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Sharks and Grunts, French Polynesia, 1997

In the fertile waters of French Polynesia's Tuamotu Archipelago, a school of blue-striped grunts beats a fast retreat as a pair of blacktip reef sharks lurk in the distance. Although the nutrient-poor soil of the French territory limits its terrestrial flora and fauna, the archipelago's waters are among the world's most scenic, species-rich spots.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Black Pearls of French Polynesia," June 1997, National Geographic magazine)

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Photograph by David Doubilet