As the ocean’s apex predator, sharks are known for their hunting prowess, whether it’s the Greenland shark’s stealth ambush or the thresher shark’s whip-like tail. Still, there’s a lot experts don’t know about the animals in action, such as their maximum speed and bite power.

Most scientific knowledge of bite force comes from experiments using captive sharks or from computer modeling. Not surprisingly, working with “live, large, charismatic sharks in the wild has major logistical constraints,” says Dan Huber, a biologist at the University of Tampa who studies sharks.

But underwater photographer Brocq Maxey, who helps run the South Africa-based dive company Shark Explorers, wanted to take on that challenge.