Has anyone ever done a shark trip to Fiji?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at planning a shark specific trip to Fiji next year, and was wondering if anyone has ever done this. I've dreamed of Fiji for years, but for other reasons. Just wondering if I did a shark specific trip, would I regret it and wish I had gone somewhere like the Bahamas?

Matt

There was an article on diving with Sharks in Fiji in a past issue of SD Australasia, about 1 year ago. Here is a link to the text of the article:

http://www.underwater.com.au/article.php/id/1960/

Incidentally, I had an article on switching from compact to dSLR cameras in the same issue of the mag

Thanks for the reply, I'll check out that link.

I think Shark diving international does a Fiji shark trip.. Saw the video...looks pretty scary with all the Tigers and Bull sharks lurking around!!

http://www.seesharks.com/fiji.html

M.

Hi,

I've done shark dives in both spots. I would rate the shark diving in the Bahamas to be a 10 out of 10. There is only really one shark dive in Fiji and I'd rate it a 4 out of 10.

The reefs and fish life in Fiji is awesome, but I wouldn't go there specifically for shark diving.

Sincerely,

James

Thanks Starbuck,

That first shot on the page looks pretty hairy but awesome at the same time.

Matt

Thanks James,

I'll have to look into the trip a little more to see if there would be enough time each day to dives on the reefs. I've always heard that the Bahamas was first rate for their sharks. I'll have to look into that a little more also.

BTW, I love the UW modeling pics you've been doing. Good stuff! I just recently set up an in home studio and have been doing some modeling shoots, but unfortunately don't have access to a pool, or at least not legally:) The UW stuff looks like so much fun.

Matt

Guys,

I recently did the Beqa shark dive. Excellent! One of their 'resident' tigers paid a visit...

Take a look here...

Very nice. I think I'm going to take a chance and do Fiji next year. Love the kid fish shots:)

Check out Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD). Great crew & boat. Dived with them in Feb '06. They haul down 600 lbs of fish scraps for 2 dives. 9 big bulls at once, 10 ft nurse, big lemon, black tips, white tips...

Very exciting.

Look up John Bantin's recent article about these dives in www.divernet.com

(I was one of those divers cruising past him with the US made computer :-)

It's a fun dive but the photography su**s in my opinion. Too many small fish around and you're really packed up against the other divers. You can see that in Brook's photos. (No offense Brook, your photos are good, but the conditions were not).

Here's what a Bahamas Tiger and Bull shark dive looks like:

Tigers:

Bull:

Cheers

James

Hey James, can't see the pics. I think I've checked them out before, maybe on your site or something. They were pretty awesome.

The trip I'm looking at doing is a special one. A maximum of 10 divers and that's it. It is also in a different area of Fiji. I'm probably going to book it and hope for the best. Plus, if the shark action s#%@!, I can always go somewhere else and dive the reefs. It's a pretty open trip.

I'd have to agree with James about the conditions. Feedings draw a huge number of small fish. Either you get lucky, or you get lots of fish in the photos. I remember doing some shark dives in the Bahamas in the early-mid 1990s. On one particular dive, every shot had small fish in the way (I think they were grunts). Brook was in the right place at the right time.

FYI there's Wetpixeler named Michael O'Neill. He did some outstanding work at Beqa last year. One of his images is probably the best feeding photo I've ever seen. When I spoke to him about it, he told me that he did the same dive over and over. I wouldn't expect to do it just once and get the photo of the century.

James, your photos and comments were the main reason I chose to dive the Bligh waters.

Brook, great photos!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

James, great shots. I especially like the first and second.