This dive at Rye Pier blessed us with beautiful weather, minimal wind, and fantastic visibility. We entered the water close to sunset, hoping to capture the golden-hour atmosphere beneath the pier. On our swim back, a huge 1.5-metre Southern Fiddler Ray lay boldly near the entrance.
I slowed my pace, calmed my breathing, and gently approached, hoping to capture its impressive size with rays of sunlight streaming through the water behind it. All of a sudden—perhaps I had ventured a little too close—it tried to intimidate me by blasting a cloud of sand through its dorsal spiracles. I quickly apologized and slowly backed away, amazed that I had captured the exact moment on camera.
The cloud of sand transformed an ordinary portrait into something far more atmospheric. The shark almost disappeared into the mist it had created, while the sun rays filtered through the water, giving the scene a mysterious and almost dreamlike feeling.
