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A mako shark slices through the shallow waters off Mexico
 

The East Coast vs. West Coast is a longstanding rivalry. Do you believe west is best? Or perhaps you think you can’t beat the east? For underwater photographer Josh Blank, he gets the best of both worlds.

Josh lives on the east coast of Australia, where he has access to top-notch big animal dive sites such as Julian Rocks, Cook Island, and North Stradbroke Island. You’ll see these relatively off-the-map locales represented in Josh’s images of giant manta rays, sand tigers (aka gray nurse and ragged tooth sharks), and leopard sharks. 

But Josh also likes to venture a bit west—well very far west, actually. Mexico’s Pacific west coast is an up-and-coming big-animal photography destination. Don’t take our word for it: Josh’s images of blue sharks, mako sharks, and even orcas are evidence enough. The sharp contrasts in color, light, and texture in the images create drama and personality to each shot.

With the bicoastal megafauna marked off his list, Josh has turned his eyes to the south. His next dream destination is Antarctica, where leopard seals roam those chilly waters.
 

Ragged tooth, gray nurse, sand tiger—an amazing subject whichever name you choose
 

A humpback whale passes just a few feet in front of Josh’s camera
 

Leopard sharks are one of the prized subjects found frequently off of Australia’s east coast
 

A blue shark is bathed in sunlight off the west coast of Mexico
 

A sea turtle crawls along coral rubble with a sunburst in the background
 

A giant manta ray swoops in to take a closer look at the photographer
 

You never know what you’ll find in Mexico’s pelagic waters, such as this pair of orcas
 

Several stingrays swim in the shallows
 

Josh also traveled to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas to photograph the iconic tiger shark
 

A turtle pops its head above the water for a perfectly timed over-under image—with a cityscape in the background
 

You can view more of Josh’s work on his Instagram page. He also likes to chat about all things underwater photography—so hit him up!