A Visit With The Gray Reef Sharks of Beveridge Reef
July 17, 1997
When we were in Rarotonga, aboard the Hawaii-based
steel cutter Gershon II, we met a British marine biologist named Peter Atkinson.
Peter has spent the last fifteen years singlehanding his 1930,s "woody
Aila around the South Pacific.
He pays his way by selling his underwater photographs to libraries
and magazines worldwide and regaled us with stories of his "shark feeding
exploits at a place called Beveridge Reef. This reef lies between Rarotonga
in the Cook Islands and the Kingdom of Tonga and is where Peter had planned
a rendezvous with his Kiwi buddy Toby. Since Tonga was our next destination,
we agreed to meet them at this reef. The remnant of an ancient volcano,
all that remains is the coral reef encircling a protected lagoon about four
miles long and two miles wide. With not a tree to mark it,s presence, the
navigator has to keep a careful lookout for the tell-tale surf breaking
on the reef. Despite several pairs of eyes anxiously scanning the horizon,
we were within two miles of the reef before we spotted the white spume flying
high in the air. As we drew closer, we could see the green rollers and white
surf with the tranquil, turquoise-colored lagoon waters inside. As we sailed
around the southwest tip of the reef towards the northwest pass, we were
acutely aware of the large number of boats lost on remote reefs attempting
such an entrance. Due to the narrowness of the pass, the tide-induced currents
can reach six knots at times, usually requiring engine assistance to assure
a safe entrance or departure. These currents, when combined with the southeast
trade winds blowing unimpeded across thousands of miles of open ocean, will
quickly result in the boat grounding on the surrounding reef if power is
lost in the pass. After checking that the fuel filter was clean and that
the 350 gallon "day tank was full, we dropped the sails and headed
slowly into the pass. With two crew on the bow looking for dangerous coral
heads and another standing by the sail halyards in case the engine quit,
we made it safely into the lagoon. Truly a spectacular place! Calm waters
of turquoise, aquamarine and cobalt blue with the whole lagoon ringed with
white surf. Peter and Toby were already at anchor just inside the reef on
the east side of the lagoon, near the wreck of the Seattle-based fishing
boat "Nicky Lou and we joined them in the lee of the reef. The wreck
was lying at an angle of 45 degrees, hard and fast on the reef. I tried
to imagine the crew, hanging on for dear life as their boat crashed over
the reef, calling "Mayday, wondering if anyone heard them. Where they
surrounded by slithering fish and ice? How long before they were rescued,
assuming they were? I made a note to check up in Seattle for the full story.
That evening, Peter and Toby joined us for dinner, and briefed us on their
shark-feeding plans for the next day. By now, I had intellectually accepted
that the gray reef sharks pose no significant threat, although they are
considered to be the most aggressive of the reef sharks (Blackfin and Whitetip
are the others.) With Peter,s assurances that he had dove with the grays
"hundreds of times without incident, and the fact that the local school
will have been hand-fed by the two photographers before we arrive at the
dive site, all that remained was my gut-level apprehension of being in such
close proximity to these formidable creatures. Less reassuring was Peter,s
recommendation that we wear wetsuits, useful for keeping warm - and for
"keeping body parts together in the event of a shark attack! After
suiting up the next morning, we all plopped out of the dinghy and dropped
down to the coral sand below. We then cautiously swam along the bottom,
in line and spaced well apart, over to the "bommie (coral head.) We
could see the sharks slowly circling the coral head as Peter and Toby waggled
pieces of fish with cameras ready. A couple of the sharks peeled off and
headed towards us. Although we had been warned that they would come over
and "check us out, I was aware of my increased heart rate as they drew
near. We immediately froze (although they have poor eyesight, sharks can
reportedly detect the movements of a distressed prey at some distance -
all the more reason for us not to flail around in their vicinity) while
these amazing creatures swam around us. Apparently satisfied that we were
neither a threat nor a suitable meal, they returned to their feeding site.
We edged over to the coral head, keeping out of the way of the cameras,
and laid low hanging on to the giant clams firmly attached to the coral.
Several times, the mostly female sharks swam by us close enough to touch
(we didn,t); their eyes were cat-like, with vertical slits with a "cover
to protect them when attacking their prey (nititating?). Once we had got
used to being so close, we enjoyed watching these beautifully shaped and
colored creatures, particularly when they darted forward with breathtaking
speed to swallow the offered fish. A truly memorable experience which I
would never have undertaken on my own (I,m basically a very cautious diver,
not to say "chicken).
John Kelly, s/v Hawkeye.
PS If anyone would like to see some photos of the sharks, give me an e-mail call (these are "rejects" that Peter felt were not professional quality; I think they are great!)
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