DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

Another heartwarming and most treasured moments from 48 years of diving. My Fijian queen and her retinue of Rainbow Runners.

There are actually six spots, but you only see one anal fin spot at a time as they wave rhythmically from side to side. These five white spots do hypnotise you! You see them coming from in the deep blue for ages until finally, the silhouette outline of the shark appears. The sharks approach you deliberately and stop at a safe distance for them, which is about ten metres. If you are lucky, they will circle just below. You are now under the spell of the most beautiful shark in the sea. In New Guinea, we dived at Fathers Reef with a family of Silver Tip Whalers. I have visited this family five times on the Febrina. We have a shark attract plastic drum with fish scraps in it to lure them in. The dive guide here was Digger, the world famous dive guide. He was frequently referred to as the world’s best dive guide. If I were a chancellor at a University, I would grant him an honorary degree in Marine Biology. His knowledge is superlative. He knows every behaviour of every life form what it feeds on and where it lives. Digger’s knowledge of sharks is the same. Sadly, he is now retired from diving. He was a master shark wrangler. He used to set up the shark feed expertly and lure them in with 100% success. Usually, a female shark was the first to arrive. She is cautious and curious. Most of all, she was hungry and she could smell the free food. He has a way of taking each marine experience to the next level. I said to him that I wanted to photograph the sharks with my sixty mm micro lens, face on, and full

frame. I love the head shots, face to face, up close and personal. My plan for macro photo of wild Silver Tip sharks was met with some amusement by some of the other guests on board the Febrina but I had a plan. No problems for Digger. He placed me in front of a small coral head of about two metres and then perched immediately behind and above me. Soon, I realise he has a piece of bait just inches above my head. The Silver Tip came right for my camera at high speed until It filled the frame. Naturally, we are working inside a time frame of a split second. I did not have time to worry about the shark. It took some self control to wait until the absolute best split second to take the shot. This was very exciting. I showed Digger some of the shots in the camera as we waited for the shark to circle back. I think that I have a few good ones, filling the frame of the camera. DIgger was able to talk clearly underwater and coached me “ Take the shot!” He was absolutely thrilled. I was over the moon. Here we are on a wild reef a thousand miles from anywhere having the greatest photographic experience of a lifetime. Not only that, we are getting to know this magnificent creature intimately. She was not dangerous to us. Her manners are impeccable. She simply wants the free food and was prepared to risk her life by approaching us. This ultimate predator was showing trust in us and had overcome her natural caution. The last time I did this dive, she had given birth to a perfect little male Silver Tip Whaler. He followed his

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