Mo’orea’s Sharks and Rays
Off the coast of the small island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia is a sand bar where blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and Tahitian stingrays (Himantura fai) congregate. It offers the perfect opportunity for someone to face their fears of sharks and see that they should be respected, not feared. Often, opportunities to swim with wild animals are highly controversial. These interactions have the ability to change the animals natural behavior and even make them dependent on humans. However, in the case of sharks, the benefits may outweigh the negatives. With things like shark fishing derbies and illegal fishing for shark fin soup, shark populations are in dramatic decline. The outcry to stop the slaughter of sharks falls on deaf ears, as many people only think of them as blood thirsty hunters. Currently, about 100 million sharks are killed a year, that is over 11,000 sharks a minute. Sharks play a vital role in the marine ecosystem and healthy shark populations are indicators of a healthy reef system. If the number of sharks being fished out of the ocean cannot be cut down dramatically, sharks will be fished off this planet within this century. A chance to swim with these amazing ocean predators is a chance to change the public impression of the story and save the sharks.
NOTE: These photos were taken in an area known for feeding the sharks and rays. This practice is now illegal in this area and that is being enforced.
Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are a common sight in shallow waters in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Blacktip Reef sharks are on the smaller side when it comes to sharks, maxing out at under 6 feet. They tend to be timid and cautious around people. This makes them a perfect species to snorkel with to face fears of sharks.
These sharks share their underwater homes with the Tahitian Stingray (Himantura fai), which spends most of its life on sandy sea floors.
The Tahitian Stingray (Himantura fai) is wary of humans but seems to be a little more curious than other marine life.
Sadly, Blacktip Reef Sharks are being overfished in much of their range and the International Union for the Concervation of Nature has listed them as Vulnerable. About 11,400 sharks a minute are caught and killed, that is over 100 million sharks a year.
Both the sharks and the rays should be seen as a necessary part of a healthy ocean. They should be enjoyed. A chance to swim in the ocean open with these amazing creatures reaches a wider population that can learn to respect them and not fear them.
Blacktip Reef Sharks represent a healthy underwater ecosystem and should be respected, not hated and feared. Without these mid-level predators, the health of the corals reefs would quickly decline.
Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) patrol shallow coastal waters looking for small boney fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans to eat. They keep the population of these prey species in check and eliminate the sick and weak, ensuring a healthier future population.