Since coming to the South Pacific we have experienced very few snorkeling or diving expeditions that haven't included sharks. We've grown accustomed to seeing them and have come to rely on their normal behavior. For the most part, they simply meander through the water and pay little attention to people. Sometimes they come in for a closer look but with any sudden movement they will dart away. They are truly more afraid of people than vice versa.
Here in Suwarrow we've added spear fishing to the adventure and shark behavior has changed. Eric has related several nail-biting stories about close encounters with various sharks. This morning, I had one of my own - although no spear fishing was involved.
Hearing there was nice coral right in the anchorage here in Suwarrow, my friend, Behan, and I went snorkeling. Just fifty yards beyond the outskirts of anchored boats, we approacned a reef. Soon we spotted a very commonly seen four foot blacktip shark which we've come to regard as puppy dogs. No problem. A little closer and a five foot whitetip shark came into focus and it was swimming rapidly toward the reef. Hmmm. That isn't so comfortable but we continued. Then out of nowhere a seven foot gray reef shark was swiftly coming straight at us! Behan and I were in arms reach of each other and we both dropped back on our butts with legs extended in the shark's direction and kicked our fins. The gray turned back, wagged its tail at us a couple times then whirled around and came at us again! We kicked harder this time and he retreated and so did we. Apparently this was HIS reef and we were NOT welcome. Not wanting to seem like a wuss, I said to Behan, "I'm uncomfortable." She immediately concurred and we agreed to swim to the closest boat and catch our breath. I gulped a mouthful of saltwater as I propelled myself with rapid speed to m/y Emily Grace where we climbed aboard and relayed our story.
On our swim back to Oso, we encountered a puppy dog blacktip who now seemed more like a pitbull. We cut the swim short….
