Sharks & Rays

Sharks and rays belong to an ancient group of fish whose skeletons are composed entirely of cartilage. There are several hundred species of sharks, ranging in size from six inches to over 50 feet; the very largest ones - whale sharks and basking sharks, are plankton-feeders. Only about a dozen or so species have actually been implicated in unprovoked attacks on human beings. These attacks are extremely rare, and can often be attributed to mistaken identity. Today, most of the larger species are declining in numbers, due to overfishing.

Mako Shark, California — Mako Shark,
California

Hammerhead, Galapagos — Hammerhead,
Galapagos

Blue Shark, California — Blue Shark,
California

Sandtiger Shark, North Carolina — Sandtiger Shark,
North Carolina

Sandtiger Shark, North Carolina — Sandtiger Shark,
North Carolina

Sandtiger Shark, North Carolina — Sandtiger Shark,
North Carolina

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Lemon Shark, Bahamas — Lemon Shark,
Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Lemon Sharks, Bahamas — Lemon Sharks,
Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Lemon Shark, Bahamas — Lemon Shark,
Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Bahamas — Tiger Shark,
Bahamas

Sandtiger Shark, North Carolina — Sandtiger Shark,
North Carolina

Sandtiger Shark, North Carolina — Sandtiger Shark,
North Carolina

Whale Shark, Western Australia — Whale Shark,
Western Australia

Silvertip Shark, New Guinea — Silvertip Shark,
New Guinea

Gray Reef Sharks, Fiji — Gray Reef Sharks,
Fiji

Gray Reef Shark, Fiji — Gray Reef Shark,
Fiji

Silvertip Shark, New Guinea — Silvertip Shark,
New Guinea

Manta, Red Sea — Manta,
Red Sea

Manta, Hawaii — Manta,
Hawaii

Manta Ray, Indonesia — Manta Ray,
Indonesia

Manta Ray, Indonesia — Manta Ray,
Indonesia

Manta Ray, Indonesia — Manta Ray,
Indonesia

Cownose Rays, Galapagos — Cownose Rays,
Galapagos

Cownose Rays, Galapagos — Cownose Rays,
Galapagos

Hammerheads, Galapagos — Hammerheads,
Galapagos

Caribbean Reef Shark, Bahamas — Caribbean Reef Shark,
Bahamas

Wobbegong, New Guinea — Wobbegong,
New Guinea

Caribbean Reef Shark, Bahamas — Caribbean Reef Shark,
Bahamas

Blue Shark, California — Blue Shark,
California

Silvertip Shark, New Guinea — Silvertip Shark,
New Guinea

Blue Shark, California — Blue Shark,
California

Stingray, Red Sea — Stingray,
Red Sea

Eagle Ray, Cayman — Eagle Ray,
Cayman

Eagle Ray, New Zealand — Eagle Ray,
New Zealand

Leopard Shark, Maldives — Leopard Shark,
Maldives

Swell Shark, Tasmania — Swell Shark,
Tasmania

Leopard Shark, Maldives — Leopard Shark,
Maldives

Manta, Hawaii — Manta,
Hawaii

Eagle Ray, Cayman — Eagle Ray,
Cayman

Marble Ray, Costa Rica — Marble Ray,
Costa Rica

All images © David Hall. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of these images is strictly forbidden.