This remarkable image was snapped by environmental photojournalist Thomas P. Peschak.
And no, it's not fake, photoshopped, or digitally manipulated in any way. In fact, Peschak’s most famous photograph was simply shot on slide film using a Nikon F5 camera and 17-35 mm lens.
It was originally published in the September 2005 issue of Africa Geographic. That article presented a study of Great Whites in South Africa by Peschak and fellow biologist Michael Scholl. Since sharks can be either repelled or attracted by the electrical fields emitted by a boat's engine, Peschak and Scholl had chosen to use kayaks to study the sharks' behaviour. Unlike motorised vessels, kayaks are easily manoeuvred in shallow waters, and they have no noisy engines that might disturb the sharks in their natural habitat.
The scientists hoped to discover why large groups of Great Whites regularly swim so close to beaches during the summer months (it was determined that they venture inshore to interact socially with others of their species, and use the opportunity to mate and give birth).
The kayaker was marine biologist Trey Snow, who had hoped to stealthily track the local sharks, but found the tables turned when he looked around to find himself stalked by one of the ocean’s most feared predators.
Snow described sitting in a three-metre yellow sea kayak, watching the approach of a five-metre shark, as a tense and nerve-wracking experience. While the scientists had previously tested the sharks' reactions to empty kayaks, and noted no signs of aggression, this was the first time they had come face-to-face with one of the creatures.
In order to capture the image, Peschak had tied himself to the tower of a nearby vessel, Lamnidae, the White Shark Trust research boat. As he dangled precariously over the glassy ocean, he trained his camera on an advancing dark shadow, watching as it gradually transformed into the unmistakable outline of a large Great White Shark.
The shark initially dived to the sea floor and inspected Snow’s kayak from beneath, before rising ominously to the surface and heading straight for the vulnerable craft. Fortunately, on this occasion the intimidating visitor was simply inquisitive, rather than hungry.
(Despite their fearsome reputation, Great White Sharks are normally curious and cautious, rather than capricious or malevolent. However, if you're concerned about shark encounters while participating in ocean and surf sports, then read this article: 5 Proven Shark Repellents That Could Save Your Life).
A metre or so from the craft, the shark veered off, circled around, and casually reapproached from the rear. It repeated this pattern several times, occasionally lifting its head from the water for a better view. Then it lost interest, and swam away, allowing Snow and the support vessel to follow and observe from a short distance behind.
The shark initially dived to the sea floor and inspected Snow’s kayak from beneath, before rising ominously to the surface and heading straight for the vulnerable craft. Fortunately, on this occasion the intimidating visitor was simply inquisitive, rather than hungry.
(Despite their fearsome reputation, Great White Sharks are normally curious and cautious, rather than capricious or malevolent. However, if you're concerned about shark encounters while participating in ocean and surf sports, then read this article: 5 Proven Shark Repellents That Could Save Your Life).
A metre or so from the craft, the shark veered off, circled around, and casually reapproached from the rear. It repeated this pattern several times, occasionally lifting its head from the water for a better view. Then it lost interest, and swam away, allowing Snow and the support vessel to follow and observe from a short distance behind.
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“When the shark’s dorsal fin emerged,” said Peschak, “I thought I had the shot but hesitated a fraction of a second. In that moment, the research assistant in the kayak, Trey Snow, turned to look behind him, and I took the shot. Throughout the day I shot many more similar images, but all lacked the connection of the first image. I knew the image was iconic, but I was not prepared for the public response. When the photograph was first published, it attracted more than 100,000 visitors to my website in 24 hours.”
When the image first appeared in Africa Geographic, and later in BBC Wildlife, Paris Match and the Daily Mail, it generated a flurry of emails, phone calls and letters from around the globe, asking whether the photo was a fake. It became the most talked about shark photograph in history.
Over the years, the photo has resurfaced frequently in photoshopped images on the web. Peschak’s shark (minus the kayak) was spotted swimming through the overflowing streets of Puerto Rico when Hurricane Irene battered the Caribbean. It has also been seen at the bottom of a submerged escalator, after a shark tank allegedly burst in a Kuwait shopping mall. It even made an appearance swimming beside a car on the flooded streets of New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
 Peschak's shark swims along a flooded street (fake) |  Peschak's shark lurks in a flooded mall (fake) |
Several years later, French magazine, Le Magazine des Voyages de Peche, published an April Fool’s Day article recounting the tale of an Australian fisherman who befriended a Great White that he had caught in one of his fishing nets, which subsequently followed him around each time he ventured out to sea. Of course, the image used in the article was Peschak's shark, this time with the kayak.
Peschak and Scholl went on to write one of the world’s best-known books on Great White Sharks.
Their publication, South Africa’s Great White Shark, is widely considered to be the definitive text for divers, tour guides, marine biologists and photographers. It offers in-depth coverage of Great White behaviour, ecology, conservation and ecotourism, as well as the truth behind the practices of cage diving and chumming.
Peschak and Scholl went on to write one of the world’s best-known books on Great White Sharks.
Their publication, South Africa’s Great White Shark, is widely considered to be the definitive text for divers, tour guides, marine biologists and photographers. It offers in-depth coverage of Great White behaviour, ecology, conservation and ecotourism, as well as the truth behind the practices of cage diving and chumming.
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