“Leopard Shark!” While out exploring a shallow lagoon area of the Ningaloo Reef, the captain finally yelled the words I had been anxiously waiting for. As I sprinted towards the rear of the vessel to grab my camera gear, I glanced out over the side and knew this could be the day I had anticipated for so long. After two years of perseverance, it looked like the stars had finally aligned and I was going to capture my perfect shot. Sitting on the marlin board at the boat’s stern, I closed my eyes and focussed on controlling my breathing to make sure I would have an adequate breath hold. I had replayed this moment in my head various times during the last couple of years, and after many failed attempts, finally had my plan in motion. I was anxiously waiting to spot and shoot the perfect shark.

Leopard sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum), also known as zebra sharks outside of the Asia-Pacific area, are a species of carpet shark found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. As a juvenile they hatch from their eggs sporting a black and white striped pattern; this is also how they get the name zebra shark. As they mature, they go through one of the most spectacular transformations of any marine animal: their skin turns bright yellow and they develop black leopard-like spots over their entire body – hence their common name in Australia, the leopard shark.