I can’t believe I shot this eleven years ago—not because the footage is polished (it isn’t), but because the energy of the dive still comes through just as clearly today. This was among the first underwater videos I ever shot, and it marks a period when I was beginning to make a real shift: shooting much more video alongside my stills.
The dive took place off Grand Bahama, where these types of shark dives follow a very specific routine. Local operators lure the sharks into a designated area using fish bits, giving divers a rare opportunity to observe these apex predators up close. There are certainly pros and cons to this kind of activity, but I won’t get into that debate today.
From a diver’s perspective, the structure of the encounter is incredibly controlled. We dropped down and settled on the sea floor, remaining still while the sharks focused their attention entirely on the bait. Cristina Zenato, principal feeder, along with her support team, managed the encounter while wearing specialized chainmail suits layered directly over their wetsuits for protection against accidental contact.
Sitting there on the bottom, surrounded by dozens of reef sharks moving in a continuous, heavy flow around our group, I quickly realized that trying to capture this frame by frame was the wrong approach.
There was no isolating a single moment, no waiting for a static shot. The entire experience existed in motion.
A still photograph could only ever capture a fraction of what it felt like down there.
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