Dominus solus
The Lonely Lord of the sea, the great white shark, ‘Carcharodon carcharias’, swims silently and true, her senses bristling for motion, a heartbeat or sound that will guide her effortlessly to her prey. I once had a guest say to me that the great white does not swim through the water, but rather the water […]
Bob Junior
The Serengeti in Tanzania must surely be the epitome of what most people romantically perceive Africa to be: wide open spaces, verdant grasslands and abundant wildlife in every direction. The Serengeti is home to an astonishing density of carnivores, with some lion prides exceeding a staggering forty in number. These prides feast upon the influx […]
The Inquisition
When you have predators close at hand in a wild environment; when you are outside a shark cage or away from a vehicle without a weapon, you feel an intense heightening of your senses. You are alert and profoundly aware of your vulnerabilities. You are also very much in tune with any creature that is […]
Gladiator
Sailfish are said to be the fastest fish in the world’s oceans, capable of speeds approaching 112 mph. These piscine acrobats are famed for their athletic jumps when hooked; however, the true beauty of the animal is to see it performing as a magnificent underwater hunter. Off the coast of Mexico, near to a tiny […]
Elements
In the thirty-odd years I have worked with the Great White Shark I have heard many superlatives used to describe this iconic predator. It is an athlete and predator of the highest order capable of dramatic bursts of flight as it leaps fifteen foot clear of the ocean surface. But, it is also with a […]
The Essence of Seal Island
The sight of a 1000-kg-plus shark defying gravity is surely one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights. How do you capture this moment? The great white shark is a creature of many moods, emotions and habits, and as such I feel an image which tells the shark’s story should be a sum of all its parts. […]
Craig
As humans, we love to anthropomorphize animals, giving them human names and seeking in them features we can relate to. You build up a love for individuals; you see in them traits that embody special or unique characteristics of people whose names you have bestowed on them. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that people […]
The Zebra in the Room
Namibia’s Etosha National Park is best known for its dusty air and unforgiving salt encrusted pans whose surfaces shiver in the summer heat with a promise of thirst quenching water, but are rather the cruel trickery of deceptive mirages. Yet, amongst the brutal elements there are a multitude of habitats that seasonally offer respite from […]
Cry of the Kalahari
Penned by Mark and Delia Owens, the inspiring book of the same name chronicles this remarkable couple’s seven-year stint in one of the world’s remotest wildlife refuges between 1974 and 1981. The Central Kalahari in Botswana, is today still remote. It is still wild, and it still offers an inkling into what life must have […]
In the Shadow of Greatness
In its day, the B52 Stratofortress was the most feared sight in the skies, a harbinger of death capable of rendering catastrophic destruction on its chosen target. The same holds true for the great white shark. Reaching weights in excess of 2,200 kgs and lengths of over 6 metres, the Great White is the ocean’s […]