Swimming with Sharks: July 2004

After our usual morning ritual, we headed to shore for our second day on Moorea, where we were picked up by one of tour company owner Albert’s twelve sons, Blanc Blanc, who took us to the boat for our shore excursion.

While snorkeling at Molikini in Hawaii, I had previously seen sharks, and earlier on this cruise at the port in Huahine, I was excited to see a stingray “fly” by under the water, but nothing prepared me for this.

We arrived at the shark diving area, and our guide warned us to stay to the starboard side of the anchor rope, because the port side was “the sharks’ restaurant.” He said we would snorkel around awhile with the fish, and then he would attract the sharks.

To be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t particularly wild about the idea of swimming in the midst of a shark feeding frenzy, but since my wife had talked me into going, I decided to make the most of it, and I was the first one in the water. I went through my usual routine of spitting in my mask to keep it from fogging and lowered it over my eyes. When I put my face in the water, I didn’t notice the bright tropical fish. My vision was overwhelmed by the five foot sharks circling me, diving under me and swimming at me as if playing chicken.

Apparently, the sharks didn’t read the brochure, and they thought they owned the spectator section as well as the restaurant. Nonetheless, I stayed in, fascinated, and when the time came to leave, I was the last one to leave the water.