Shark Attack

For a few days now I’ve been alone in a beach villa on the Moorea Atoll, from where in fact I was able to spend afternoons in my garden on white sandy beach watching seven-meter-tall humpback whale calves jumping out of the sea at a distance of just 200 meters. Because it was actually as sensational as it sounds, I would like to reserve that experience for other stories. But it was the trigger for the fact that I really wanted to invite my Polynesian friends from Tahiti to join me and to do an island road trip here on Moorea. Actually, I didn’t hear anything before about it, but when they arrived the next morning, Parae mentioned a place in the lagoon where you can get really close to rays and sharks. And I wanted to try that.

Tiahura. That was the name of the coast stretch from where we wanted to start into the lagoon. The Intercontinental Resort also offers a good starting point for this. I only took a mask, my GoPro and my bath slip on the boat. And plenty of excitement. After about ten minutes of boat drive our captain stopped in the most beautiful turquoise you can imagine. Two more sailboats parked here, where the infamous shark spot had to be. Curiously I leaned over the railing and looked down at the sea. At the other sailing boat I discovered two or three black shadows below in the water. Those must be the sharks. Let’s not hesitate. Mask on. Jump. And I swam there. And then I saw them beautifully circling around. I opened my eyes wide. Rapid heart beat. For some reason this always happens when you are dealing with the shy predators of the sea. Respect. They were black tip reef sharks. Not more than 2 meters long. A little later I also saw stingrays. Gently and smoothly they moved through the bright turquoise. As harmless as they look, if their venomous sting accidentally hit the human chest or abdomen when they feel threatened you can die. So both cartilage animals actually had deadly weapons. But only in theory. After all, I was here to watch, not to provoke. I thought.

There are no dangerous or aggressive sharks. An absurd etiquette attaching to these animals. There can only exist dangerous situations for people that they have deliberately or unconsciously provoked by themselves. For example by putting yourself into or if you’re already being in a situation that triggers a response from the shark. Sharks are very clever animals and are not afraid. Although we have never been part of their evolution and therefore they cannot know what a human being is, they learn through exploration and observation.

Even if they were hungry to death, we would never end up on a shark’s menu. After the first bite, they would let go of human blood in horror once they realize how inedible we were. Victims are therefore not being eaten. Rather they die from the consequences of a test bite if the object is unknown to the shark or it resembles its preferred prey. Shark attacks on humans are caused by curiosity, provocation or threat as well as confusion due to unfortunate circumstances such as noise, food in the water or poor visibility.

Swimming lesson. When out of curiosity I swam to the sharks, I wondered why they would be just here from all of these places. Explanation was quickly found. The men on the other sailboat lured the sharks and stingrays with feedings like tuna fish. Unfortunately, at this moment I was totally overwhelmed be their harmonious interactions with the impressive cartilage fish and didn’t reflect more. Cuddling with rays. I wanted to experience that. I asked the other men on the sailing boat for some food and the first ray already swam up to me. What an exhilarating joy it was when he said ‘hello’ with his wings and I even felt his mouth with my fingers.

Breast to breast he was eating out of my hand. Then I kept diving to get lost with them for a while. It was important to always keep an eye onto the sharks who swam all over the place. It was great. But soon more and more sharks appeared. So many that by now I was surrounded by 10-15 sharks. Below, behind, in front, above and next to me. Well this got a little too delicate for me and I went back to surface. And then I saw two more boats involved in the feeding while I was still under water. A dozen of people were baiting now the fish with crustaceans and fish blood from their boats. Quite reckless. Because I was not only just there with them but in the middle of the water with plenty of sharks circling around me.

Suddenly some sharks started now to loop into strange figures of eights and made spirals. I didn’t know about these threatening gestures before, yet I didn’t like their hectic pace. With eyes wide open I tried to keep an overview in this underwater situation. Then I turned left. And then it happened. Boom! Boom! Two severe punches against my upper chest. A shark rammed me with his nose tip. I couldn’t even look that fast when he started his third punch. Boom! Instinctively I managed hitting him on his head. And he was gone without knowing whether or not he left because of my punch. Everything happened within a brief moment of no more than two seconds. Under water I just recognized his teeth and the big tip of his nose right in front of my throat. As fast as I could I swam back to our boat. I was in shock. I must have looked in all possible directions completely paranoid. Until I was safe on our boat again. My friends were also shocked. Motionless I spent the following time on the beach for a few hours. Accompanied by such a strong heart beat.

The shark attack against me was self-imposed. Without a doubt. Although I didn’t know anything about shark and ray feedings before. After I’ve seen the drawing and baiting methods on the other boat, I shouldn’t have been a part of it. The fact that after a short time so many people arrived with some more baiting attracting more and more sharks while I was still in the waters, is probably one of these unfortunate circumstances that cause shark attacks on human beings. At some point it just got too much for a shark and he applied the “Hit & Run”-method to me. A typical behavior of black tip reef sharks being involved into accidents with people: hit and escape. The fact that he didn’t bite me and that both arms and legs are still connected to me is just pure luck. Today I still have those scenes from the shark attack in front of me. But I wouldn’t say I’m traumatized. Just two weeks later, at almost 40m depth I went diving with more than 200 sharks in the Fakarava South Pass.