The Mako

A shortfin mako in profile, just beneath a mirrored surface off the California coast. Makos are the fastest sharks in the sea, built like a tuna with a crescent tail, and they are rarely photographed this close and this calm.

The picture works because of the surface. The shark hangs a foot below it, and the water above acts as a mirror, so the animal and its reflection share the frame.

It reads as a single bold shape on a wall, which suits HD acrylic and the larger sizes.

The shortfin mako is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and has been under CITES trade controls since 2019. The fastest shark in the ocean is being caught faster than it can breed, mostly on longlines set for tuna and swordfish, and for its fins and meat.

Makos grow slowly, mature late and have few pups, so a population that is fished down takes decades to come back. Off California they are a prized sport fish, and release rather than kill is now the norm among the anglers who care.

We show sharks to teenagers as animals with faces, not threats. A kid who has filmed a mako at arm's length does not grow up voting against it. That is the point of Blue Lens.

Read about Blue Lens and our guide to ocean conservation in Southern California. Species guide: Shortfin Mako Shark.

• HD Metal · Printed onto white gloss aluminum, luminous and sharp; ships boxed, ready to hang. From $245.
• HD Acrylic · Printed behind crystal-clear acrylic for depth and color that glows; ships boxed, ready to hang. From $295.
• Fine Art Paper · Archival fine art paper, ships rolled in a tube for your own frame. From $145.
• Sizes · 12 × 18, 16 × 24, 20 × 30, 24 × 36 inches. Printed to order in the USA and shipped insured within the US.
• Where the money goes · a print is a purchase, not a donation, so there is no tax receipt. My Clean Ocean keeps the profit for its youth programs.