20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Shark in kelp

Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) congregate in Jervis Bay, Australia, during spring and winter in order to breed. They use the rocks and crevices in the area to anchor their eggs and if the egg is not damaged nor eaten, a young shark will emerge after ten to twelve months. There is a fair bit of kelp around the rocks so I tried a few times to go snorkelling at lower tide so that I could photograph the sharks swimming on top of the kelp with good sun light. That time of year the weather was often bad but eventually I got a nice sunny day with little swell, and was able to go at mid tide. I saw a few sharks but most of them were quite deep or resting on the sand or under rocks, The water was very cold and after 45 minutes I started shivering. But I persisted. Eventually this shark swam slowly on top of the kelp, possibly looking for a mate, a place to lay an egg, or a place to rest. No bait used.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Australia
Copyright: © vanessa Mignon