After finally arriving at Fakarava’s south pass, we had an incredible small world story. It turns out that Cindy is very good friends with Jill’s sister in Santa Monica. Here we are diving in Fakarava’s famed south pass. Why famed? Keep watching!…. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
A sure sign that large animals are around are these “sucker fish”. They hitch hike rides on whales, sharks and rays using their modified dorsal fin (on top) to attach themselves. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These Gray Reef Sharks are the big attraction here. As you will see in the coming photos there are literally HUNDREDS of them in the south pass at Fakarava. Why “women in the gray suits”? Almost all of these sharks are schooling females. Read on… (SEE OUR VIDEO, “THE SHARKS OF FAKARAVA” IN THE “VIDEO GALLERY”). Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Marc’s real job is “Dive Guide” (extrodinaire). However, he’s a video guy and loves to take his camera along. The “gray suit” reference is because “down under”, sharks are referred to as; “The Men in the Gray Suits”. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
The reason these females school is believed to be for protection of their offspring. The males might see them as a tasty morsel. Protection of the pack as it were. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
If you look closely, you’ll see some of the sharks appear “fatter” than others. About 10-15 percent appeared to be pregnant. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
If you’re wondering what I look like while taking video, this is pretty much how it is. As a diver, you must hold pretty still in the water column, have good control over your buoyancy (don’t float around) AND be a videographer! Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
In this photo (I can’t remember the type of fish), you can see how the red is brought out by my strobes. Where the light doesn’t reach the fish, they just looked washed out. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Here Marc is videoing the “action” while Jill looks on. Jill was our co-star in the video “The Sharks of Fakarava”. You get a prospective here with the four divers in my wide angle lens. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Marc is a bit far from this shark (and he knows it), but you shoot what you can when you can. You never know what an animal will do, or what can swim into your frame! Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
We’re at about 90 feet deep here at the bottom of the pass, just before a run with the big gals. Marc spotted this school of Barracuda. The next photo is my still shot taken right after he was done. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
I moved right where Marc was and got to show you what he was seeing in his lens. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Dan was using his Canon SD 800IS in a small plastic housing. It’s the same camera I use as a “point and shoot” on land. In this sequence, you get a feel for how close some of these ladies will move in to satisfy their curiosity. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Right after the shot, we photo types like to just watch the action in real time vs. lens time. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Dan and Jill live in San Diego and this was their 4th trip to Fakarava’s south pass. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Lots of water in this pail!…:) Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Marc has this really nice light and motion video housing and a strap system that he can actually jump in the water with that holds his camera to his dive gear. Very cool. I think I’ll make one too!…. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
At the end of the “shark runs”, there is a beautiful reef to finish up the dive. Lots of other beautiful fish and small invertebrates with a really nice reef of healthy coral. After you drift along here, you just walk out of the water at the end of the dive (see: Tuamotu TOPSIDE Gallery) for the companion land photos. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Though smaller than my “big rig”, Dan’s camera did a pretty nice job underwater. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These sharks basically went up and back the pass for about 150 yards between 65 and 100 feet deep. EVERY DIVE!…. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Many of you can’t believe that we willingly go swim with sharks. Gray Reef sharks, though usually un-aggressive, have been known to attack. This group is not in “eating mode”, and we aren’t what they eat. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
This shark seems quite distended. Her abdomen has young. Note the remoras hanging around. If the shark takes a fish, the remoras clean the table. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Note that the animals swim calmly; even nonchalant. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
At between 4 and 6 feet, these are a medium size Requiem Sharks. Requiem is the general classification that Gray Reef Sharks belong too. These include many of the larger predatory species. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Note the whitish under body and the gray topside of the shark. This is to help camoflage it from predators (usually LARGER sharks) and conceal it from it’s prey as well. When looking up into the sun, the shark blends into the water. When looking down from the top, it blends in with the water or the bottom. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
This is literally a snap shot of the pass. I’m virtually surrounded by the same scene on all sides. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Yeah, pretty thick with sharks. I estimated up to 400+ at sometimes at this one dive site. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
“Can’t you feel em’ swimming around?….Fins to the left, Fins to the right and you’re the only bait in town!”…(Jimmy Buffet – from “Fins”) Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
“Can’t you feel em’ swimming around?….Fins to the left, Fins to the right and you’re the only bait in town!”…(Jimmy Buffet – from “Fins”) Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Here Cindy is swimming up at the shark. In the diving world, the saying goes. “For every shark you see swimming toward a diver, you see 10,000 divers swimming toward a shark”. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
The best technique to view the sharks is to get at their depth, find a rock and hang out. Here you can see a smallish gray reef shark coming to see what all the bubbles are about (see Cindy’s right…photo’s left). Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Agonistic behavior can be displayed by this species to show it’s unhappy about something. It could be territorial or preparing to warn a rival. In this case, it’s most likely the shark being tickled by a cleaner fish. A small fish that they encourage to clean parasites off their skin and gills. In our video, you see this reaction to a cleaner fish (See: Video Gallery, “The Sharks of Fakarava”). Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Thrilling is an understatement. This is a pretty exciting and very cool dive site. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
At the end of the action, we just drift home back to the Tetamanu Dive Center. Lots of neat critters are here…..watch on. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These yellow line grunts were a hallmark near the end of every dive approaching the dive center. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
There were a few different types of Moray species here, but the ubiquitous “Green Moray” is perhaps the most common world wide. LOTS of them in Mexico and California. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
The largest of the trigger fish family and THE MOST AGRESSIVE fish we’ve ever met underwater. In the Red Sea in 1996, Scott had one of these guys chase him a 100yds and biting his fin. The males protect the nests during the mating season. We even saw a diver bit on the forehead by one of these guys in the Red Sea. As they weren’t in “mating mode”, no worries. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
I loved it when they’d come in close for a “look see”. Head on, this gal came within about 6 feet. She blinked……fortunately:) Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
We never tired of this and debate about going back to Fakarava. We do wish we’d stayed longer…much longer! Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
If she could spend the night!….. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
On one of our many “drifts” back to the dock we came across this unusual looking but common reef fish. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
The largest “sand makers” in the world. Parrot fish are constantly eating coral. They are indeed attributed to being one of the major contributors to those nice white sand beaches you see around the world. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
This may be a male vs. the yellow female…or, vice versa. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These schools were truly polarizing in some cases. The fish would surround you and by this strategy, no one individual “stands out”. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
The pier was the indication that we were almost at the dive center. These blue chromis (I believe), used the pilings for a protective habitat from predation. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These were Cindy’s favorite and she loved hanging out at the pier on every dive. Did I mention that Cindy really likes the color BLUE?!… Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
These fish seem to swim in what we assume are male/female pairs. The “mask” helps hide their eyes and make it more difficult for them to be tracked by a predator. The striping patterns are assumed to be a camouflage for the same purpose. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
This is a smaller and actually far more common species on the reefs of the Pacific. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Due to her girth, we assume that this is a pregnant female. A bit smaller than the Gray Reefs and definitely NOT one to challenge them, this shark can also be found by the hundreds. Note the remoras tagging along underneath and the different fin coloration. The “black tip” on the dorsal fin is it’s signature. Small children will actually swim and tease these sharks if they can throughout the Pacific as “play toys”…… Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Usually quite shy, this 4-5 foot black tip took a checkout swim toward Cindy. The moment Cindy showed any interest, the shark took off fast. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
Cindy’s favorite Blue Fish in the water column. Note the similar color, no doubt used as a camouflage strategy. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
This moray eel has a cleaner wrasse on his/her face. These wrasse will actually act as dental hygenists and take dead skin and parasites right out of the morays mouth and gills……..NEXT DIVES …Toau, Apataki and Manihi Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
We just dropped off the boat (a one minute ride from the dive center), went to 80 or so feet, found a “seat” and watched the show. Fakarava Atoll (South) – Tuamotu Atolls
