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Juan Oliphant (a.k.a. @JuanSharks) never knows what he might see on a given day at work—and he probably likes it that way.

You see, every day, the award-winning underwater photographer and conservationist heads out on “Pono Kai,” the research vessel for One Ocean Diving, into the open ocean off the coast of Oahu. Working with marine researchers, Juan has identified “aggregate zones” where pelagic shark species are known to come together. But Juan never really knows what he might have the chance to photograph until he jumps into the water.

Yet whether he finds the “regulars” like Galápagos and sandbar sharks, or cunning oceanic whitetips and massive tiger sharks, his mission remains the same: to photograph positive interactions between snorkelers—be it tourists or PhD candidate marine biologists—and the ocean’s top predators.

Along with the non-profit conservation group, Water Inspired, Juan and his team are on the front lines of shark conservation on a daily basis. Some days, it involves changing a tourist’s perspective of sharks just by spending some time in the water, without a cage. Other days, Juan teams up with marine researchers to tag and document specimens as part of local surveys. One thing is for certain: The waters off of Oahu might be the best shark interaction opportunity you’ve never heard of. Juan’s pictures speak to that.
 

A Galápagos shark, splashes through the waters off of Oahu, Hawaii
 

The variety of sharks encountered in Oahu’s offshore waters is astounding, with frequent species including Galápagos, sandbar, oceanic whitetip, blue, and tiger sharks
 

Dozens of sandbar sharks gather at the “aggregation” spot, where snorkelers and photographers have the opportunity to witness natural behavior
 

Tiger sharks are often feared by beachgoers and surfers in Hawaii, but Juan’s images show a more positive interaction with humans
 

You might want to put a trip with One Ocean Diving on your underwater photography checklist with the diversity of subjects, reliability, and positive conservation impact
 

Sharing our waters peacefully with sharks is a key message in Juan’s images and his work with Water Inspired
 

Even novice snorkelers can appreciate interacting with sharks in a purely natural environment
 

A sandbar shark marks the end of the day, timed with the Hawaiian sunset
 

For more information on Juan’s work or to book your pelagic shark adventure, make sure to visit the One Ocean Diving website. Further details on the conservation efforts can be found on waterInspired.org.