Should a sand tiger approach within a few feet, wide-angle lenses allow photographers to get impressive close-ups of the shark's head. This allows the photographer to fill the frame without having to approach too closely. The best results are usually obtained by using a 20mm or 28mm wide-angle lens. Thanks to their ferocious looks and large size, sand tigers make excellent subjects for underwater photography and videography. If sharks aren't visible on the wreck, try swimming out to the edge of the visibility range (keeping the wreck in sight to ensure a safe return, of course) and you're likely to find dozens of sharks lined up in rows. Schools are often found off to the side, out in the sand. Keep in mind that the largest concentration of sand tigers isn't always directly on the shipwreck. Sand tigers have been known to swim between the legs of divers standing on the bottom and will frequently approach stationary divers within an arm's length. You're more likely to get close by kneeling on the bottom than finning after them. While sand tigers don't seem to mind the presence of divers, they can get skittish when approached directly or aggressively. Touching or grabbing a sand tiger could result in a close encounter of the unpleasant kind. Aggressive displays are rare but possible when a shark is provoked or harassed. Of course, Barney always carried at least one bullet, so don't get cocky. Think Barney Fife in Arnold Schwarzenegger's body and you get the idea. The first time you see the business end of an 11-foot sand tiger shark-that slightly deranged face and the mouth best described as an exploding riot of teeth-it's easy to forget that, when treated with respect, these wild ocean predators are generally docile. While it's not unusual to spot an occasional sand bar, thresher or nurse shark mixed in with sand tiger schools (hammerhead, bull and dusky sharks even make occasional, fleeting appearances), sand tiger sharks are the most common and approachable species. Like sleek, gray ghosts, big sand tiger sharks prowl these wrecks year-round, offering divers a rare chance for up-close encounters without the need for feeding or baiting. Long known for world-class wreck diving, North Carolina's "Graveyard of the Atlantic" is rapidly gaining recognition as North America's premier shark diving destination. |Only on the wrecks of North Carolina can you get shots this close to fearsome looking sand tiger sharks.|
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