The former carpenter who gave up his job and now takes breathtaking images of marine life

Given that sharks are among the planet's most efficient killers, the idea of swimming with them fills many people with dread.

But for one photographer, the experience is anything but terrifying - he actually finds it extremely calming. And he uses his skills to show just how majestic the predators can be, along with other sea creatures, with stunning underwater images.

What makes the pictures even more unique is that he only picked up a camera two years ago - and doesn't use scuba gear. In 2014, Matt Draper, originally from New Zealand, decided to move on from his life as a carpenter and focus on documenting the fascinating underwater world right on the doorstep of his new home - a small beachside community in Byron Bay, Australia - and in other exotic locations.

In 2014, Matt Draper, originally from New Zealand, decided to move on from his life as a carpenter and focus on documenting the fascinating underwater world right on the doorstep of his new home - a small beachside community in Byron Bay, Australia. While many find the idea of swimming with sharks terrifying, Draper finds it calming. Pictured is a great white shark

Draper's pictures are so mesmerising that his Instagram account, where they can be found, has 70,000 followers. Pictured is a green sea turtle in Oahu, Hawaii

Draper's images showcase encounters with great white, tiger and hammerhead sharks, humpback and pilot whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, seals, turtles and manta rays, to name a few. Pictured is a manta ray in Byron Bay, Australia.