‘Jaws’, the film, has a lot to answer for. It gave sharks such a bad press, terrified a generation of children and adults and turned our view of these beautiful marine creatures into man eating predators, to be avoided at all costs. My kids and friends were horrified that I would even contemplate diving in ‘shark land’, cautioned me to be on the look out and promise to get myself out of any shark situation. (As if I wouldn’t !) Sometimes it feels like being on a senior ‘Gap Year’ ! But, knowing how much your family back home love and care about youI have to admit is very reassuring. Naturally, I promised I would be careful.
When you step into the ocean you meet fish on their terms. Whether they’re small colourful fish or bigger sharks, it’s their territory. You are the visitor and that demands absolute respect for this amazing world and its inhabitants. Diving in this way means you see and experience so much more. Fish just get on with their busy lives, mostly they ignore or avoid you, sometimes they come to check you out and occasionally fun loving ones will interact with you and the air bubbles from your tank.
Until I first encountered sharks at close quarters I was more than a little apprehensive of coming face to face with one. I learned quickly that sharks, like other wild animals, both marine and land, deserve our respect. So you don’t go too close (just as you wouldn’t go up and poke a bear !) On one of my early dives there was a beautiful big shark sleeping soundly on the sand at the entrance to a cave. It was a beautiful nurse shark. We swam around and over it and it never opened an eyelid.
A few minutes later I became aware of shadows moving quietly in the grey backdrop where the water was deep. Grey Reef sharks were quietly patrolling the reef, hunting their prey and completely ignoring us. No doubt they were fully aware of our presence but they had better fish to fry.
As a diver, being respectful and staying back from possible danger is the first rule. That’s the way I like my sharks. That’s the way they like me. Mutual admiration.
Now I’m setting my sights on whale sharks – a whole new adventure. These can be up to 20 meters long and can weigh as much as 15 tons Again its fantastic to know there are conservation projects dedicated to them. The Maldives Whale Shark Organisation identified 85 individuals in 2018 and named three of them, Malcolm. Fernando and Adam. They are now part of a tracking and conservation project. For more information go to https://maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org
If you’re interested in whale sharks and other conservation diving you’ll discover more information on Divermojo.com which is the company that has encouraged this grandma to dive ! Meanwhile follow grandma to discover more good things that are happening in the oceans right now.
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