The Bull Sharks of Beqa - Shark Diving Fiji with no cage!

The Viewing Ledge

We stopped at 24 meters depth and visibility was about the same, we were ushered behind a thin piece of rope – I felt safer already - not! Wasting no time the dive masters opened a large plastic rubbish bin containing 300+ kilos of chum (fish scraps and rotting meat mixed with blood) It did the trick because, all of a sudden the reef exploded into a frenzy of activity. Giant Groupers, Maori and Napolean Wrasse , Rainbow Runners, Giant Trevally and even an Eagle Ray swirled about eager to get in on the action…….. We didn’t have to wait long before larger shapes came into view. White tip, black tip and grey reef sharks circle first, then out of the gloom the first dim, larger silhouettes, patrolled past and coming closer with each circumnavigation - The big boys had arrived!

Bull Sharks

Unmistakable with their blunt heads and stocky builds these 15 ft monsters were dangerously slow and mesmerizing as they cruised past, you can see their eyes looking at you as they check you out – Mmmmmm middle aged spread.

According to National Geographic's "Animal Facts," bull sharks are among the most dangerous sharks in the world – (second only to great whites and tigers) and they obviously need to eat a lot. (Three tiger sharks are regularly fed here but unfortunately didn't make an appearance)

The number of fish was overwhelming; you almost didn’t know where to look! Everything went 3D, sharks were everywhere and as the frenzy hit a crescendo the ocean became darker as the sheer numbers cut out the the available light filtering through the ocean above.

Interacting with the Bullies

The so-called timid, but by no means small Black Tipped sharks, keeping well away from the big Bulls turned their attention to us and sustained a series of slow motion dive bombs directly overhead keeping two divers gainfully employed fending then off with large (What appeared to be shepherd’s sticks by gently redirecting their noses, thus forcing them to change direction). Every now and then one would get through and one of us would ended up playing a game of chicken with a shark.

Some of us (including myself) were summoned to the centre of the swarm to touch a Bull, who (luckily) had his full attention on trying to remove the food from the bin. On our second dive, more composed and with less adrenalin surging through me, I counted 17 Bull Shark and at least 30 other various tips, and those were only the ones I could see.

All Shapes and Sizes

The official line is you can see up to eight species of Sharks: Blacktip Reef Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Silvertip Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Sicklefin Lemon Sharks, Bull Sharks and the occasional Tiger Shark. In addition, you can also encounter Giant Groupers, Maori Wrasse, Rainbow Runners, Giant Trevally, Java Morays, Eagle Rays and more than 400 species of tropical reef fish.

THANK YOU the kind folk at Aqua Trek, it was Perfectly safe, exhilarating and intriguing.

Shark diving in Fiji let alone anywhere else doesn’t get any better! This was one of the most exhilarating days of my life!

Like what you see...

Talk to our team today we can organise your Fiji experience and have you diving in shark infested waters - safely - of course!