Beqa Lagoon, Fiji Tiger Shark Encounter

While doing the shark dive in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, we get a somewhat unexpected encounter with a 16 ft tiger shark. What starts as a neat tiger viewing suddenly turns into almost a fight for our lives as the tiger quickly overstays its welcome and decides to make several passes at myself and the other divers.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Fiji
• Shark
• Tiger
• Beqa
• Lagoon
• Diving

[mamoderawat]

You guys were molesting that shark! And the poor fish almost look sedated by the trauma of having its dignity violated. You can molest it and make it lose its natural cautiousness of people, feed it and make it associate people with food, and then your just changing the natural disposition of things. And every-time a swimmer, snorkeler, or diver is near by it will go and take a look, and they won't have the advantage you guys have of knowing it's their and seeing it approach. RULE 1 LOOK BUT...

[bsigpolo]

@mamoderawat Its a 17 ft Tiger Shark, not a bear that learns that there is food inside a soft-top jeep in yellowstone, or a yellow finch that doesnt fly north because you left birdseed in your feeders for too long. Trust me, it doesnt give a fuck about people. Your hand or a chunk of fish...the fish just fights a lot less and probably tastes a little less like rubber.

[THEkidNurCLOSET]

omg i was just there and we wanted to see a tiger so bad, what dive shop did you go with?

[bsigpolo]

@THEkidNurCLOSET We were out of Beqa Lagoon, but dove with the shop that is always out there. the name is escaping me at the moment. The guys basically promised that we wouldnt see any as they hadnt been there in months, which is probably why everyone (including the shark) was looking so confused. And to think i almost passed it up

[CokiLori]

I am rather shocked that the dive master/ instructor allowed fellow divers to be so invasive and touch the sharks in a rather aggressive and overwhelming manner. Beyond the security hazard, I still believe that people dive because they love the underwater environment and the environment generally. If this is true, divers should be deeply respectful and humble visitors in the water, not like what I was able to see here.

[bsigpolo]

I have been a diver since I was 10, and long before that a swimmer and lover of the ocean and animals, and fully realize that each time i enter the ocean, i am far from the top of the food chain. i think it is pretty clear that nobody in the video went out of their way to 'touch' or disrespect the shark. every time i touched the shark was when it directly came at me, within arms length, and i felt i was in danger. without our beqa divers, i doubt any of us would have been able to keep our cool

[TheMagnificentHazo]

@CokiLori Pretty much. "[T]he tiger quickly overstays its welcome and decides to make several passes at myself and the other divers" Yes, I'm sure it had nothing at all to do with the cluster of half a dozen divers surrounding and chasing after the tiger and jabbing it with cameras, poles, and hands. Yikes-- Gonna use this video as an example of poor diver etiquette, and what NOT to do in a shark encounter.

[TheDiveLog]

That tiger shark is not sure what is going on.

[gargamelJesus]

The music is great. What is it? 

[JohnnyMac2237]

These guys were acting like clowns. As long as they knew that at any moment that Tiger which is a notorious maneater in relation to statistics/availability of food then I have no problem with their actions. Humans are part of the eco system as well but personally I would never provoke a shark of such raw power and inherent natural instinct to consume things. They are called the garbage men of the sea for a reason

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[archietherobot]

Do not sit on the coral ! (at 2:09)

By the way, it's perfectly normal for tigersharks to be inquisite and to make passes at divers, and other objects. They want to know if you're edible and they do that all the time. And since there is enough food, you as a diver do not qualify.

[archietherobot]

@TheMagnificentHazo

Exactly!

It seems to me that the divers overstayed THEIR welcome. Even a dangerous shark can be surprisingly 'cooperative' with divers and it can even be touched. But that doesn't mean that the shark should be cornered and touched while being already being outnumbered. There are numerous moments in the video where the shark clearly wants to get out of the way only to swim into the claws of other divers. Always offer the shark an escape! Very poor diving practice indeed!

[dj17q]

What a gorgeous looking Tiger. Risky, but wouldnt mind experiencing that kind of stuff. Save the Shark, spread the word.

[classynash]

@bsigpolo

I have been a diver since the age of 12. This was completely irresponsible behaviour. The Tiger Shark is one of the biggest and most dangerous sharks in the world and these amazing animals should be observed and respected from a distance.

[dapaintballer1]

I am going to there to scuba dive I hope I see some sharks

[mamoderawat]

@bsigpolo I can tell you that that shark is nowhere near 16/17 feet and is closer to 11 feet MAX!. Either that or the divers where 12/13 feet giants. Sharks do learn and do adapt their hunting strategies. When a Killer Whale kills a Great White Shark, upon the smell of the blood of its own species, the other GW's learn to dive to as deep the region allows n usually leave the area. Note, first they go down, then they leave the area. Tiger Sharks can also learn and adapt, but its less researched