ArcticaMT6
Mu-43 Veteran
Once again, I headed down to Mexico in search of sharks. Instead of the Great Whites off of Baja from last year, this time I went to the Yucatan looking for Whale Sharks. Like the Great White trip, you don't need to be SCUBA certified or anything special in order to do this. This entirely snorkeling, and you just need a pair of fins, a mask, and a snorkel. And to swim like hell in order to keep up. Being the world's largest fish, it's can be a surprise to people to find out that it feeds on only plankton. Every year, a large population of whale sharks congregate off of Isla Mujeres. Every day, hundreds of day boats leave from Isla Mujeres, Isla Holbox, and Cancun to bring snorkelers out to the feeding grounds.
Since we joined a trip that was entirely for photography purposes, we were able to get a head start and beat the rush out. It seemed that while most people didn't wake up until about 9 or 10am, we had already left the dock by 7. We were able to catch some pretty nice sunrises on our way offshore. The trip out took anywhere between 1 and 2 hours in the open ocean to get to the grounds.
This had the added benefit of providing some really nice light, and few crowds in the background of our photos. From each boat, only 2 people (plus a guide) are allowed in the water at any time. Unlike most everywhere else in the world, the sharks congregate here in huge numbers. There can be sometimes 200 or more sharks in one vicinity. Luckily, this means that even with the large number of boats that come out, you can still get your own personal shark to follow and swim with.
Early morning provides some nice raking light, which adds some drama for photos. No flashes are allowed with the sharks, so shooting with the sun is the only light you get. Luckily, the vast majority of sharks will feed along the surface, which allows plenty of light for photos.
Whale sharks are covered with spots on top. These spots are unique for each shark, like our fingerprints, are can be used to identify individuals.
The large amount of plankton that draws in the sharks unfortunately also means that conditions for photos aren't as good as elsewhere in the caribbean. The plankton will reduce visibility quite a bit, as compared to the clearer waters eleswhere.
However, it is an easy price to pay to get these interactions. They afford the opportunity to swim with not only whale sharks, but other animals as well, such as Manta Rays, Sailfish, Barracudas, and others.
Much like the sharks spots, Mantas have unique patterns on their bellies, which can be used for individual identification.
Whale sharks feed in 2 different ways. Swimming along the surface with their mouths open, or in what's known as the "Bottle Position". They will hang vertically at the surface, sucking water in their mouths and blowing it out the gills, taking in as much plankton as they can before they have to move.
As the sun arcs higher in the sky, light rays become more pronounced in the water. It's best to shoot with the sun to your back so you don't end up with blown out highlights and the sharks too dark. It also helps to really enhance the colors.
Light rays will have a tendency to converge to a single point opposite of the sun due to the refraction of light with the water.
When you're in the water, you can sometimes see as many as 5 or 6 sharks, and an equal number of Manta Rays all in your view at a given time. It's incredibly difficult to capture more than a couple at a time with the camera, however. Even with a fisheye lens, you need to be a great distance away. Distance from subjects in the water is not your friend. You need to get as close as possible. Not seen in the photo below, is a third shark coming right up the middle of these two. With a shark on either side of me, I wasn't able to get out of the way in time and got run over. Not dangerous, but it can knock the wind out of you if you aren't careful. Wasn't the first time I got hit, and wasn't the last.
If the sun goes away, you have the opportunity to get some much more evenly lit photos. You don't get any dramatic shadows or light rays, however the clouds act as a giant softbox. Additionally, the sharks can come in different shades. Most are fairly dark, but some have a very light coloring.
One thing you will notice with all of these sharks is the Remoras. These fish clean the sharks, and attach themselves on for the ride.
I had a list of certain shots that I wanted to get of the sharks, and for the most part, I was able to get all of the shots I wanted in the first couple days. There were 2 shots that eluded me: An Over-Under showing the boats above the water and a shark below, and a silhouette of a shark blocking out the sun. The water conditions were unfortunately far too rough for an over-under (especially with a mini-dome port instead of a large one, so I had to focus on getting the silhouette. All week I had sharks that were coming from the wrong angle relative to the sun, would turn at the last minute, be too far away, or it would be cloudy. It took until my last rotation in the water, on the last day, with my battery blinking empty in order to get one. You have to swim down deep in order to get the whole shark in the frame, even with a fisheye. It was one of those times when as soon as you start taking the shot, you know you had it. I was celebrating before I even came back to the surface. This was the #1 photo I wanted to get out of this trip. It's still not perfect, but I'll take what I can get.
For anyone wondering about equipment and settings, all of the above were shot with an E-M5mkII with an Olympus 8mm Pro 1.8 in a Nauticam Housing. All shots were 1/250s and anywhere from f/8-f/14. ISO was never lower than 400, and typically 560-800 in order to keep the shutter speed and F-stop up. To put it simply, you need one of the two fisheye lenses for this. Even my 7-14mm would not have been wide enough.
I hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. There's at least a couple that I will be printing large and hanging up in my house.
Side note: I attempted to take a few self shots with the shark, and immediately after I took this, my card fried (and I didn't want to open the housing until we got back, so that meant no more shots that day). I think that means my face actually broke the camera...
Since we joined a trip that was entirely for photography purposes, we were able to get a head start and beat the rush out. It seemed that while most people didn't wake up until about 9 or 10am, we had already left the dock by 7. We were able to catch some pretty nice sunrises on our way offshore. The trip out took anywhere between 1 and 2 hours in the open ocean to get to the grounds.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
This had the added benefit of providing some really nice light, and few crowds in the background of our photos. From each boat, only 2 people (plus a guide) are allowed in the water at any time. Unlike most everywhere else in the world, the sharks congregate here in huge numbers. There can be sometimes 200 or more sharks in one vicinity. Luckily, this means that even with the large number of boats that come out, you can still get your own personal shark to follow and swim with.
Early morning provides some nice raking light, which adds some drama for photos. No flashes are allowed with the sharks, so shooting with the sun is the only light you get. Luckily, the vast majority of sharks will feed along the surface, which allows plenty of light for photos.
Whale sharks are covered with spots on top. These spots are unique for each shark, like our fingerprints, are can be used to identify individuals.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The large amount of plankton that draws in the sharks unfortunately also means that conditions for photos aren't as good as elsewhere in the caribbean. The plankton will reduce visibility quite a bit, as compared to the clearer waters eleswhere.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
However, it is an easy price to pay to get these interactions. They afford the opportunity to swim with not only whale sharks, but other animals as well, such as Manta Rays, Sailfish, Barracudas, and others.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Much like the sharks spots, Mantas have unique patterns on their bellies, which can be used for individual identification.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Whale sharks feed in 2 different ways. Swimming along the surface with their mouths open, or in what's known as the "Bottle Position". They will hang vertically at the surface, sucking water in their mouths and blowing it out the gills, taking in as much plankton as they can before they have to move.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
As the sun arcs higher in the sky, light rays become more pronounced in the water. It's best to shoot with the sun to your back so you don't end up with blown out highlights and the sharks too dark. It also helps to really enhance the colors.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Light rays will have a tendency to converge to a single point opposite of the sun due to the refraction of light with the water.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
When you're in the water, you can sometimes see as many as 5 or 6 sharks, and an equal number of Manta Rays all in your view at a given time. It's incredibly difficult to capture more than a couple at a time with the camera, however. Even with a fisheye lens, you need to be a great distance away. Distance from subjects in the water is not your friend. You need to get as close as possible. Not seen in the photo below, is a third shark coming right up the middle of these two. With a shark on either side of me, I wasn't able to get out of the way in time and got run over. Not dangerous, but it can knock the wind out of you if you aren't careful. Wasn't the first time I got hit, and wasn't the last.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
If the sun goes away, you have the opportunity to get some much more evenly lit photos. You don't get any dramatic shadows or light rays, however the clouds act as a giant softbox. Additionally, the sharks can come in different shades. Most are fairly dark, but some have a very light coloring.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
One thing you will notice with all of these sharks is the Remoras. These fish clean the sharks, and attach themselves on for the ride.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I had a list of certain shots that I wanted to get of the sharks, and for the most part, I was able to get all of the shots I wanted in the first couple days. There were 2 shots that eluded me: An Over-Under showing the boats above the water and a shark below, and a silhouette of a shark blocking out the sun. The water conditions were unfortunately far too rough for an over-under (especially with a mini-dome port instead of a large one, so I had to focus on getting the silhouette. All week I had sharks that were coming from the wrong angle relative to the sun, would turn at the last minute, be too far away, or it would be cloudy. It took until my last rotation in the water, on the last day, with my battery blinking empty in order to get one. You have to swim down deep in order to get the whole shark in the frame, even with a fisheye. It was one of those times when as soon as you start taking the shot, you know you had it. I was celebrating before I even came back to the surface. This was the #1 photo I wanted to get out of this trip. It's still not perfect, but I'll take what I can get.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
For anyone wondering about equipment and settings, all of the above were shot with an E-M5mkII with an Olympus 8mm Pro 1.8 in a Nauticam Housing. All shots were 1/250s and anywhere from f/8-f/14. ISO was never lower than 400, and typically 560-800 in order to keep the shutter speed and F-stop up. To put it simply, you need one of the two fisheye lenses for this. Even my 7-14mm would not have been wide enough.
I hope you enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. There's at least a couple that I will be printing large and hanging up in my house.
Side note: I attempted to take a few self shots with the shark, and immediately after I took this, my card fried (and I didn't want to open the housing until we got back, so that meant no more shots that day). I think that means my face actually broke the camera...
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
