FIJI’S SHARK FEEDERS: YOU HAVE TO BE CALM IN THE PRESENCE OF BULL SHARKS
THE LARGE APEX PREDATORS ARE THE MAIN ATTRACTION FOR UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHERS AND DIVERS While diving with bull sharks is a unique opportunity, the dive company’s focus goes beyond tourism.
As the loud roar of the boat’s motor comes to an abrupt halt, divers begin assembling their gear — some with trepidation, others with sheer enthusiasm — eager to see what lies below.
The closest encounter many of them have had with a sizable shark has been at an aquarium.
But there are no glass barriers here. When they step off the side of the boat into Fiji’s Shark Reef Marine Reserve, the only thing separating them from a large bull shark is their own mask. “You have to be calm and keep your eyes open because you’re in their territory,” Ratu Kolionio Biatubukoso said.
Ratu Kolionio used to be a senior shark feeder and dive master at Beqa Adventure Divers [BAD] in Fiji.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he spent eight years becoming wellacquainted with Fiji’s largest bull sharks.
Wearing a stainless steel German butcher’s glove and a poised expression, Ratu Kolionio has made the 30-metre decent at Shark Reef countless times as part of BAD’s Shark Dive team, alongside dive masters, marine biologists, and keen divers.
They’re all keen to spot a bull shark: the large apex predators are the main attraction for underwater photographers and divers.
For their part, the sharks are enticed by pieces of tuna. Some trust certain feeders enough to eat out of their hands, while other sharks opt to feed from a wheelie bin.
Most of them are between two to three metres in size.
While diving with bull sharks is a unique opportunity, the dive company’s focus goes beyond tourism.
In an attempt to create a protected sanctuary for sharks in Fiji, BAD established itself alongside The Shark Reef Marine Reserve in April 2004.
Ten years later, the reserve was named Fiji’s first national marine park, and BAD was entrusted with its day-to-day management.
“Also, fishermen can catch bigger fish on the out spill of the reef — no sharks, no fish. So, sharks are cool!” Marine biologist Peni Sagata says a lot of people think BAD are just divers and feeders.
“But if you look deep into the type of work we do, we are a conservation group operating a dive shop. Our main aim is to conserve the population of sharks,” Mr Sagata said.
A large part of Mr Sagata’s role involves collecting data on the different species of sharks. He analyses their gender, feeding patterns and tissue samples, and collates the information in a database.
“There’s been a significant increase in sharks in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve area, which is a good sign. It’s a joy that we see the marine life is getting healthier,” he says.
PROGRAMME AIMED AT UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
The dive company also works alongside local Fijian communities. They run a youth programme with a partnering village, and every year they take on at least one young Fijian looking for a job, and train them up to be a dive master.
It’s how Ratu Kolionio got involved. Visiting divers also pay an additional fee that goes back to the local villages — adding up to about AU$70,000 (about F$113,217) a year.
One of the shareholders of Beqa Adventure Divers, Mike Newmann, says that since the reserve was established, the number of fish species in the park has almost doubled.
“We did a baseline count, and I think we had 260 species of fish. Last count we did we had nearly 500 species of fish; so more biodiversity, more bull sharks,” Mr Newmann said.
Dive master and marine biologist Manoa Lauvili began diving with sharks five years ago. He admits he was nervous on his first shark dive. “No shame, no shame,” he adds, tongue-in-cheek.
Since then, Mr Lauvili has since found himself at ease sharing the water with these large marine predators. “We need more of the population to be protected, so the future generations can enjoy what we’re enjoying at the moment.”