The shark lies semi-buried and camouflaged in the substrate ( above and inset )
impossible to find or photograph off our own coast , due to years of overfishing .
My breathing rate doubled with the excitement , but it was important to remain calm and focus on getting the shots ; shots I had dreamed of , but which had seemed so unlikely . After calling my dive buddy back and getting the camera settings in order , I began filming and from there the sequence came together naturally .
We filmed the shark free-swimming and burying itself in the substrate , just as divers have observed in the Canary Islands . After returning later in the day I managed to get footage of the little shark ’ s predatory behaviour , ambushing passing fish with lightning speed . The behaviour was incredible to watch , as angel sharks have a uniquely formed jaw that extends at lighting speed to envelop their prey .
Angel Shark Project : Wales was launched in 2018 and is lead collaboratively by the Zoological Society of London ( ZSL ) and Natural Resources Wales ( NRW ). The aim of the project is to better understand and safeguard angel sharks in Wales with fishers and coastal communities , using heritage , education and research . It became evident that angel sharks have always been found off the Welsh coast , however little was known about their distribution and how often they were seen . Since launching the project , more than 2,200 records of angel sharks off the Welsh coast have been shared and catalogued , dating back to 1812 .
All the information has helped to better understand the species off the Welsh coast , where in August 2020 the Wales Angel Shark Action Plan was launched . The Action Plan sets out a list of priority research to be
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