Pictures
No pictures for this dive
Recent Divers in Beqa Lagoon
Recent Pictures in Beqa Lagoon
Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller and Henle, 1839) (Black-tip shark)
The fast-swimming blacktip shark is an active fish that can be seen leaping out of the water and spinning before dropping back into the sea . This agile spinning behaviour is thought to be used while feeding on small scho...
Read More
The fast-swimming blacktip shark is an active fish that can be seen leaping out of the water and spinning before dropping back into the sea . This agile spinning behaviour is thought to be used while feeding on small schooling fishes, such as herrings or sardines. The sharks propel themselves vertically, up through the school, spinning and snapping in all directions until they breach the surface . As well as feeding on schools of small bony fish, the blacktip shark occasionally preys on squid, cuttlefish, octopi, crabs and lobsters . Blacktip sharks often occur in large schools, which with their highly energetic temperament, can result in competitive feeding frenzies when confronted with immense shoals of fish or the waste of a shrimp trawler being dumped overboard . Mating in the blacktip shark occurs from May to June, and pregnancy lasts for about one year . The viviparous blacktip shark gives birth in shallow, coastal waters, to between one and ten pups in May or June. The young remain in the calm, food-rich nursery area until autumn .
Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell, 1837) (Whitetip reef shark)
Despite its docile nature during the day this nocturnal shark can become aggressive when hunting at night, thrashing through coral reefs looking for potential prey. The whitetip reef shark usually hunts alone, but is non-t...
Read More
Despite its docile nature during the day this nocturnal shark can become aggressive when hunting at night, thrashing through coral reefs looking for potential prey. The whitetip reef shark usually hunts alone, but is non-territorial and will occasionally work in cooperation with others in the pursuit of prey . Feeding primarily on bottom-dwelling octopus, lobsters, crabs and bony fish, it often chases its prey into a crevice before jamming its body in after it, sealing the exit . The extremely posterior location of the first dorsal fin compared to those of other sharks is an adaptation to this feeding habit, which allows them to get their heads and mouths much further into the gaps and holes in the coral . The whitetip reef shark's mating season varies with location . Reproduction is viviparous and after a gestation period of around a year the female will give birth to one to five live pups, which are completely independent at birth . Both sexes reach sexual maturity at approximately 5 years old, and it is estimated that this species can live to an age of 25 years .
Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Nurse shark)
During the day the nurse shark is a sluggish animal, spending most of its time resting on sandy bottoms, or in crevices in rocks and coral reefs. Often several nurse sharks may congregate when resting, sometimes even pili...
Read More
During the day the nurse shark is a sluggish animal, spending most of its time resting on sandy bottoms, or in crevices in rocks and coral reefs. Often several nurse sharks may congregate when resting, sometimes even piling on top of one another . At night however, the nurse shark actively roams the sea bottom and reef for prey. It feeds on bottom invertebrates such as spiny lobsters, shrimps, crabs, sea urchins, squid and octopi . It is also feeds on fish, its nocturnal nature enabling it to prey on resting fish that would be too active during the day to capture . The nurse shark's small mouth and large pharynx enable it to feed by a unique suction method, effectively making the nurse shark the 'hoover' of the ocean floor. By cupping its mouth over a hole or crevice and expanding its throat, it creates a vacuum that sucks prey out of their hiding . This suction-feeding is also useful for extracting snails from their shells , and it will dig in sand to root out prey sensed by its fleshy barbels . The nurse shark is one of few sharks in which courtship behaviour is relatively well known . The male swims alongside the female, grabs one of the pectoral fins in his mouth, rolls her over and they mate . A large number of males will often try to mate with a single female, and females often bear numerous bite-scars and bruises received during mating attempts. It is therefore not surprising that females frequently try to avoid males by swimming in very shallow water, where they can bury their pectoral fins in the sand . Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous , a method of reproduction whereby the young develop inside a weakly-formed egg shell within the mother, receiving nourishment from their yolk sac, for five to six months . The females move to shallow seagrass beds and coral reefs to give birth to 20 to 30 pups in late spring and summer . Like many sharks the nurse shark is slow growing, with males not reaching maturity until 10 to 15 years of age, and females 15 to 20 years .
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856) (Gray reef shark)
Occurs on continental and insular shelves and oceanic waters adjacent to them . Common on coral reefs, often in deeper areas near drop-offs to the open sea, in atoll passes, and in shallow lagoons adjacent to areas of str...
Read More
Occurs on continental and insular shelves and oceanic waters adjacent to them . Common on coral reefs, often in deeper areas near drop-offs to the open sea, in atoll passes, and in shallow lagoons adjacent to areas of strong currents . Coastal-pelagic near the bottom, near drop-offs at 1-275 m . Forms daytime schools or aggregations in favored areas . Although active during the day, it is more active nocturnally . Viviparous, with 1-6 pups . Feeds on reef fishes, squids, octopi, crabs, lobsters and shrimps . Tends to be aggressive under baited conditions and readily enters into a frenzy feeding pattern, at which time it may become quite dangerous. Repeatedly incriminated in human attacks. Utilized for human consumption, fishmeal, and other shark products. Minimum depth from Ref. 6871. Maximum length of female taken from Ref. 5213.
Carcharhinus leucas (Müller and Henle, 1839) (Bullshark)
The biology of the bull shark is still little known but it shows extraordinary physiological adaptations that allow it to persist in both freshwater and saltwater. Bull sharks have been captured in places you would never ...
Read More
The biology of the bull shark is still little known but it shows extraordinary physiological adaptations that allow it to persist in both freshwater and saltwater. Bull sharks have been captured in places you would never imagine a shark to be found; in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes, 3,700 kilometres up the Amazon River; and in Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. However, the bull shark may not be able to complete its entire life cycle in freshwater, and all sharks in freshwater require access to saltwater through rivers and estuaries . Its swims slowly and heavily, usually near the bottom, concealing its surprising agility and speed employed when attacking prey , and deceiving one into believing this may not be one of the most dangerous species of tropical shark, as it is frequently cited . Along with the great white and tiger shark the bull shark is responsible for the most accidents involving people ; a result of its tendency to take large prey and the proximity of its habitat to the activities of humans . The bull shark's broad and varied diet includes bony fishes, other shark species , sea turtles, birds, dolphins, and terrestrial mammals . The bull shark is viviparous, giving birth to 1 to 13 young in each litter after a pregnancy of 10 to 11 months . The female gives birth in late spring and early summer in both hemispheres, in estuaries, river mouths, and very occasionally in freshwater lakes . Mating takes place at the same time of the year but it is unknown where exactly as it has never been directly observed .
All the data in this dive will be erased (profile, notes, fish list...) and cannot be recovered. Are you sure?
You need to select at least one dive to import your dives in Diveboard.
This dive will be copied into your own logbook.
Please select which details you would like to keep.
This dive has been copied into your own logbook.
We are participating today in the startup contest Techcrunch Disrupt. Support Diveboard by voting for us!
All it takes is a click!
This popup will only show once. Don't forget to vote before closing it!
Fiji
Date: 2010-05-19 - 09:00
Max Depth: 30m Duration: 45mins
Dive with Beqa Adventure Divers Ltd
Amazing dive 4 or 5 bull sharks up to 4 meters. Then the safety stops with 20-30 white tip, black tip and other sharks.
The first Shark Dive takes place on a reef ledge next to the drop off into the abyss of Beqa Passage. Here at a depth of 30m/100ft, the feeders bring in the main attraction; the Bull Sharks. After spending 17 minutes in "The Arena", it's time to head on up to the shallows for the 2nd part of the Shark Dive. Up in "The Den", the smaller shark species, Whitetip Reefs and Blacktip Reefs, can be found circling, completely at ease with the presence of divers. Photo and video opportunities abound throughout the 45-minute Shark Dive.