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Photograph by Michael Aw
In a surprising interaction at sea, colossal whale sharks home in on fishing nets near the island of New Guinea—and fishermen dole out snacks to the pilfering beasts.
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Photograph by Michael Aw
A whale shark tilts upright and yanks on a net, trying to make off with a fisherman's catch. "This behavior shows they can be opportunistic feeders," says biologist Morgan Riley, a director of the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme.
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Photograph by Michael Aw
Fishermen atop bagans (floating platforms) offer baitfish, which may help keep the sharks away from the nets.
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Photograph by Michael Aw
Vying for position under a bagan, male whale sharks—two of about twenty that visit this spot—scramble for a snack. Typically an adult shark might cruise night and day at a sedate one to three miles an hour, sucking in enough seawater to feed itself. This group likely spends a lot of time in Papua's Cenderawasih Bay, making it one of a few places where the species gathers year-round. Scientists hope to cooperate with locals to launch studies of the giants.
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Photograph by Michael Aw
"Suddenly he just jumped in!" says photographer Michael Aw. Sarmin Tangadji, the Papua police officer who escorted the photographic team to where the sharks congregate, "was so excited to see them up close." Aw shares that excitement when it comes to diving with a dozen whale sharks: "You are sandwiched in, sharks ahead and behind, but you want to be there," he says. "They make eye contact with you and then charge by. It blows your mind."
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