Diver UK – July 2019

BIG ANIMAL DIVER

29 divEr

tiger got closer and closer. Only at the
moment when I was just about to get out
of the way did she veer just to the right of
me, flicking me with her pectoral fin.
My entire vision was obstructed by
stripes for what seemed like days before
her tail, as tall as I was while kneeling,
passed by.
Inside I was screaming in delight (but
I remained silent, other than for my
bubbles). All I could think was: “Do it
again, do it again, come closer this time!”
I always feel it’s like that with big
animals under water. Once you get a
glimpse, you just want more.
I plead with them in my thoughts:
“Please swim by again, let me get one
more shot, just one more pass and then
I’ll go back to the surface.”
It was October and the water
temperature was around 25°C. At Tiger
Beach the range is 22-30°C, warmer in the

Left: While the tigers are

the centre of attention, other

species such as this

Caribbean reef shark also

play a role in the shark show.

Below: A lemon shark.

Bottom:A tiger shark

comes in for a fish.

summer months. Although the water was

relatively warm, I was happy to have my

5mm wetsuit because we spent most of

the time sitting in one place, not creating

body heat by swimming around, and it

grew a little chilly.

W

E ALSO HADa dress code. No

bright colours were allowed. Sharks

are inquisitive, particularly about colours

such as yellow, or flowing hair, so we were

informed pre-trip to dress in all-black and

cover up as much as possible, including

wearing hoods.

I wear full-foot fins, and even the small

strip of skin between my fins and wetsuit

needed to be covered up with black socks

(I had the Lycra variety, but a few others

wore normal socks).

I can’t write about Tiger Beach and

photographing sharks without at least

mentioning the controversy about feeding

or baiting for sharks (or any animal).

There is no denying that the practice is

unnatural, and in some way changes the

natural behaviour of sharks.

I have experienced several shark-dives

around the world in which baiting or

feeding was involved and, at every single

one, the sharks show up before the bait or

the divers even get in the water. Just the

sound of the boats approaching alerts

them to what’s about to happen.

Is it right or wrong? We all have to

make our own decisions. To justify

myself, I will argue that I take photos and

share stories in hopes of sparking interest

and conservation in sharks and the ocean.

Showing that sharks are not man-eaters

can help to change negative ☛