"Swimming with Blue Sharks" by Danny Copeland

Duration: 01:06

RUNNER-UP - 2014

Danny Copeland ventured ten miles off the coast of Cornwall with a local skipper and some friends in search of blue sharks.

Many people continue to see sharks as nothing but monsters and man-eating killing machines, ready to pounce on them as soon as they enter the water, but this popular public image couldn't be further from the truth.

It was Danny's wish that "by filming the puppy-like blues, I hope my film shows people a softer side of sharks that they may never have seen before. Because the reality is, with humans responsible for millions of shark deaths each year, we are far closer to a monster than a shark will ever be."

Blue sharks spend the majority of their lives out in the open ocean, often entering British waters in the warmer summer months. This particular inquisitive female with a scar above her eye weaved in-and-out and inspected the group (including Danny's camera!) by brushing her snout against them.

At the same time, she was tremendously shy - and it took at least two hours for her to pluck up the courage to come close, as sudden movements caused her to dart off into the abyss, but with the use of his camera's underwater housing, Danny spent the best part of four hours capturing his incredible footage.

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