D.J. Struntz
Cameron Kirkconnell begins his hunting dive near an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
D.J. Struntz
The diver lines up for a shot.
D.J. Struntz
Kirkconnell nears the end of a fight with a large bull mahi mahi.
D.J. Struntz
A hungry silky shark takes advantage of free handouts as Kirkconnell chums for tuna.
D.J. Struntz
Kirkconnell swims alongside a nine-foot silky shark. He said the animal seemed completely at peace after the encounter, which left him a little awestruck. That night we learned that Kirkconnell's grandfather, a guiding figure in his life, passed away at the same time he was swimming with the silky.
D.J. Struntz
Craig Clasen hunts from the dark side of a weedline. Large game fish frequently lurk in just such a position while ambushing baitfish.
D.J. Struntz
Clasen and a 12-foot tiger shark at the conclusion of a two-hour-long battle that began when the shark rushed a videographer. "I want to be very clear," said Clasen. "That was not a proud kill for me, but I didn't have a choice. She was just being a shark."
D.J. Struntz
Clasen swims beside a juvenile sea turtle in a sargassum patch.
