Shark Week: the Impossible Shot

2012-08-14T01:44:00.000Z

Until now, even the most highly-skilled wildlife cameraman have been unable to capture a Great White shark leaping straight out of the water from a bird's-eye view.

A mission to get the "impossible shot" was documented in Discovery Channel's Shark Week series. We've pulled out the highlights.

To get the "impossible shot," Shark Week veteran Andy Casagrande and his team headed to Gansbaii, South Africa, known for its dense population of Great Whites.

Watch video clips here >

The objective: To get a never-before-seen view of a Great White leaping vertically out of the water in what is called a "Polaris Attack."

Watch video clips here >

The first overhead view of a Polaris breach was captured by the Shark Week film crew in 2001. But researchers have been chasing after one particular angle for more than a decade.

Watch video clips here >

That's the Polaris breach attack from a bird's-eye perspective, which some have labeled impossible.

Watch video clips here >

The film crew uses a high-tech camera called a Phantom to capture the aerial view.

Watch video clips here >

The Phantom is capable of shooting at speeds of up to 1 million frames per second.

The camera, attached to a balloon rig, is suspended 50 feet above the ocean.

Watch video clips here >

Photographers take a huge risk by letting the camera hang above the water without a protective container, which would be too heavy for the balloon. Any contact with the water will ruin the camera.

Watch video clips here >

In order for the balloon rig to stay aloft, it has to be filled with enough helium to maintain buoyancy and be pulled into the wind behind the boat. Otherwise the balloon will plummet into the water with the camera attached.

Watch video clips here >

The decoy bait also has be lined up with the camera when the above-water attack, which can be over in less than second, happens.

Watch video clips here >

Finally, after several weeks of staring at open ocean, the camera captures the long-sought-after aerial breach.

Watch video clips here >

The crew is thrilled!

Watch video clips here >

Now that researchers have the aerial shot they can figure out what's happening when a Great White strikes a seal.

Watch video clips here >

Seals avoid shark attacks about 50 percent of time, which means something is tipping them off to danger.

Watch video clips here >

It turns out that a seal can quickly spot the white underbelly of the shark, which looks teal under the water, giving it enough time to escape the animal's jaws.

Watch video clips here >

With the new overhead views, scientists can also calculate how much time seals have to react to a Great White leaping out of the water.

Watch video clips here >

Mission: Complete.

Watch video clips here >

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Shark-Obsessed Film Crew Finally Gets 'Impossible' Shot Of A Great White Attack

To get the "impossible shot," Shark Week veteran Andy Casagrande and his team headed to Gansbaii, South Africa, known for its dense population of Great Whites.

The objective: To get a never-before-seen view of a Great White leaping vertically out of the water in what is called a "Polaris Attack."

The first overhead view of a Polaris breach was captured by the Shark Week film crew in 2001. But researchers have been chasing after one particular angle for more than a decade.

That's the Polaris breach attack from a bird's-eye perspective, which some have labeled impossible.

The film crew uses a high-tech camera called a Phantom to capture the aerial view.

The Phantom is capable of shooting at speeds of up to 1 million frames per second.

The camera, attached to a balloon rig, is suspended 50 feet above the ocean.

Photographers take a huge risk by letting the camera hang above the water without a protective container, which would be too heavy for the balloon. Any contact with the water will ruin the camera.

In order for the balloon rig to stay aloft, it has to be filled with enough helium to maintain buoyancy and be pulled into the wind behind the boat. Otherwise the balloon will plummet into the water with the camera attached.

The decoy bait also has be lined up with the camera when the above-water attack, which can be over in less than second, happens.

Finally, after several weeks of staring at open ocean, the camera captures the long-sought-after aerial breach.

The crew is thrilled!

Now that researchers have the aerial shot they can figure out what's happening when a Great White strikes a seal.

Seals avoid shark attacks about 50 percent of time, which means something is tipping them off to danger.

It turns out that a seal can quickly spot the white underbelly of the shark, which looks teal under the water, giving it enough time to escape the animal's jaws.

With the new overhead views, scientists can also calculate how much time seals have to react to a Great White leaping out of the water.

Mission: Complete.

Some thought NASA's Mars rover landing was impossible

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