Can you imagine going out for a quiet boat ride in the sea and suddenly having a four meter, Great White shark fly five feet out of the water, right next to you?

Well that’s exactly what happened to husband and wife, wildlife photography team, Chris and Monique Fallows. Since discovering this unique and stunning behaviour, Chris and Monique have dedicated their lives and work to studying, photographing and protecting this awesome animal. Steal-Life caught up with them to find out more about their work with the amazing jumping sharks.

It has been a bad month for public opinion about sharks with two widely reported fatal attacks adding to the perception of the shark as a mindless killer and a big threat to public safety. However, people who work with sharks defend them rigorously - why is this?

"I think, as the people who actually work on a daily basis with these animals, we are in the best position to see what they are really about in terms of behaviour and their attitude to humans. Anybody who has spent any time with sharks will agree that we as humans are way down on the shark’s menu and if they can, they avoid us in almost all instances."

"The reason for the media frenzy is the fact that sharks are generally an unknown quantity to most humans and we fear what we do not know or understand."

"We are also lead to believe by the press that sharks are flesh hungry monsters and this only fuels most humans fears. Sharks are however magnificently proportioned super predators that are supremely adapted to their environment and, in many species, each shark has its own personality making them even more interesting to study. Once you have spent time around sharks you can't but admire them and in our case have an undying passion for them."

How did you come to choose sharks as your preferred photographic subject?

"We had been working with sharks for many years taking photos when opportunities arose and when we discovered the unique behaviour at Seal Island it became an opportunity we couldn't miss. We took a few breaching images which gained a lot of publicity, and then really started focusing all of our attention on this - it has become our specialised niche."

"We have a strict policy for their use in that we only allow the images to be used for shark-friendly or unbiased articles no matter how much money may be offered for other uses."

How did you first get into photography?

"My father was a keen amateur wildlife photographer and since the age of two I was in game reserves with animals, or in the sea with sharks. Although dad didn't allow me initially to use his cameras he took me with him wherever he went and so developed the interests especially when I got my first little 35mm Minolta Weathermatic which I took everywhere."

Did the love of sharks /the ocean or the love of photography come first?

"We have loved wildlife since day one, it is Monique’s and my reason for living, and photography allows us to capture some of the magic moments nature shares with us."

Would I be correct in saying that you were the first person to actually photograph a breeching Great White?  If so, that must have been an amazing feeling?

"A breaching great white shark is surely one of nature's greatest spectacles. You cannot but be impressed by the sheer athleticism of this magnificent super predator as it appears to effortlessly launch itself skywards."

"The first time I ever saw a breaching Great White shark was in fact the first exploratory trip we ever made to Seal Island in 1995. As a typical student I had no money and all I could afford was a 10-foot inflatable boat with a 25hp engine."

"When we arrived at Seal Island I decided to tow a yellow life jacket behind the boat to see if a shark would come up and follow it, as I had seen at Dyer Island many years before. I was dumbstruck when not only did a shark investigate it but it launched itself 5 ft clear of the water in the process."

"This was the beginning of my ongoing love affair with these flying white sharks. Over the years we have seen thousands of breaches either natural breaches, predatory breaches or decoy breaches (which we now try to keep to a minimum to prevent energy wastage)."

The breeching behaviour only happens in very few very specific locations - has anybody really figured out why the sharks breech and why they only do it in these places?

"The reason we believe Seal Island is the perfect spot for this behaviour is that the natural prey items are young Cape fur seals,15-30kg in weight, making them easy to strike without hurting the shark on contact. The sharks are usually 3-3.8m in length which makes them very agile teenage sharks not yet carrying the tremendous bulk of the adults even though we do occasionally see the 4-5m ones jump."

"The water surrounding the departure point for the seals is deep which means the seals come off a shallow area and head directly over a deep area where the sharks can stalk them undetected. The sharks then strike in a rapid upward trajectory with speed often exceeding 25mph. Added to this the seals are fast and need to be attacked in the first contact otherwise the favour swings their way. It is thus the rapid surface rush and consequent inertia that sends the sharks flying out of the water often with a seal firmly clamped between their jaws."

"Many of the other white sharks sites around the world have similar topography however the prey item or shark size is different and no other area is exactly the same as Seal Island. The best time to see this breaching behaviour is from May-Oct each year when the white sharks are at Seal Island to hunt."

There are many photos of a variety of marine wildlife on your website, which is your favourite to photograph?

"Undoubtedly sharks and probably the most rewarding is shooting a natural predation between a shark and seal as this happen in less than a second is difficult to predict and you only improve by getting to know both the habit of predator and prey and thus your success in terms of your photos is also a reflection of getting to know your subject which is truly rewarding."

Do you need different skills to capture different species or is there a general rule that you follow for all wildlife photography?

"There are different skills however the most important for me is to be able to get into the head of the animal that I am shooting and try to predict the next move, see what is going to happen and prepare for it. Many times I am wrong but when you get it right it is very satisfying."

I imagine that there is a high percentage of 'throw away' shots in wildlife photography - has the development of digital cameras had much of an impact on the way you work?

"We are almost exclusively shooting digital underwater due to instant viewing of images, large amount of images that can be shot without surfacing and rapid correction of mistakes that can take place when seeing errors."

"On the surface we shoot both, but still use film for the big money shots such as the breaches or predatory behaviour. In time we know it will all be digital but at present some habits are still dying hard. We are also lucky to be sponsored by both Fuji Film and Canon cameras in South Africa both of whom offer fantastic support and make our lives a lot easier."

Working both in and out of the water with sharks can be a bit dicey - have you had any close calls while you've been photographing?

"I guess a couple over the years that were mostly as a result of me misreading a situation but seldom due to an aggresive animal."

"We always put the wellbeing of an animal first and no shot is worth compromising these ethics for us. If we do get bitten it is our choice and we would never blame the creature that did it. The following are a few cases in point."

"The biggest worry for us at Seal Island is that a shark is going to jump in the boat by accident. Three years ago we were observing a natural predation when suddenly the seal changed direction and headed straight for my colleague's boat. The seal then tried to jump on the boat closely followed by the shark which bit into the side of the boat causing it to lurch. Fortunately shark, seal and boat were unhurt."

"In 1994 I had a 3.2m great white get in a one-man shark cage with me at Dyer Island. The shark had broken its way through the bars of the cage and having no reverse gear could only go forwards and deeper into the cage. The shark had not been wanting to eat me but had made a simple error in judgement and got its nose stuck in the port of the cage."

"After several attempts I finally managed to lift its head to the opposite side of the cage where it eventually forced its way out pretty much destroying the cage. This episode lasted about one minute and once again other than an incredible adrenaline rush for both myself and the poor shark, no damage was done."

"We always have tremendous respect for the sharks and what they are capable of, however some of the appeal of working with these and other predators comes from the fact that they are so capable and potentially dangerous."

"It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but we love everything about it."

How do you see the future for sharks? How can we change people's perceptions of the species? Is there any advice / message you'd like to send?

"People attitudes are changing but it is ultimately up to the governments in each and every coastal country to do something to protect the sharks of their region."

"Without legislation and enforcement, sharks have got no hope."

"The demand for shark fin soup needs to be eradicated and this most disgusting environmental waste needs to be stopped. How people can justify killing a magnificent animal just for a status meal is a disgrace, I think these people are the lowest form of existence and hopefully the wheel will do a full turn."

"Our message is to the press that they are damning an animal by their continuous quest to be sensational and the misinformation they are spreading about sharks is destroying the hard work so many do to conserve these creatures. Empower people with knowledge not nonsense."

Find out more about Chris and Monique’s work and buy prints of these shots at www.apexpredators.com