pilot whales. I took a few deep breaths and I dove down to watch them emerge from the distance. My attention shifted when I saw an oceanic white tip shark in the distance as I had never seen one. As the pilot whales passed, the white tip aimed toward me and came at me like a torpedo. I readied myself, gripping my camera for a close encounter, and a moment later it changed directions and went for freediver Aaron Lynton who was at a higher altitude. Aaron swung his camera around and the shark bumped into his camera dome. While this might appear to be aggressive, we need to remember that these are wild animals looking for opportunities to eat and survive. Millions of people go in the ocean every day and there are only a small handful of shark attacks every year. Sharks are hugely important for a healthy ecosystem picking off the old, sick, weak, and dead marine creatures. We must do all we can to protect them, despite our fear of them.
Karim was published in National Geographic magazine for his humpback whale photography. He now leads his own trips so that others can swim with whales.
If you are interested in swimming with or photographing humpback whales, Karim guides people on small trips between August and October every year in Tonga. Visit www.dancewithwhales.com to find out more
To see more of Karim’s work, visit his website at www.karimphotography.com
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media