Photo :webshot. 

September 30, 2025

Anna Murray 

Fans of Shark Week may already be familiar with the work of photographer Chris Fallows. In 1996, he became the first person to capture a great white shark breaching the waters near Seal Island, off the coast of Cape Town.

For nearly 30 years, Fallows has photographed some of the world’s most iconic wildlife, earning recognition as a leading South African wildlife photographer. Research conducted between 2000 and 2015 recorded anaverage of 1.64 great white shark sightings per hour at Seal Island and across False Bay. However, sightings began to decline around 2015, and by the end of 2018, great whites had disappeared entirely from False Bay.One of Fallows’ most famous images, Air Jaws, taken in June 2001, shows a great white shark breaching at Seal Island. The photograph not only defined his career but also established him as a celebrated fine art wildlife photographer.