Species: Galapagos and Sandbar shark.
Location: Oahu, Hawaii. 2009.
December 2009, I visited the Pacific Islands of Hawaii. Steeped in sea faring history and the birthplace of surfing as we know it. It was a privilege to surf on the shores of Oahu and to witness a potentially once in a lifetime event “The Eddie” – a big wave event which took place at Waimea Bay a few days after I arrived. To add to this my excitement levels had reached fever pitch at the prospect of seeing sharks in warm water again, I arranged a trip with Hawaii Shark Encounters, a fantastic company whose founders place shark conservation at the forefront of their tours.
We headed out to a spot both Galapagos and Sandbar sharks congregate during dawn as a result of local fishermen reeling in their catches. It was great to be in the water with shark species I had not seen before, the downside for me was being in the cage, however it was a policy that needed to be abided by – enabling the business to operate within specific laws. An interesting perspective, responsible tour operators and I got my shark fix!