Here amid the myriad of small cave structures of Noarlunga Reef sleeps another of ‘Porties’ local resident species, a Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni.

While doing some camera tests on the weekend I found myself peering into all the dark places I could find attempting to capture images without strobe lighting. Caves, nooks and ledges always seem to have interesting critters sheltering in safety. Often they are nocturnal creatures simply waiting for nightfall before venturing out.

I found three Port Jackson sharks last weekend, none of which was in a location conducive to really showing off this beautiful creature. At least just using natural light I did not have to worry about disturbing their daytime sleep.

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Bedtime Lair’, 1/15s f/7.1 ISO1600 16mm