National Geographic Kids Chapters: Diving With Sharks!: And More True Stories of Extreme Adventures!
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DAVID DOUBILET AND JENNIFER HAYES: Diving With Sharks!
Chapter 2: Swimming With Seals
RHIAN WALLER: Keeping Your Cool!
Photographer David Doubilet comes face-to-face with some Caribbean reef sharks. (Photo Credit p1.1) A tiger shark feeds on a dead sperm whale. (Photo Credit p1.1.1) The radio on the boat crackled to life. David Doubilet and his wife and diving partner, Jennifer Hayes, listened closely. A dead sperm whale had been sighted off the reef of Cairns in Australia. This was rare. There had not been a sperm whale carcass sighting in 30 years. Ten large tiger sharks were feeding on the whale. David knew they had to photograph it. It’s unusual to see sharks feeding in the wild. Sometimes sharks are hand-fed during tours so tourists can dive and see them. David and Jennifer knew that this natural feeding would be a special opportunity. They set the boat’s coordinates (sounds like co-ORE-din-its) to where the whale had been spotted, and sped along the water as fast as they could. Yet when they arrived at their destination, there was no whale to be seen. The wind and tide had moved it, but where? David and Jennifer scanned the water. Finally, they saw a large mass floating on the ocean’s surface. They breathed a sigh of relief. It was the whale. The whale’s white flesh was oozing whale oil. The strong smell filled the air. And eight large tiger sharks circled the carcass. It was time for David and Jennifer to get a closer look. David and Jennifer slipped into the water. From there, they had a much better view. The sharks’ teeth ripped into the whale’s body, tearing it to shreds. David and Jennifer raised their cameras and began taking pictures.
Did You Know?
Sharks are ancient animals. The first one lived on Earth about 400–450 million years ago.
They knew that as long as they kept their distance from the sharks, they’d be safe. After all, the sharks were busy eating the whale.