In a recent Instagram post, Kaushiik Subramaniam, a wildlife photographer and conservation biologist, shared intense images of a mako shark moving through the open ocean.
The caption added the context, "No reef. No ocean floor in sight. Just open ocean, beams of light, and one of the most beautiful predators I've ever encountered… There's a rawness to the open ocean that you can't really describe until you're floating in it – waiting, watching, and hoping something extraordinary appears from the blue."
The photographer also described the animal as "Fast, alert, powerful, and impossibly elegant," writing that "There are some sharks that completely change the energy of the water. A mako is one of them."
Why does it matter?
Photos like this can help shift how people think about sharks, especially species that are often reduced to fear-based stereotypes.
Rather than presenting the mako as a threat, the image shows it as a highly adapted ocean predator moving through its natural environment with precision and grace. It was likely easy for Subramaniam to present the animal this way, since it ignored the human diver just feet away.
Open-ocean species can feel distant to people on land, even though they are part of broader marine systems that help keep the planet healthy. Ocean wildlife that lives far from shore and often out of sight can be easy to overlook, making it less likely you'll be aware of the issues those species are dealing with.
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But when people see sharks as living creatures rather than movie monsters, they may be more likely to care about what happens to them.
If you are planning a trip to coastal destinations such as Cabo San Lucas, look for ecotourism operators that follow local rules, respect animal space, and avoid practices that stress out wildlife. Choosing companies carefully can help you get a better experience and reward higher standards in tourism.
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