▴ | Above : The “ ghost ” now named Lusca was the lightest great hammerhead shark I have ever seen
I slip over the side of the boat and into the stunning blue water . I rest on the surface , watching a dozen nurse sharks scattered through the water column , eagerly awaiting a snack . From a distance , I see a large silhouette approaching . I take a full breath and slide under the water , descending slowly to the white sand below . Settling at the bottom , camera in hand , I wait .
A great hammerhead shark that I do not recognise swims cautiously towards me . She passes by within a few feet of me and I watch in awe . She then circles back around before disappearing , like a ghost into the blue . I return to the surface , my lungs reminding me : I am not an ocean creature .
“ Freediving with wildlife always requires respect , and with great hammerheads , a beautiful interaction also requires a lot of patience ”
FREEDIVING WITH GREAT HAMMERHEADS
While my encounter with the “ ghost ” was unique , I get to spend a lot of time with other great hammerheads . During the winter months , these remarkable creatures can be found in the shallow , clear waters of the tiny islands of Bimini in the Bahamas . It remains the only place in the world ( that we know of ) where you can encounter several individuals ( five to 10 ) in very shallow water on a single dive . They are naturally a solitary species , unlike scalloped hammerheads , who are observed aggregating in the hundreds . For this reason , Bimini has quickly become a renowned location to witness these incredible sharks first-hand , drawing divers and film crews from across the globe .
For this dive , a feeder goes down with a bait box and the divers line up side by side , creating a wall .
6 | SDOP