Surviving the oceanic whitetip shark

by Ellen Husain for Dive Hawaii, 26 September 2007

Ellen Husain dives in the deep off-shore waters of Kona, Hawaii to film pilot whales and oceanic whitetip sharks, a predator with a fearsome reputation.

Our adventure starts just above the South Pacific, thousands of miles from continental land, in the deep waters off Hawaii. We’re here to see oceanic whitetip sharks, and the pilot whales they mysteriously shadow.

There are three main challenges to this shoot: finding our subjects, getting close enough to film them (without disturbing them), and doing it all safely. Pilot whales aren't generally aggressive by nature, but oceanic white tips are known to be fearless and dangerous, so we have to take them seriously. In the Pacific they have the reputation of being the main culprits in attacks on the countless sailors and airmen who found themselves adrift following the epic battles of World War II.

"With the oceanic whitetips, where there's one, there might be several," says veteran shark-diving photographer and Kona resident, Doug Perrine. "It's not the shark in front of me that worries me, it’s the one sneaking up behind."

Shark spotting

Finding pretty much anything in the near-infinity of the open ocean can be a serious challenge. On site we put the word out to the local boats. Amazingly, with their help we find the pilot whales on day one. But once we're in the water the visibility lets us down. It's a promising start, but not the spectacle we’re looking for.

Pilot whales near the ocean surface

Despite long days on the water, its not until day five that we get another good chance. It's a baking hot day and the water is sparkling blue. After several hours a boat radios in with a GPS reference. Finally, we catch sight of the whales for a second time. Edging closer we stop a respectful distance away.

But are there any sharks with the whales? Dan, one of our safety divers, jumps up on the cabin roof to look. "Oceanic whitetip!" comes the shout from on-high. There's a pause, then an excited exclamation: "...TWO oceanic whitetips!" followed by "...three ...four ...FIVE oceanic whitetips!!"

It’s time to get in the water. But first I check everyone's still okay with the plan. The main thing is to protect cameraman Richard, so that he can get on with the filming (with his eye to the viewfinder, his restricted world-view makes him vulnerable). With the likelihood of multiple sharks around I've planned to have three safety divers (including me) in the water at any time.

In terms of precautions each diver will have a 40cm stick for boffing away anything that gets too close, and we've also got a Shark Shield. Strapped to the ankle this device emits an electric field uncomfortable to sharks' electro-receptors, and is designed to repel sharks over a 2.5m radius.

Taking the plunge

Entering the water in quick succession, the idea is to stay close to Richard whilst still giving him a clear shot. We have one diver on each side to fend off lateral approaches, and one behind to cover everyone's back. Approaches from above or below will be a collective responsibility. As we want the sharks to come close for our filming, we will keep the Shark Shield turned off unless things turn really hairy. If things turn bad we will all bunch in together, turn the device on, and make our way towards the boat. Shark-sticks in hand.

Oceanic whitetip shark

We're about 15m from the boat when I spot the first shark, the three white dots of its fin tips being the first thing visible in the blue. I alert the others. As it swims steadily towards us there are more shouts, and suddenly there are four sharks. Three bear in on us at once and it's a high-energy moment as we each face off our own sharks. The formation works well, as everyone bunches in together, hyper-alert.

These sharks are impressively beautiful, with an imposing presence, and cat-like eyes. As top predators, they exude a quiet and absolute self-assurance. In their environment anything can be food, and their opportunistic nature demands that they investigate us as an option.

Given enough time I'm sure they would work up to a bite, and it definitely feels its not so much a question of 'if', but 'when'. But for now they are just testing, and as long as we face them, and respond to them, we're okay. The reality is that a lot of the oceanic attacks on people have been on ship or plane-wreck victims. Hanging passively in the water, unable to see or to respond to the sharks, they would have been enticingly susceptible targets.

Alone in the void

The sharks stick around, often swimming beyond the edge of the visibility only to reappear again and approach from another angle. They do come pretty close but there's no bumping, and we're able to get the shots we need. The whales are also spectacular. There's a lovely moment when the whole pod of fifteen comes by, and we get the shot of these being trailed by a single shark, which obligingly passes about a foot from the camera.

Pilot whales

With this final pass, suddenly both sharks and whales are gone, and we're alone, floating in the void. Light rays shine down from the surface and dance in the blue depths. The scene is entrancing. In every direction there is only empty blue water, and not a speck of life to be seen. As if to underline the transience of the open ocean, there is no hint of the spectacular scene that has just passed.

Huw Cordey discovers the wildlife living on another of the Pacific's remote islands whilst filming the South Pacific series. Find out more with Hunt for the world's largest land crab.