MRs2
Registered
Diving at Sha'ab Rumi in the Sudanese Red Sea I had a "challenging" experience with a grey reef shark once.
After coming up from the blue I swam to the platform, to where a huge table coral serves as a shark cleaning station. This time I was lucky, a shark was just being cleaned.
I always tried to see this from close by. They sort of stand up with their nose in the "air". Very slowly I swam in that direction. Normally sharks notice you from miles away, but this time she didn't realize I was there until I was about 10 meters away. But then she saw me and came over in a second.
She started to swim around me in very tight circles, which puzzled me because they normally stay a bit away from divers.
I just stayed in place, fully stretched out and with my arms folded over my chest as to not look like I was taking a threatening pose. Neither did she, no arched back or fins sticking down, but she kept circling me and looking at me. I was wondering what was happening, stayed motionless and tried to follow her with my eyes.
I noticed my buddy a bit further away, staying dead quiet and just watching.
I knew my deco time was running up, so I finally slowly swam away. The shark stayed where she was.
Back on board I wondered whether this behavior was because I disturbed her beauty session or perhaps because of my period. But sharks were never extra interested when I had my period.
Back home again I sent a mail to the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
R. Aidan Martin answered me, explaining that sharks when being cleaned get so relaxed that it becomes almost trance like. That's why she didn't notice me, and when she all of a sudden realized I was there disturbing her peace she came to challenge me.
After coming up from the blue I swam to the platform, to where a huge table coral serves as a shark cleaning station. This time I was lucky, a shark was just being cleaned.
I always tried to see this from close by. They sort of stand up with their nose in the "air". Very slowly I swam in that direction. Normally sharks notice you from miles away, but this time she didn't realize I was there until I was about 10 meters away. But then she saw me and came over in a second.
She started to swim around me in very tight circles, which puzzled me because they normally stay a bit away from divers.
I just stayed in place, fully stretched out and with my arms folded over my chest as to not look like I was taking a threatening pose. Neither did she, no arched back or fins sticking down, but she kept circling me and looking at me. I was wondering what was happening, stayed motionless and tried to follow her with my eyes.
I noticed my buddy a bit further away, staying dead quiet and just watching.
I knew my deco time was running up, so I finally slowly swam away. The shark stayed where she was.
Back on board I wondered whether this behavior was because I disturbed her beauty session or perhaps because of my period. But sharks were never extra interested when I had my period.
Back home again I sent a mail to the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
R. Aidan Martin answered me, explaining that sharks when being cleaned get so relaxed that it becomes almost trance like. That's why she didn't notice me, and when she all of a sudden realized I was there disturbing her peace she came to challenge me.
