What better way to celebrate Independence Day than sail a few miles offshore and spend some time being tossed around in a shark cage by choppy seas and curious head-butting Galapagos sharks? The following pictures were taken on July 4, 2005, three miles off the coast of Haleiwa on Oahu's famed North Shore.

Sharks are lured deliberately with chum. Participants then drop directly into the cage by climbing down from a ladder on the side of the boat. The cage floats on the surface of the ocean, attached to the boat by a rope that's let out just far enough so the cage and boat don't bang into each other. A mask and snorkel are the only equipment needed to catch a glimpse of the frenzied activity below...

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The sharks were lurking just under the surface, as these pictures clearly show. A two foot swell kept things interesting. Fins would appear and disappear with each set, and sticking the camera just below the surface of the water showed what was hiding in anticipation just a few tantalizing feet away.

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They were not at all shy about coming right up to the cage to check us out!

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After things settled down a bit, I realized with surprise that I actually enjoyed watching the sharks at a distance, rather than close enough to touch. From afar I felt less intrusive and could better appreciate their innate grace.

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There were perhaps 20 sharks in all, circling our cage eagerly and moving much too quickly to get easy photographs of. All were Galapagos sharks, a species found in tropical island settings all over the world. This group averaged about 6 feet in length. They're curious critters, occasionally ramming the cage and knocking us off balance. It was amazing to see so many of these beautiful creatures in their natural environment without fear.