AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY + DIGITAL JULY 2015 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 7
of Light
Splash
PHOTOGRAPHER
Justin GilliganBefore I’d even boarded the plane to photograph Great
White Sharks in South Africa, I knew that an above-water
image of a predatory shark in flight was at the top of my
shot list. The perfect location to capture such an event is
a remote rocky outpost aptly named Seal Island, in False
Bay near Cape Town. Here, Cape fur seals seek shelter
amongst the surging swells of the Atlantic Ocean, creating
the perfect setting for one of nature’s most dramatic
examples of predation.
Beyond the surface, in the dark waters surrounding the
island, great white sharks patrol submerged canyon walls
which perfectly conceal their presence from seals returning
to the island. The sharks rely on their vision to spot the
seal silhouettes and then rocket upwards to capture them
unawares in a predatory ambush strike, which quite often
results in the shark breaking the surface of the water in a
spectacular flurry of teeth and fins.
On this particularly wet and stormy morning I wasn’t
holding out much hope for a productive photography
session. In fact, I was more distracted by distant dreams
of my pillow and blanket as I lay on the deck of the
uncomfortably wet and rocking boat with my camera
poised. Then, as the sun rose, there was a small gap on
the horizon that created a spectacular momentary beam of
light across the wild, windblown waterway.
As if on cue, the massive bulk of an adult Great White
broke through the surface of the water at high speed,
which caused me to first flinch, and then get my index
finger down to unleash the motor drive of my camera like
a Gatling gun. It seemed like it was all over in less than a
second. Cheers rang out across the desolate bay, as the
storm clouds once again enveloped the scene and the
turbid water subsided. It was the only time I witnessed a
Great White Shark that day, but what a rare and almighty
encounter it was.NIKON D300, 120-400MM @ 120MM,
1/2000S @ F/4.5, ISO 640.SEE MORE OF JUSTIN GILLIGAN’S
AMAZING PHOTOS.