Fiji
42 images Created 13 Oct 2012
Shark dives, where the predators are fed for the benefit of people, is a very touchy subject. One camp says that attracting them is wrong, while the opposite side claims the practice is perfectly ok.
I believe both positions have valid arguments. In most situations, I'm against it (because standard safety protocols are often ignored), but in the case of Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD), a dive operator located in Pacific Harbor, Fiji, I'm for it.
This is why: BAD follows a systematic approach to the shark dives, and it doesn't deviate from it. There is no showmanship, and customers are kept far from the feeding area and surrounded by an army of safety divers. The sharks (and people) know exactly what's going to happen, and the dives are executed in the same manner, day in and day out. There is no feeding frenzy, and tourists get to see some very impressive animals (bulls, tigers and five other species) in a controlled situation.
Plus, the inhabitants of the local village, owners of the reef (and marine life), have realized that there is a lot more money to be made with the sharks alive and thrilling tourists than dead, finned and sold for a one-time financial gain. Revenue from this renewable resource has been used to build a school and health clinic. The operator also hires locals to work in the dive shop and trains them to become boat captains and dive masters. In short, sharks help drive the local economy. They are thriving, and it's one of the few places I've been to (been there three times), where their numbers keep increasing instead of declining.
Lastly, the dives take place on Shark Reef, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) home to 400 species of fish. This no-take zone is bursting at the seams with large reef fish, now colonizing nearby reefs and benefitting locals with a valuable source of protein.
I believe both positions have valid arguments. In most situations, I'm against it (because standard safety protocols are often ignored), but in the case of Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD), a dive operator located in Pacific Harbor, Fiji, I'm for it.
This is why: BAD follows a systematic approach to the shark dives, and it doesn't deviate from it. There is no showmanship, and customers are kept far from the feeding area and surrounded by an army of safety divers. The sharks (and people) know exactly what's going to happen, and the dives are executed in the same manner, day in and day out. There is no feeding frenzy, and tourists get to see some very impressive animals (bulls, tigers and five other species) in a controlled situation.
Plus, the inhabitants of the local village, owners of the reef (and marine life), have realized that there is a lot more money to be made with the sharks alive and thrilling tourists than dead, finned and sold for a one-time financial gain. Revenue from this renewable resource has been used to build a school and health clinic. The operator also hires locals to work in the dive shop and trains them to become boat captains and dive masters. In short, sharks help drive the local economy. They are thriving, and it's one of the few places I've been to (been there three times), where their numbers keep increasing instead of declining.
Lastly, the dives take place on Shark Reef, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) home to 400 species of fish. This no-take zone is bursting at the seams with large reef fish, now colonizing nearby reefs and benefitting locals with a valuable source of protein.
