"The gulf wobbegong (Orectolobus halei) is one of the largest carpet sharks, reaching nearly 3 meters in length. An ambush predator, this animal spends most of its time motionless, waiting for suitable prey to come close enough for a rapid strike. This large individual was surrounded by a myriad of glassfish, a cohabitation I had witnessed before in the waters of Fish Rock Island (South West Rocks, NSW, Australia).
That particular day, however, the ocean surge could be felt at the 27-meter depth where the shark was located, causing the fish to swim together against the moving water every few seconds, all facing the same direction. The blue-green water also complemented the pink rocks, whose coloration comes from algae covering rocky seabeds in South-East Australia.
I decided this was a photographic opportunity worth pursuing and stayed for several minutes, timing my shot precisely when all the fish faced the camera. This angle also allowed me to photograph the “glass” fish without overexposing their reflective scales with my underwater flash lights. It took several long minutes to get the timing right, but the result was worth it."