Fiji, kingdom of sharks

Fiji kingdom of sharks

Text Sylwia Kosmalska-Juriewicz

Photos Robert Ławrynowicz

A Zen proverb says: "The paradise bird only lands on the hand that does not catch it". Be a good observer of the underwater world, watch carefully, enjoy what you see, learn and absorb as much as possible. Co-exist, but do not touch anything, and you will experience a lot more than you can imagine…

Iam in a paradise in which not only do I recharge my batteries, but also two spare power banks. Fiji is the greenest, most remarkable and remote place I have ever been to. A large area of the island is occupied by evergreen tropical forests, which create a unique microclimate here. Huge ferns sprout over the trees, and slender lianas hang free and entwine everything they encounter on their way.

Our hotel is located by the Pacific Ocean in the heart of the paradise garden… one hour by bus from the capital – Suva. Every day in the morning I run to the ocean to admire the sunrise, a golden-red shield slowly emerging from the water and coloring it orange. I love the peace of the morning, only birds and the hum of palm leaves remind me that I am not alone here, that everything around me is alive and that I am happy for the coming of a new day. This is an extraordinary process that repeats itself from the beginning of the world and gives our life a peculiar rhythm… the joy of every morning is given to everyone, especially to the people of Fiji and from the morning I hear the joyful word "BULA", which is our "hello", only in the local language. Literally translated, it means "life".The natives use this greeting all day. The positive mood is imparted to literally everyone, we also very quickly "go to the light side of the Force" of Fiji and pay homage to the morning, saying the joyful word BULA.

Every day after breakfast, a bus arrives and we drive to a diving center just twenty minutes from the hotel. I love the moment when the car drives off the main asphalt road and starts slowly going into the tropical forest. The road is narrow, winding and bumpy, completely out of the comfort zone, but the views… the views are indescribable. On the right side there is a gorge, filled with trees to the horizon. After rain, a small group of men cuts with machetes the plants that overgrow the narrow side roads

at an incredibly fast rate. The expansion of greenery in this area is almost unbelievable. Even the air here is different, moist and saturated with the scent of flowers, earth and forest. It is a pity that I cannot lock it in a bottle and bring to my country.

Never before had I seen a diving center located in such a paradisiacal place. The rainforest surrounds us from all sides, colorful flowers and bushes are blooming everywhere, and white birds are circling over our heads. The view is as from the best wildlife film but seen with your own eyes.

In the diving center we are greeted by Jane, the manager and a diving instructor. We go inside, fill in the necessary documents and are ready for the first descent into the water, encounter with sharks. Before this happens Jane invites us for a long briefing, which aims to show us what the whole shark dive is about. What are the risks, how we should behave in the presence of sharks and who are the people who care about our safety during the dive.

In Fiji, around the island of Beqa, divers from all over the world come in for one purpose, to dive with sharks of many species at the same time. The population of these unusual creatures, unfortunately, is decreasing day by day. The statistics are alarming. According to American scientists, about 100 million of these creatures are killed annually by the hand of man.

The main reason for the tragic tendency is the Asian "delicacy", shark fin soup. Until a few years ago, this dish was very expensive. It was served only at sophisticated parties to sharpen the guests' appetite. The situation changed dramatically when the Chinese people began to get rich. Currently, the shark fin soup is widely available and can be eaten in second-rate bars or restaurants.

When fishing for this predator, fishermen cut off the main dorsal fin of the animal when the shark is still alive. They throw the rest of the body back into the sea, where the creature dies in terrible torment.

The biggest paradox of this world is the fact that huge poverty affects people who live in the most heavenly places on earth, such as the Fiji Islands. It is the lack of prospects and hunger that drive people to disastrous behavior. My friend, who for many years has lived on one of the paradise islands, says: "poor man, he is capable of everything, especially the one who is hungry".

Before the Shark Reef underwater reserve was created in this part of the world, many of Fiji's inhabitants were fishing sharks for profit, and now that they have found employment in the broadly understood tourism industry, they take care of sharks, protect them and care for their safety.

What is the idea of shark diving in the reserve? Above all, each of us must realize that we are diving with wild, potentially dangerous predators. We dive without cages and very close to sharks that can attack us at any moment. The diving center has developed a number of procedures that should ensure our safety during a dive. The rules are changed and modified on the basis of shark research and observations that are carried out on a regular basis.

Before dawn, two scuba divers sail to the place where they dive with sharks. They leave a basket full of fish heads and entrails, which are designed to attract sharks from the whole area. Thanks to this, scientists can study the behavior of many species of sharks at the same time, and divers enjoy their presence.

We sail to the dive spot for about thirty minutes in a speedboat. It is a beautiful sunny day, perfect for meeting sharks. The boat slows down in the middle of the ocean, the captain turns off the engines and announces that we have arrived. It is so quiet and peaceful, it is hard to believe that more than one hundred sharks are underwater. I have

It is so quiet and peaceful, it is hard to believe that more than one hundred sharks are underwater. (…) I start to wonder what I am doing here.

always felt a great respect for the water and for all the creatures that live in it. Today, however, I feel everything with twice as much strength, fear mixed with excitement and I start to wonder what I am doing here. Maybe I should focus more on yoga, it is such a safe and peaceful activity, but I love the world and sharks so much…

"The whole group must follow the same dive profile and bottom time" – Jane reminds us, thus dispelling my yogi vision. "Please remember," she adds, "that no one individually explores the reef, we swim in the group, and one more thing, all the retro-reflecting elements of the diving suit are strictly forbidden". So why have I taken a pink mask and the fins of the same colour?! (In my thoughts I am punishing myself for my vanity.) Am I the only one who has dressed up for sharks today? "Relax," Jane smiles as she sees consternation on my face – this color is not one of the favourite colours of sharks, so you can easily wear fuchsia. And the last very important information, keep your hands close to the body during the dive. This requirement was introduced after a shark bit off a diver's hand when he was pointing at something with his finger".

We jump into the water in the middle of the ocean and slowly descend to a rock ledge located a few meters below us. Suddenly I forget about my fear, yoga and other matters that were bothering my thoughts, when on the horizon the sharks wellknown to me appear: tawny nurse shark, whitetip reef shark, blacktip shark and sicklefin lemon shark. Despite their impressive size, they turn out

I can see him clearly, his spots, eyes and shiny skin, he flows right next to me, agile and classy, as if he was the king of this herd.

to be gentle and completely uninterested in human presence. The latter stands out against the group, because it has an incredible "smile", a sneering smile, appreciated by the creators of children's tales, where it is usually cast in the role of a bad character. I had the pleasure of diving with these sharks earlier in various places around the world, but never with all of them together and in such a large number. Usually I could see only single individuals or small groups of sharks.

The number of sharks increases by the minute and those that are considered very dangerous to humans are coming too. Paradoxically, it was them we wanted to see the most. Tiger sharks, grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks and bull sharks. I grit my teeth on the mouthpiece of the scuba regulator and close my eyes when the largest representative of the shark family, the five-meter tiger shark appears on the horizon. I can see him clearly, his spots, eyes and shiny skin, he flows right next to me, agile and classy, as if he was the king of this herd. It is difficult to take my eyes off him, despite the fact that a group of forty bull sharks, also of impressive size, is approaching. How could I think about yoga even for a second? I would not trade this moment for the world.

During our two-week stay in Fiji, we dived for four days with sharks, and the remaining dives were done at nearby reefs. The visibility of water at the

turn of April and May exceeds 40 m, and the water temperature varies between 26°C–28°C. During the dive we met impressive schools of fish, turtles, moray eels, stingrays and dolphins, which always make me smile.

Kava ceremony

During the traditional welcome ceremony in Fiji, a piper methysticum root broth is served, also known as kava. However, it has nothing to do with the well-known morning taste of espresso. To prepare a Fijian drink you need a plant root, which you have to grind to obtain a paste. Then you mix with the paste with crystal clear water in a special wooden vessel. A brown, slightly bitter drink with a relaxing and euphoric effect is served to the participants of the ceremony in a coconut cup. The ritual ends with a dance together while playing local music.

Unprecedented. Only in this way I can define these unusual, emotional encounters that teach humility and respect to all creatures on our planet. I feel great gratitude for the fact that I could meet amazing people, enthusiasts who love and protect sharks, who contribute to the fact that their population is growing from year to year.

From the Editor

The Republic of Fiji – an island state (over 800 islands and islets), located in the southwestern part of the Pacific, about 2800 km east of Australia and about 2000 km north of New Zealand. The islands are of volcanic origin and are surrounded by coral reefs. State capital – Suva. Tropical rainforest climate. Time zone UTC+12.