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The wonderfully prehistoric face of a sixgill shark
 

The Puget Sound in Washington state, USA, is home to some amazing underwater animals—fan favorites like wolf eels, stubby squid, warbonnets, the iconic giant Pacific octopus, and the much-loved Pacific spiny lumpsucker, to name a few. These critters are typically on the photography wish list when visiting the cold waters of The Sound. However, there is a rare animal that, when encountered, will have a profound impact on your diving career and life—the bluntnose sixgill shark.

I began my diving career in February of 2009 and heard legendary stories about sixgill encounters at recreational depths just offshore Seattle. Between 2004 and 2008, there were very consistent sightings of sixgill sharks at local dive spots. When I was finally certified, I was beyond excited to dive with one of these prehistoric animals, But in a cruel twist of fate, sixgills basically vanished from Puget Sound in 2009.

From 2009 to 2019, sightings were incredibly scarce. During that time, I conducted about 800 dives in the Puget Sound area and had only two encounters, both in 2013. My luck changed in 2019 and encounters started to increase. Between 2019 and 2024, I have made 34 sixgill specific dives and have had 13 encounters, a 40% success rate! Even though the success rate is very high, the diving conditions and elusive nature of sixgills still make these encounters extremely rare.
 

During the later summer months, sixgill sharks can sometimes be found at recreational diving depths under the cover of darkness

Diving Conditions

Starting around July 4th, crabbing season opens up in the Puget Sound and summer fishing activities kick off in full force. This also signals the beginning of sixgill shark season. From July to late August, many divers can be found at Redondo Beach hoping to get a glimpse of one of these amazing creatures at recreational depths.

Redondo is a deep slope site starting at around 25 feet and dropping quickly to about 90 feet. Beginning in the shadow of the MaST Center Aquarium, there is a thick guide rope that will take you to the carousel boat, known for the carousel horse that sits at the bow of a small boat. Once there, you take a slight northwest heading to a void, sandy area referred to locally as “the bowl.” The depths in the bowl range from 90 feet to 100 feet, and it is very easy to get disoriented in this area due to the slope on all sides. Additionally, the visibility can be as bad as 5 feet and as good as 25 feet due to the summer algae bloom.

Since sixgills are typically found at depths of 600 to 3,000 feet, encounters at nighttime are more common than in the daytime. Summer water temperatures are around 55°F. To recap: a typical sixgill dive in the summer is 5 to 25 feet of viz, at 100 feet depth, 55°F water temperature, at night, with sharks. Definitely a dive that requires some experience—or a very experienced buddy!
 

A small sixgill shark makes a quick turn towards the camera

Encounters and Behavior

I remember my very first encounter with a sixgill shark, like it was yesterday. I was at Redondo in the morning around 10am, looking down at my camera, messing with settings. When I looked up, a 10-foot sixgill was approaching from my left. I was not expecting an encounter and of course I had my macro lens attached! Undeterred, I quickly snapped a shot of the eye at close range and the six gill slits to document this amazing encounter. After a couple shots, I put my camera down and we stared into each other’s eyes. I felt as if I was swimming with a dinosaur. In fact, I was: The sixgill is part of the cow shark family and one of the oldest members at about 200 million years old.

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and the encounter remains one of the most amazing wildlife experiences I have ever had. From that dive on, I was hooked. However, I would not have another encounter until 2019. Since then, I have been able to photograph sixgills every summer for the past five years, each experience just as amazing as the first. Every dive I have had with sixgills has been extremely positive. They are typically a calm and slow-moving shark, especially the larger adults. They know they are at the very top of the food chain and every encounter is on their terms. Even when I have encountered a curious shark that bumps my dome port, I have never felt threatened or intimidated. Letting the animal approach you will ensure the safest diving experience and the best conditions for photography.
 

A large adult sixgill cruises past the camera. Sixgills are, in fact, among the largest predatory sharks in the world, with full-grown adults reaching lengths of 16-plus feet

Photographing Bluntnose Sixgill Sharks

I have a very simple philosophy when It comes to photographing wildlife: Personal safety is always priority number one, followed by animal or reef safety, and then finally the photograph. I try to never sacrifice personal or animal safety for a photograph, and that has served me well over the years. I also try to have the camera settings and lighting ready to go so that I am not messing with my camera when an encounter happens. The longest encounter I have had with a single shark is about 90 seconds, so you have to be ready for the shot.

Sixgills are also very close to the sea floor, and it is very silty, so buoyancy is super critical and knowing where your fins are at while shooting is important. Since these sharks are rarely up in the water column, getting black background shots is particularly challenging and rare. For shooting sixgills, my go-to setup is my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a 17–40mm wide-angle lens and two Ikelite DS161 strobes. The most critical thing to get right is the strobe power and position due to the algae bloom and poor visibility.
 

A curious sixgill cruises up to the camera while giving the photographer a side-eye
 

To see more of Jesse’s images from the Pacific Northwest, please give him a follow on Instagram and visit his website, www.jessemillerphotography.com.