The sand tiger shark is a rather docile (as sharks go!), yet fierce-looking specimen that is often seen in aquariums, as it does quite well in captivity. Along the North Carolina coast, these sharks can generally be seen in large numbers on nearly every shipwreck frequented by divers. This was not always the case; some twenty or more years ago, they seemed to frequent a handful of wrecks, in particular the USS Tarpon off Cape Hatteras. Their numbers have grown immensly over the years, however, and they now seem to be everywhere. (various years, digital)

The blue shark is a species of rather slender build and pelagic in nature, frequenting deeper rather than shallow coastal waters. It apparently prefer cooler waters and is ubiquitous off the US East Coast, frequently caught in shark tournaments. They are not known to be aggresive toward humans, although they could surely do damage.

The images above were my first experience intentionally diving with sharks. In 1994 I was able to tag along with Brian Skerry for a couple of cage diving trips out of Rhode Island on the boat Snappa. We chummed for sharks and got plenty of blues to photograph; we spent most of our time outside the shark cage for better photo opportunities. The sharks struck me as extremely curious, but not really aggresive--although I did have to push them away with my camera several times! (all 1994, film)

The hammerhead shark is a strange evolutionary creature whose configuration seems to defy human understanding. Why would a shark develop such a strangely shaped head? These strange creatures can grow quite large and bulky, and encountering a lone shark of this species can be quite intimidating to a diver; curiously, however, they seem totally non-aggresive when encountered in schools, which can number in the hundreds. The hammerheads pictured here were photographed off Socorro Island, south of Mexico. (2008, 2021, digital)

The six-gilled shark is an interesting deep-water species that can reach lengths of nearly 20 feet. They are generally rather sluggish in behaviour and prefer deeper water. An exception that allows divers to see this species fairly readily occurs at Flora Inlet, off Hornby Island, British Columbia during the summer. Swimming slowly along a rocky slope that drops into deep water, and alertly scanning the depths often leads to an encounter with these large, but non-aggresive creatures. (2000, film)

The galapagos shark is a common sight in the eastern Pacific, particularly at the islands of Socorro, Cocos and Galapagos. They seem to be tolerant of divers in general, although they can become quite inquisitive when something catches their attention. While diving in Socorro in 2021, I accidentally had a dive reel unspool toward the bottom during a safety stop. As I pulled it up from 100 feet or so, a galapagos shark followed it all the way up to me and was a bit too inquisitive of me for my taste! (both 2021 at Socorro, digital)

The silky shark is a tropical pelagic species that can grow to 8 feet or so in length. The sharks feed largely on bony fishes, often driving them into compact groups (above, left) before attacking. They can reportedly be aggresive toward divers. (both 2008 at Socorro, digital)

The sandbar shark can be seen intermittently on shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast. They war quite distinctive from the ubiquitous sand-tiger sharks that inhabit these wrecks, with a very tall dorsal fin and their swift, often eratic swimming behaviour. A species of requiem shark, it is closely related to thge dusky and bull shark. Bull sharks are known to be quite aggressive, and seeing the way sandbar sharks dart around these wrecks at high speed leads a diver to believe that they may also be aggressive toward divers given the chance. (2019, digital)

The chain dogfish is one of the smallest sharks and a member of the catshark family. The shark generally inhabits deeper waters down to several thousand feet. It is common on some of the deepest diveable shipwrecks along the northern US East Coast. Often found in congregations of dozens of animals. It is easily recognizable by the chain-like markings on its body. It generally sits docilly on the bottom, or on the shipwrecks themselves, and is often found in large groups lying on top of one another. (2012, digital)

The whale shark is the largest species of shark, growing upwards of 60 feet in length. These sharks are filter feeders, scooping up plankton from the waters of the open ocean, and thus present no danger to divers or swimmers. (both 2021 at Socorro, digital)

The whitetip reef shark is a small slender specimen with a broad head and 'funny looking' face. Small protuberances beneath its nostrils gives it the appearance of whiskers, and the tips of its dorsal fin and tail are white, giving it its distinctive appearance. These sharks are often seen resting in groups in small caves, piled on top of one another. Unlike most sharks, they have the ability to 'breath' while sitting still on the bottom. (2021 Socorro, digital)

The silvertip shark is a large tropical shark often seen around offshore islands and coral reefs in the Pacific. It is reported to approach divers quite closely and is potentially aggressive. Its primary identifying feature are the white edges on its fins. It can grow to a length of 10 feet. (2021 Socorro, digital)