"I was filming a bait ball during the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run, an annual migration of millions of pilchards (Sardinops ocellatus) that is chased by dolphins, predatory fish, sea birds, and anglers. I was waiting for some copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus) to come into frame when I saw a massive shape in my viewfinder. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was a Bryde's whale scooping up sardines. The shoal opened up around the whale, quickly closing up behind it as if it had never existed. What amazed me was how such a large animal could swim so close to me without my feeling the slightest water-movement. This is a rare sequence as these whales are normally shy of divers."
Charles Maxwell

Charles Maxwell is an underwater cinematographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. A keen diver and lover of the marine environment for 35 years, Maxwell has made documentaries for the National Geographic Society and the BBC. He runs his own business, Underwater Video Services.

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