INTRODUCTION LIKE A LOT OF KIDS I WAS FASCINATED BY SHARKS FROM A YOUNG AGE There was something about these predators like the giant dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth that captured my attention and instilled a sense of fear in me But then when I was 20 years old I saw my very first shark in the wild on a cage dive near my home in New England It was an experience I'll never forget and one that had a major effect on me and my career as a photographer That shark a seven foot 2 1 m blue shark wasn't just a big scary predator It was an elegant elegant beautiful animal It moved exquisitely through the water And as a photographer I came to see sharks as a perfect photo subject They are graceful confident perfectly sculpted and balanced balanced Through my photography I have been able to share my passion and that vision of these incredible creatures Over time my vision of sharks has evolved Sure they are the biggest baddest guys in the ocean but they are also a very fragile species Through my work and through this book I hope to showcase sharks as cool fast fascinating and yes even a bit scary But they are also vulnerable animals that we need to protect So go ahead and sink your teeth into the pages of this book Along the way you'll learn about the many kinds of sharks swimming in our oceans their awesome anatomy and superhero like senses and how and where they grow up You'll dig into prehistoric sharks and explore the coolest coolest places to find shark fossils You'll meet the biggest the fastest the most acrobatic and the deepest dwelling sharks You'll read about my firsthand encounters with these remarkable animals And you'll discover what you can do to advocate for sharks and be a shark defender My hope is that you'll learn everything you want to know about sharks while also viewing them in a new light as complex creatures that are truly amazing to behold Brian Skerry Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife wildlife Since 1998 he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic magazine covering a wide range of subjects and stories In 2014 he was named a National Geographic Fellow He has published more than 25 stories for National Geographic magazine on a range of subjects from sharks and whales to dolphins and coral reefs Brian's work has also been featured in publications such as the New York Times BBC Wildlife Paris Match the Washington Post the Wall Street Journal Smithsonian Esquire Audubon and Men's Journal Brian is the author of 10 books including the acclaimed Ocean Soul and his latest monograph entitled SHARK You can follow his work on Instagram BrianSkerry
BULL SHARK 7
A GRAY REEF SHARK OVER KINGMAN REEF IN THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
CHAPTER ONE SPECTACULAR SHARKS PICTURE A SHARK IS THE CREATURE IN YOUR MIND BUBBLE-GUM PINK DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT HAS A CHAIN SAW FOR A FACE Or maybe it resembles a spotted shaggy carpet It could These aren’t sharks of fairy tales or fever dreams There are species of shark that fit all these descriptions And yet when many people think about sharks they visualize a hulking gray super-predator with massive jaws filled with daggerlike teeth We want to paint you a different picture Sharks you’ll find out come in a dazzling variety of shapes sizes and colors They can be as small as a human hand and bigger than a bus And they have far-out features that have helped them reign supreme as sultans of the sea for millions of years Expandable jaws Check Glow-in-the-dark organs Got it A sixth sense that detects electricity You bet Read more about this in chapter 2 with us deep into their watery world We promise you’ll never picture sharks the same way again How can you better understand the incredible diversity and fantastic features of these powerful predators Journey
