Broadreach: Fiji Shark Studies

Highlights: My favorite part of the trip would be diving with the sharks. Kneeling at 95 feet in the chilly water watching top predators glide through the water is an unforgettable experience. It's not everyday that you observe a 10-foot bull shark from 2 feet away in crystal clear water! I also loved learning about shark conservation. Threats against sharks are a huge problem we have today and I really enjoyed learning how to prevent and reverse the effect.

Morning: Our mornings usually started at around 7:00. Everyone would pick up their sleeping mats, have a speedy clean-up, and then head to the kitchen for a simple breakfast of either granola bars or cereal. After breakfast we would get dressed and walk over to Beqa Adventure Divers for our sharks dives. The first dive had three different levels which went to 90 feet, 45 feet, then 15 feet. On the average dive we would observe bull sharks, gray reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and tawny nurse sharks. On our surface interval we would enjoy cookies and warm tea provided by the dive shop. On the next dive we went down to 85 feet where we would observe bull sharks and hope for a tiger shark.

Afternoon: When we returned from the dive shop everyone would jump in the shower and wait by the pool for lunch to arrive. Some of the women from the dive shop made our lunch everyday so we could experience the Fijian culture just through our food. Later we would meet up in the common room for our lecture. We would learn about shark biology, behavior, and conservation. For the rest of the afternoon we would work on our journals or any projects that may have been assigned. Sometimes we would go to the beach for the afternoon or go into the local shopping center to buy some snacks and souvenirs.

Evening: Later, if we hadn't gone out for dinner, one of the cooking groups would make dinner while the other group cleaned. Before we could eat we would pass around "the squeeze" and tell our glums and glows of the day. For the rest of the night we would finish up on any work we still had and watch movies.