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


Gajićismorethanjustadiver.He’saNationalGeographicExplorerandamarinebiologist.Hisgoalistounderstandtheeffectsofpollutiononsharksandskatesandrays(flatfishcloselyrelatedtosharks).Todothisheneedstoworkbothinalabandinthe water.

DifficultDive

ManyofGajić’sdivestakeplaceatNeumBayontheAdriaticSea.It’sahotspotforsharks,rays,andskates.It’salsoagoodplacetoobservethesenocturnal creatures.


ThebottomofNeumBayisonlyabout30meters(98feet)belowthesurface.Thewaterhereisthickwithsedimentandcoloniesofplankton—smallorganismsthatfloatinthesea.Gajiccan’tseehishandsinfrontofhisface.Heletshiseyesadjust.Then,hecanmakeoutsome shapes.


Hisvideocameracarriesapowerfullight.Heswitchesiton.Thenheseesthem.Smoothhoundsharksswimincirclesneartheseabed.Heknowshemustavoidsudden movements.

Gajicexaminesanunbornsmoothoundshark,searchingforsignsof deformities.

Alesserspotteddogfishrestsonthe seabed.

Bewatchful!That’sGajić’sadvice.MostofthemarineanimalsGajićencountershavenointerestinpeople.Theyarenotlikelytoattack.Buthispresencemust
notcausestresstotheanimals.Hepayscloseattentiontothebodylanguageofthesharks.Isheseeinganysuddenmovementstowardhim?No.Thesharksappearcuriousbutnotthreatenedby him.


Astheyswimaroundhim,helookscloselyattheirjawsandteeth.Hestudiestheirgills,skin,andmuscles.He’slookingforanysignsof disease.


Gajićspendsclosetoanhourinthissilentworld.Tohiseye,thesharksappearhealthy.Buttotrulyknow,heneedstolookmuch deeper.

SharksintheAdriatic

Thereare33speciesofsharksintheAdriaticSea.Catsharks,dogfish,andsmoothhoundsarethemostabundant.Thesesharksarefairlysmallandliketostayneartheocean floor.


Intheopenwater,Gajić’steamhasencounteredelegantbluesharks,aswellaslightning-quickmakosharks.Makosmayhaveburstsofspeedupto18.8metersasecond(68kilometersor42milesan hour).

Thethreshersharkhasatailfinthatgrowsupto3meters(almost10feet).Itstunsitspreywithits tail.

Europe

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Adriatic
Sea

Mediterranean
Sea

Neum Bay

Malta