How Nat Geo Shot Great White Sharks Off Cape Cod

As the grey seal population off Cape Cod increases, more great white sharks are venturing into the area to feed on them. The sharks have no interest in humans and will rarely approach boats. National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry found it difficult to get a clear shot from far away due to the green, murky waters, so he had to get creative by using spotter pilots, drones and a seal decoy.

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The National Geographic team didn’t just want footage of the shark, but they also wanted to use footage to analyze the Shark’s behavior and how the great whites in Cape Cod differ from the great whites of Australia and South Africa. 

It took Skerry lots of time to perfect the decoy so that the shark would be drawn to it, largely by altering the size and wireless trigger. Skerry manages to get the shot he was hoping for, having the great white attack the decoy just as planned.