This moment was captured off the coast of Tahiti. I have been surveying the outer reef of Tahiti for the tiger shark population since 2015, getting to know many of the tiger sharks that frequent that site over the years as they return along their migratory routes. However the site is very sensitive to conditions and difficult to access in certain months due to seasonal changes and being so shallow. This day we decided to go anyways but give it a shot at the drop-off (a depth of about 1,000m) and see if any of the big girls were lurking in the deep. Sure enough she showed up and spent two hours following our boat as we drifted. It wasn’t like on the reef… she didn’t approach along the outskirts of the corals beneath or hugging the waves at the surface. She rose vertical from the deep, seemingly bottomless blue. Appearing out of the darkness. A much different approach and perspective than usually experienced. There's no greater feeling than one of the ocean's apex predators ascending directly to you from the abyss. After hundreds of surveys at the Tahiti site, this dive remains at the front of my mind because of this approach and the deeply endless blue hues.
SHARK ID: TT18F
SIZE: 3.2 M
SEX: FEMALE
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