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It was Thursday, February 25th, and the sixth day of our vacation trip to Fiji. We had been enjoying the wonderful resort at Beqa Lagoon, and the incredible scuba diving at various locations inside of the long barrier reef shielding Beqa Island from the turbulent Pacific Ocean. We had already collected terrific memories of our experiences so far, but this day would be special.
We were diving that week off the Blue Surveyor, the largest of Beqa Lagoon Resort's three dive boats, and Thursday was our day for the optional "Big Fish Encounter." The encounter, run by Aqua Trek from their base in Pacific Harbor on the large island of Viti Levu, offers divers from around the world the opportunity to see a large variety of large fish, including several species of sharks. It is also regarded by many divers as one of the highlights of their visit to Fiji, and we looked forward to our turn for diving in with the big fish.
The crew from Aqua Trek met us at the dive site, where they transferred to the Blue Surveyor along with their gear and supplies. This was not scheduled as one of their normal dive days, but they agreed to come out for our boat, provided we gave them a ride back to Pacific Harbor afterwards. We were given the dive briefing, and were told how the encounter would proceed, along with information about a shipwreck on the bottom near the "Bistro," as they called the underwater amphitheater where the encounter would take place. We then geared up and entered the water, all waiting at the surface until everyone was ready and off the boat so that we could all descend together.
It was just a short swim to the Bistro, where we all lined up along a taut rope on a rocky ledge at 80 feet deep. Dense schools of small fish already swarmed the Bistro, ready for the free buffet that was to come - and then it began.
As we had been told, the nurse sharks were the first to arrive, and despite their rather docile reputations, it was still impressive to see sharks that were six feet long and larger. The nurse sharks tended to stay close to the bin of fish pieces, and it wasn't until the lemon sharks arrived that we were treated to close passes in front of us.
I had wondered how I would react the first time I saw large sharks in close proximity. I had seen a distant reef shark on Monday's first dive, and the brief glimpse of it before it disappeared from view had been exciting. As the lemon sharks and then the bull sharks passed close by for their turns at the feed barrel, I felt not the least bit of apprehension. Instead, I felt an appreciation for the chance to see these creatures up close. I've read many divers on the scuba forums comment that, despite years of diving, they had never seen a shark. We weren't just seeing many sharks, we were seeing more different species than some divers would get to see in a lifetime.
Then she arrived.
Several of us, myself jncluded, actually vocalized our excitement right through our regulators upon spotting her - the Tiger Shark. They call her Scarback, and at around twelve to fourteen feet of streamlined muscle, every other shark on the reef deferred to her presence. The bull sharks, normally dominating on their own, stayed clear of her and allowed her uncontested dining at the feed barrels.
I had been taught - programmed, even - from a young age to fear sharks. Even "family Friendly" television programs like the old "Flipper" series portrayed sharks as vicious killers, cold and indiscriminate in their choice of prey. When "Jaws" released in the late 70s, the anti-shark furor reached a new peak with its tagline of, "A mindless eating machine." Great White Sharks are generally seen as the worst, and on the shark family tree, Tiger Sharks are a very close cousin to the Great Whites.
Unlike the nurse sharks, Scarback had no qualms about coming close to the line of divers watching her in awe. Then again, why should she have any hesitation? She is, in this part of the ocean, an undisputed queen. No other creature native to the reef rises to challenge her, and should she decide that our presence is unwelcome, there would be little we could do to stop her from venting her displeasure upon us.
Yet, we were not treated as an annoyance, like an intrusive line of aquatic paparazzi violating her privacy. We had come for an audience with the queen, and she appeared content to indulge us a few moments of her time, in exchange for a few fish heads.
I should mention here that I have no illusion that Scarback is "tame." She is a wild creature, and does not respond to our instructions and summons. She shows up when she feels like it, stays for as long as she wishes, and leaves when she is ready. There is no way to leash her, and no muzzle to corral her rows of backward-hooking, saw-like teeth. She had not shown up for the Wednesday Big Fish Encounter, and we would learn the next day that she would not show up for Friday's, either. Our single boat-load of divers, not even thirty in total, was blessed to see her on that one, special Thursday.
And I, for a short, awesome moment, touched her.
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