Species: Great Hammerhead, Nurse & Bull shark.
Location: Bimini, Bahamas. 2015.
I realised with some surprise that a whopping 9 years had passed by since I had been in Bimini, with this in mind I decided a return visit was a must and what better time to go than during Great Hammerhead season (Sphyrna mokarran)!!
Put simply, my dives with the Hammerheads blew me away!!
Once the bait had gone in the water we were inundated with nurse sharks typically after only a couple of minutes, on average we only had to wait around 20 minutes until the unmistakable outline and approach of the Hammers were spotted from the boat, a speedy kitting up and grabbing of camera equipment ensued (with a quick nod to the O-ring gods) and we descended down to the white sand with depths around 6m. Seeing these animals up close in the water was incredible.
On each dive the Hammers exhibited different behaviours and swimming patterns which allowed for some fantastic photography opportunities. Unlike the more classic shark body shape, the angles and form of the Great Hammerheads combined with the sunlight filtering through the water and the approach of the sharks created the potential for yet another different and interesting shot, the opportunities were endless!
The Bull Sharks at North Bimini Docks were sizeable distractions when visiting the North Islands, never far away and quick to appear when any fishermen were cleaning up their catch!
Once again Bimini was incredible. Prior to my visit I had been anxious that the sharks wouldn’t turn up, I had somehow forgotten how special a place Bimini is – of course the sharks would be there, as were Stingrays, Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Turtles etc.…