La Jolla Shores has always held a special place for me. It was the site of my first beach dive, and, of course, it’s full of sharks.

The first time I swam here was in 2006. As the editor of Shark Diver Magazine, I had already published stories about La Jolla Shores and its thriving leopard shark population, so I was eager to experience it firsthand. I finally got my chance when we included the location in the documentary I produced, Summer of the Sharks.

For this dive/snorkel, you walk into the surf zone, and just a few feet beneath the waves, you’re surrounded by these beautiful little sharks. As a shark diver, it doesn’t get much better than that. My first dive here in 2006 was an unforgettable experience, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I made it a point to return every year since.

What makes La Jolla even more special is that leopard sharks aren’t the only stars of the show. The waters here are home to an impressive variety of shark species. You can encounter tope sharks, horn sharks, grey smooth-hounds, angel sharks, and the big stars of La Jolla—the seven-gill sharks.

I’ve been lucky enough to see them all, except for the elusive swell sharks. But no matter where you swim here, there’s always a shark nearby, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to remind you why La Jolla is one of the best places in the world for shark encounters.

The leopards weren’t the only reason I came out here. I was also after tope sharks. Swimming among the grassy sea beds is where the topes tend to gather. These sharks are a true conservation success story. Once nearly wiped out, their numbers have rebounded thanks to the enforcement of the gill net ban along California’s coastline. Their return is not only great for the ecosystem, restoring balance to these waters, but it also adds to the excitement of an already incredible dive site.

I’ve been coming to this area since 2006, and while the sharks are always here and the diving is relatively easy, it’s not without its challenges. The ocean almost always has a strong surge, which wreaks havoc on visibility. Most of the time, I’m swimming in what feels like a muddy soup, trying to capture footage of these beautiful little sharks through the haze. Photography here is especially challenging. The constant movement of the water, shifting sand, and low visibility make it difficult to get sharp, well-lit images. Even with proper settings and adjustments, it’s a game of patience and luck.

This year, I finally got lucky. The stars aligned, and I had the rare opportunity to film them in near-perfect visibility. The surge was still there, and the sand was stirred up in places, but for once, I could see the sharks clearly, gliding effortlessly through the water. It was the kind of dive I had been waiting for.

We spent a lot of time playing with the leopards. Over two days, my friend, Margo Adamson, and my buddy Keith Brooks, and I logged about five hours in the water with them, and it was just pure fun.

Dive Tip. If you want the best chances of seeing them, I recommend diving during low tide. The vis is better during high tide, but they tend to scatter. During low tide, they gather in large groups, making for much better photography and filming opportunities.

The topes were a bit more challenging to film since they stay a bit deeper. On my second day, I went out later in the day, hoping for a chance to find them. Thanks to my friend Margo, who dives here practically every day, locating them wasn’t an issue.

They put me on them quickly, and I got to work trying to frame shots in fading light. Since I shoot with natural light, it was tough. The topes are much more skiddish compared to the leopards, so tracking them down, sneaking up to get a proper composition, and adjusting settings in low light made for an added challenge, but it was all part of the adventure.

Thankfully, the water here is super shallow, allowing plenty of natural light to filter through. With the great visibility we were lucky to have today, the photos turned out even better than I had imagined.

As I was heading back in, the SDG girls had one more surprise for me—a Pacific black sea turtle. This was a huge moment for me. I rushed over to photograph it, and like a supermodel, it stayed in place, patiently letting me take shot after shot.

I’ve set a goal of photographing all eight species of sea turtles, and so far, I have four. This is actually a shared goal between my daughter, Sophie, and me. The plan is to film them together one day, and now that I know where to find a black turtle, I can bring her back here to experience them firsthand. The one we found is a resident in these waters, which makes it even more special.

Photographing leopard sharks off La Jolla Shores was fun but challenging experience. The shallow water, ocean surge, and unpredictable lighting conditions pushed me to adapt on the fly. Looking back, there were a few things I could have done differently.

Here are five key lessons I took away from the experience…

1. Use a Faster Shutter Speed to Freeze Movement. I shot the leopard sharks using 1/320s shutter speed, which wasn’t quite fast enough to fully freeze their movement in the water. These sharks are constantly gliding, and between the motion of the surge and their natural speed, a faster shutter speed would have resulted in sharper, crisper images.

Lesson: A shutter speed of at least 1/500s–1/1000s is ideal for photographing moving sharks in natural light.

2. Avoid Auto ISO—Even in Changing Light. I’m usually against using Auto ISO, but in this case, I used it due to the rapidly changing light conditions. Some areas were only three to four feet deep, which meant a lot of light bouncing off the sandy bottom. This caused exposure shifts that I thought Auto ISO would help compensate for, but instead, it led to inconsistent noise levels across my shots.

Lesson: Manually Control ISO whenever possible, even in dynamic lighting. Instead of Auto ISO, set a base ISO and adjust in real-time as needed.

3. Work with the Surge, Not Against It. The constant water movement at La Jolla made it difficult to frame shots without the ocean pushing me around. At first, I tried to resist the surge, which only led to more camera shake and missed shots. I eventually learned to go with the flow—literally. By drifting with the water, I was able to anticipate movement and time my shots more effectively.

Lesson: Let the surge guide you into position rather than fighting it. Time your shots during the brief moments when the water steadies.

4. Use a Lower Angle for More Impactful Compositions. Most first-time shark photographers make the mistake of shooting downward, which flattens the subject and makes the image less dynamic. I made sure to position my camera lower in the water and shoot upward whenever possible. This approach separated the sharks from the busy background, improved contrast, and created a more engaging composition.

Lesson: Get low and shoot upward for a more dramatic and visually appealing shot.

5. Patience Beats Pursuit Every Time. Leopard sharks are curious but easily spooked. The more I moved toward them, the more they swam away. When I finally stayed still and let them come to me, they got comfortable and allowed for much closer shots. This not only resulted in better images but also let me observe their natural behavior without disturbing them.

Lesson: Let the wildlife come to you. Staying still increases your chances of getting close, natural shots without chasing the subject away.

Photographing leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores was a learning experience.

It reinforced the importance of controlling shutter speed, managing ISO manually, adapting to ocean movement, and being patient with wildlife. Every dive teaches a new lesson, and next time, I’ll be better prepared to capture these beautiful sharks with even sharper, more dynamic images.