Open wide: Go inside the mouth of a tiger shark

Grand Bahama's Tiger Beach is considered one of the best locations in the world for diving with tiger sharks. Rich, crystal clear waters and a well-protected marine reserve set the perfect scene to view the sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in their natural habitat. Back in January, WetPixel editor and underwater photographer Adam Hanlon dove in to experience the magic of Tiger Beach for himself – and his photos are nothing short of epic.

Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

"Sharks' noses are full of electro-receptors, some of which undoubtedly picked up the electronics in my camera," says Hanlon, who was able to shoot something on the dive that is rarely seen: the inside of a shark's mouth. "It is important to recognise that these sharks were not trying to bite me, or trying to feed," he says. "This [biting behaviour] was solely an attempt to understand the alien objects in their environment, and it was done very gently, with no aggression or stress (to the shark or me!). This is due in part to the skill of our expedition leaders at Epic Diving, but mostly because sharks simply do not view us as prey."

Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

You may notice a hook on the right side of the shark's mouth, showing that this shark was fished at one time. This hook will eventually rust out. Neither Hanlon nor any of the other divers used fishing gear in any way during this shoot. Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission

Ampullary (electrosensory) pores on the shark's nose help it locate prey. The nictitating membrane (from Latin 'nictare', meaning 'to blink') helps protect the eyes when feeding. Image: Adam Hanlon/used with permission