UKDIVING TRAVELSPECIAL
Spotted sandperch peering across the reef
Juvenile Clark’ s anemonefish in a Hectoractis aurora anemone
from which the name derives- vertical stripes reminiscent of a tiger which are more prominent in juveniles, fading slightly in adulthood.
While this is a baited dive with the usual controversies around such activities, the locals insist it is not far different from what they have always done – discarding fish heads into the same area for many years before diving was commonplace on the island. And for the number of sharks in the water there is surprisingly little bait, so while some sharks may have come to know the place as a spot for an easy snack, it doesn’ t replace the need for the sharks’ natural hunting behaviours.
During my time in Fuvahmulah, I splashed out on a private hire of the speedboat for a
slightly different encounter with the sharks. With two guides, I positioned myself in midwater near the harbour entrance, just a few metres away from the reef wall, at a depth of between 15 and 18m. The fish head bait was placed in a crack in the reef wall in front of us, and in this position, sharks could approach from anywhere, a full 360 ° around me.
Tiger sharks move with caution around each other, carefully observing a hierarchy usually defined by size
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