Mary M. Cerullo - Journey to Shark Island: A Shark Photographers Close Encounters

The volcano. He passed by a colorful school of fairy basslets. A spiny lobster peeked out from its hiding place in the black rock.

At 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 meters), where the sunlight is only a distant glow, underwater photographer Jeff Rotman spotted his prey. He dove even deeper to get underneath the school of fish for the best shot of the giant creatures. Jeff raised his camera and clicked photo after photo before the 100 scalloped hammerhead sharks dispersed in fright, terrified by the flash of his camera.

Jeff had come thousands of miles to Cocos Island to get just this image.

Scalloped hammerheads have a distinctive shape that makes them instantly recognizable.

Costa Ricas Cocos Island is a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, far from any place inhabited by humans. Over the years Jeff has visited Cocos Island many times. He has seen firsthand that many of the shark species that were once plentiful there have all but disappeared because of overfishing. Now Jeff comes not just to photograph the sharks, but also to document the dangers that threaten them. He hopes his photos can show why its so important to protect the top predators of the ocean.

To underwater explorers like Jeff, Cocos Island is known as the Island of the Sharks. In addition to sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, the waters surrounding Cocos Island have manta rays, tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and many more kinds of sharks rarely seen in other placesand never in the huge numbers found here. Cocos Island is the single best place on the planet to see a variety of sharks, Jeff says.

A bigeye thresher shark at Cocos Island.

But Cocos Island isnt easy to get to. Its more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) off the coast of Central America. Jeff travels on the dive boat Sea Hunter out of Costa Rica. It takes 45 hours of bouncing over rough seas to reach the island.

The island and the waters for 9 miles (15 km) around it make up the Cocos Island National Park. The park has rules for visitors; for example, only three boats have permission to take divers to visit the underwater park, and only the park ranger may stay overnight on Cocos Island. So the 90-foot- (27-m-) long dive boat is Jeffs home for the next 30 days.

AT SEA ON SEA HUNTER

The Sea Hunter is not luxurious. It is a workboat that was formerly a scientific research vessel. tanks and other diving equipment, storage lockers, and workstations for doing research or viewing film footage.

So what is it about Cocos Island that makes it Shark Central? Food, of course. You might say its like a giant seafood buffetan all-you-can-eat feast for sharks.

Several ocean , which directly or indirectly feed almost everything else in the ocean.

A trumpetfish hides among a school of blue-striped snappers.

Larger ocean creatures, such as turtles, whales, and fish, converge as they follow the currents or are swept up by them, until they reach the rich feeding grounds of Cocos Island. Scientists say there are about 300 different species of fish that live around Cocos Island. Wherever there are small fish, bigger ones, such as sharks, come too.

Many sharks also visit the area for another reasonthe presence of many different kinds of off the skin, gills, and jaws of the larger fish. The sharks get cleaned, and the little cleaners get a meal.

STAYING SAFE IN STRONG CURRENTS

Exploring the deep, treacherous waters of Cocos Island is only for experienced divers. The currents are so strong that they can carry divers far away from their dive boats. To make sure he isnt lost at sea, Jeff carries a long orange rubber tube that he can blow up should he get swept away by the current. In such circumstances, hed wave it in the air so that the dive boat could find him. For night dives he packs a strobe light, like a bicycle rider might use. If needed, the flashing light would signal his location.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Its one thing to see a shark; its quite another to shoot the perfect photograph of one. Jeff Rotman has learned many strategies to make the most of his dive expeditions.

Find a shark.
This is the first challenge. Jeff has used high-tech tools including spotter planes to locate whale sharks. Other times his tools are as simple as a cut-out figure of a seal, like the duck decoys used by hunters. The seal silhouette prompted a great white shark to leap out of the water right next to Jeffa dream shot for a shark photographer.

Offer treats.
Food is a good way to introduce yourself to a shark or ray, says Jeff. , a tasty mixture of horsemeat, blood, and fish oil, is a yummy draw for great whites. But be carefultoo many treats can get your subject overexcited.

Safety first.
No matter how eager he is to get his shot, Jeff always takes safety measures. Sometimes he wears a chainmail dive suit. That works for medium-sized sharks like Caribbean reef sharks, but only a strong shark cage provides enough protection when you are diving among great whites.

Bring a buddy.
Jeff always has another diver to watch his backliterally. He never dives anywhere without his safety diver and good friend, Asher Gal.

Be polite.
Jeff says that this is the most important rule of diving with sharks. You are a guest in their world. Dont chase, corner, or grab them. Let them come to you. Or, if you are Jeff, inch toward them very, very slowly.

Photo: Jeff shooting Caribbean reef sharks.

THINKING LIKE A SHARK

Jeffs job begins long before he jumps into the water with his camera. Before any dive expedition, he does his homework, learning all he can about the kinds of sharks he may meet. He tries to understand and predict how they will behave around him.

When Jeff (right) and Asher Gal are working in remote areas like Cocos Island, they have to bring 10 to 12 different cameras and back-up gear for everything. There are no stores to resupply.