Description
LOCATION: Papua New Guinea
STORY BEHIND THE SHOT: I LIVE FOR THIS STUFF!!! Do I have the coolest job in the world, or what? So here I am, over a few thousand feet of open ocean, but right at the surface, just off my boat, surrounded by my “pet” female grey reef sharks. There’s about 10 or so behind me, underneath me, bumping up against me and the camera….but they’re lovers, not fighters – and I feel the same way towards them. Interestingly, as with their siste species, the Caribbean reef shark, when interacting, the females tend to be larger, but also far slower and more relaxed than the flighty, erratic, and smaller males. Fortunately for my photography, this population that I got to know so well over my years of living in Papua New Guinea, was comprised of almost exclusively female sharks.
This image was initially released at a benefit we held for the SharkSavers.org and we auctioned off one of the first prints for them. They’re an organization which I wholeheartedly support.
For the shark lovers, be sure to also check out the bull sharks in Happy Couple, and the schooling Hammerheads from the Fish Faces Collection
TO PURCHASE COOL & THE GANG AS A FINE ART PRINT ON ALUMINUM: While normally displayed as a horizontal photo in the 3:2 ratio, it’s actually quite flexible to crop into a panoramic or other shapes. Purchase it online here in standard sizes, or contact our interior design staff to inquite about a customization to fit your unique space.