AndrejGajićusuallydivesalone.Atnight.Inshallow,murkywater.Hedivesundertheseconditionsbecausethat’swhereandwhenhe’llfindsharks.AndGajićneedstofind sharks.


Gajićismorethanjustadiver.He’saNationalGeographicExplorerandmarinebiologistdedicatedtounderstandingtheeffectsofpollutiononsharksandskatesandrays(flatfishcloselyrelatedtosharks).Todothiswork,heneedstoworkbothinalabandinthe water.

DifficultDive

ManyofGajić'sdivestakeplaceatNeumBayontheAdriaticSea.It’sahotspotforsharks,rays,andskates,andagoodplaceforhimtodirectlyobservethesenocturnal creatures.


Hedoesn’thavetogofartoreachbottomatNeumBay—onlyabout30meters(98 feet).Thewaterhereisthickwithsedimentandchokedbycoloniesofplankton—smallorganismsthatfloatinthesea.Tohim,itfeelsmorelikeswimmingthroughyogurtthanwater.Visibilityatthisdepthiszero.Gajićcan’tseehishandinfrontofhisface.Hewaits,lettinghiseyesadjust.Afterafewminutes,hecanjustmakeoutsomeshapesaround him.


Hisvideocameracarriesapowerfullight.Heswitchesitontocutthroughsomeofthegloom.Andthat’swhenheseesthem:smoothhoundsharks.Theyareswimminginlazycirclesneartheseabed.Gajićisexcitedtoseethembutknowsthatheisthevisitorhere;thisisnothishome.Hisjobisonlytoobserve.Avoidsuddenmovements.Be watchful.

Gajićexaminesanunbornsmoothoundshark,searchingforsignsof deformities.

Alesserspotteddogfishrestsonthe seabed.

It’sthatlastpieceofadvicethatisthemostimportant.Mostofthemarineanimalsheencountershavenointerestinpeopleandarenotlikelytoattack.Buthispresencemustnotcausestresstotheanimals.Toensurethis,hepayscloseattentiontothebodylanguageofthesharks.Doanyofthemseemaggressive?Isheseeinganysuddenchangesinmovementtowardhim?No.Thesharksappearcurious,butnotthreatenedbyhim.That’s good.


Bythelightofhiscamera,hebeginshisobservations.Astheyswimaroundhim,helookscloselyattheirjawsandteeth.Hestudiestheirgills,skin,andmuscles.He’slookingforanyswellingorabnormalities.He’slookingforsignsof disease.


Gajićspendsclosetoanhourinthissilentworld,takingnotes,photographs,andshootingvideosbeforeitistimetoresurface.Tohiseyes,thesharksappearhealthy.ButGajićknowsthatlookscanbedeceiving.Totrulyknowthehealthoftheseanimals,heneedstolookmuch deeper.

SharksintheAdriatic

Researchindicatesthatthereare33 speciesofsharksintheAdriaticSea.Catsharks,smoothhounds,anddogfisharethemostabundant.Thesesharksarefairlysmallandliketostayneartheocean floor.


Intheopenwater,histeamhasencounteredelegantbluesharksaswellaslightning-quickmakosharks.Makosareoneofthefastestmarineanimals,capableofburstsofspeedupto18.8metersasecond(68kilometersor42milesan hour).

AnotherfascinatingspeciesfoundintheAdriaticisthethreshershark.Itsbodygrowsupto6meters(almost20feet)—halfofwhichisanelongatedtailfin.Threshersharksencircleschoolsoffishandthenstunthepreywiththeir tails.

Europe

Bosnia-
Herzegovina

Adriatic
Sea

Mediterranean
Sea

Neum Bay

Malta