The
Sublime Sharks of 2006
By Carl Roessler
In July of 2006 I joyfully headed
for the remote Neptune Islands in the prime season for great white sharks, mid-Winter
in South Australia.
This
was my thirty-second expedition to photograph these mesmerizing behemoths; I
was as excited as I had been on my very first foray in 1975.
The
presence of thousands of sea lion pups rafting in large groups right offshore
attracted eleven predatory great white sharks during our stay. Some of these
sharks, such as Johnny, Kal and Lefty, had been in the area for months or years,
and had therefore encountered divers in cages before. They were crafty veterans
in search of an easy meal at the expense of the foolish humans.
My long-time friends, Rodney and Andrew Fox, now charter as their platform for
attracting the sharks a superbly comfortable and practical vessel, the Princess
II, whose previous career had included live-aboard cruising in Fiji and the
Solomon Islands.
Our divers found that Princess II works brilliantly for photographing the sharks
in three different ways: topside photography from the main deck level, cages
at the surface with 
wonderful
daylight conditions and an elevator cage which takes teams of four divers to
depths of 45-70 feet. Here in the gloom far from the all-revealing surface is
the dark world of these massive, stealthy predators.
My own dives in the surface cages were wild-action thrill rides. Kal, Faye and
Lefty made sweeping attacks on the baits, often outwitting crew members who
tried their best to pull the baits away at the last minute. 
The
sharks were both relentless and diabolically clever as they stalked us and the
suspended tuna baits. It became a contest between the crew and the sharks, with
our divers photographing the action as it exploded around us.
After many years of diving around the world, I have found no experience to match
being face to face with these imperious, majestic creatures.
I have often told audiences that each shark is as much an individual as we are.
Some, such as Kal, are hot-headed and impulsive, repeatedly turning after each
attack to immediately launch another. Others, perhaps older and wiser like Johnny,
circle until they see conditions favorable for their success. They come at us
from any direction, including directly up from deep in the shadow of our boat.
Lefty, for example, would accelerate her vast bulk upward until she seemed submarine-sized,
conveniently showing us the chopped-off left pectoral fin that inspired her
name.
I’ll be heading back in a few months for another try during Australia’s
balmy summer months. As a legendary wuss, I always like the water just a bit
warmer!! Meanwhile, it will be a long time before I forget Johnny, Moo, Faye,
Kal, Tinker, Lefty, Fluffy and the other great performers of 2006. Their images
on film or a computer screen bring back those magic moments in the cages and
paint them indelibly in our minds.
Rodney and Andrew, aided by the invaluable Ian “Pato” Paterson and
mate Johnsy, have an adventure to offer that has been life-transforming for
a generation of thrill-hungry divers.
Soon, perhaps, it may transform yours…
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