The theme from Jaws ran through my head the minute I submerged my head underwater and saw the shark approach. It slid past with such agility that it caught me off guard. My heart beat quickened. I held my breath. Suddenly my reservations resurfaced.
Had I not seen every group that left in the afternoon return safely and boast about their adventures over dinner, I would not have been persuaded to go to the Shark Feeding tour in Moorea. The resort at Club Med (no longer in existence) did a little more to appease the fears of the apprehensive guests. They played video footage from every trip luring us to sign up for an intimate encounter with the sharks.
The Tahitians have a wicked sense of humour, particularly our shark diver who gave a deadpan assurance that we weren’t on the menu, unless we disobeyed his advice. Then broke into laughter.
Tahiti’s idyllic waters were a little rough on that day. Visibility wasn’t at its optimum with a thin layer of cloud filtering the sun’s rays. Wearing a mask and a snorkel, and holding on to a rope attached to the boat, one by one, we went under with a mixture of fear and anticipation. One man ducked his head in, then quickly made a quick dash out onto the boat.
The shark diver’s job was to feed the sharks before our dangling legs in the water made appetising bait. Once acclimatised below the surface, we watched the sharks engage in a feeding frenzy stripping the large piece of tuna to the bone in mere minutes.
After they finished their second helping, the sharks circled in front of us. That was the cue for me to remove my mask, hop back on the boat and calm my heart rate.
The experience was a thrill I will never forget. And best of all, the underwater footage they provided at the end of the tour made it into a lasting memory.
