Happiness is a ledge covered in sleepy sharks! During daylight hours, Whitetip reef sharks typically lie low as they slumber together in docile gangs. Tucked up like socks in a drawer, they await the spell of nightfall. When the bewitching magic of the moon begins and twilight falls in the Blue, the sharks awaken and set off to hunt. Their adapted, streamlined bodies enable them to access favourite prey like octopus, eels and fish that hide in a reef’s nooks and crannies or in rocky crevices.

Whitetips are an IUCN Near Threatened species due to their slow rates of reproduction in a world that continues to overfish.Tagging projects within their Indo-Pacific range show them to be home lovers. If they’re happy in their habitat of choice, they tend to stick around. Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo Islands is one of their chosen havens. It’s a wild and desolate landmark washed by ripping ocean currents and big surge, making it one of the most exhilarating dives on the planet.

This was one of the more challenging shark images I’ve taken. The surge pushes you in against the rock and then pulls you straight back out again. Everything comes down to split second timing, riding the surge at the right moment so that you don’t encroach upon the sleepy sharks or end up joining them!

Location: Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Islands, Pacific Ocean, Mexico

Photographer: Laura Storm