Lemon Shark

In 2007, I was in Tonga, on a humpback whale trip with underwater photographers Mark Strickland and Tim Rock. During the week we had dinner a few times with Mike Neumann, the owner of Beqa Adventure Divers in Pacific Harbor Fiji. Known as BAD divers, this operation offers one of the most famous shark dives in the world where divers can expect to see as many as 6 or 7 species of sharks on a single dive. http://www.fijisharkdive.com/

Up to this point in my diving career of 10,000 plus dives, I had not fed animals in order to get a photograph. I felt it changed their natural behavior. So during during dinner I listened to the conversation and asked a lot of questions.

I learned that the dive shop owners had a part in creating a 30 mile long marine reserve and that fishing was not allowed. The thinking being that in order to study and sustain all the shark species its a good idea to protect the entire ecosystem. Since the reserve limited the fishing rights of the local villagers, the dive shop pays the village for every diver coming in to the reserve.

I have written more about this experience and it will be published soon on the http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/

To join me on diving and photography adventures in Hawaii, Fiji, or Tonga please check out my site www.douglasjhoffman.co