Cheryl-Samantha Owen

The golden beach along this stretch of ocean rises dramatically into a curvaceous skyline that undulates for miles with dunes coated in a thick indigenous forest. We followed these dunes through a sanctuary of untouched ocean to Quarter Mile Reef in Sodwana Bay. For two glorious hours I hovered above a coral reef, capturing images of raggedtooth sharks as they moved through the maze and onto open sand. Known for their sharp bucked teeth, they are docile sharks, lightly spotted with a golden sheen that makes them stand out in the crisp blue of the ocean. This large coastal species has one of the lowest reproductive rates known among elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), giving birth to one or two large young every two years. As a result, annual rates of population increase and ability to sustain fishing pressure are very low. In South Africa raggies, as they affectionately termed, are listed as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List.