Swimming with Sharks
Today, 03 Apr 2019, we set our sights on swimming with sharks and with manta rays. The past three days, we have been snorkeling in and among the amazing variety of fish that occupy the Ningaloo Coral Reef. So we have seen schools of little fish that hide among the corals when the bigger fish are around. I didn’t know earlier that the coral reefs of the world supply the play grounds wherein very young fish can safely survive and thrive. Corals are living plants that supply nourishment to these small fries as well as protection.
To meet face to face with these big guys, you have to hire a boat that provides eco-tours to the reefs that are a mile from shore. So, today, beginning at 8 am, we are getting instructions on the Manta Rays. Seems that they are a distant cousin to the whale sharks. Whale sharks have a diet consisting exclusively of plankton. Many whales also have this diet. So do the Giant Manta Rays that fly through the sea on their sea-wings that have a wing-span of up to 6 meters [roughly six yards].
After a five-minute briefing, our guides fit each of us with a wet suit. These suits are not due to the coldness of the water but due to the peril that swimming jelly fish pose for humans. Suits on, our guides drive ten of us to the jetty where our boat [ten meters in length and powered by two huge outboard motors] awaits our arrival.
The sea is overcast with small patches of blue. Steady winds are blowing over the ocean. As we head out, I enjoyed the pristine clarity of this water. I can see the peach-colored sandy bottom down to 5 meters. I can also see the dark patches that represent hidden coral.
Our first half-hour session gives our guides the opportunity to get to know the strengths and limitations of their onboard guests. The divers are equipped with tanks of pressurized air strapped to their backs and they are sent overboard. Elena is one of these. I am a scuba diver, so I join five others going overboard with our Italian guide. The fish we spot are not too impressive. They are replicas of the kinds of fish that we have been seeing ten to fifteen meters offshore.
But, unknown to us, while we are swimming, a small piper cub has been circulating our boat and maintaining contact with our captain. Their mission is to spot some Manta rays from the air and then to radio their location to our able captain. The pic shows what a 4m 400 pound Manta ray looks like.
So when we return, our guides divide us into two teams. Elena and I are in team #1. We are instructed to keep our masks and fins on and to be ready to slip quietly into the water as soon as the ship arrives (as slow speed) at the spot where four Manta rays are present. In ten minutes, team #1 (like Navy seals slipping silently into the water) are alerted and on the go.
False alarm. The moment we approached, the Manta rays made a fast dash to another location. Our boat picks us up and we set ourselves to face toward the back of the boat ready for another try. The signal is given and, more quietly this time, we are in the water and following our guide. In twenty seconds, I spot two Manta rays swim past me at a depth of eight meters. They are BIG and easy to spot. However, the winds today have stirred the sea and sent up a sandstorm that makes their image fuzzy. But wait! Two more Manta rays pass following the same route as their brothers. Then, twenty seconds later, two more pass. The pic shows something of the low visibility that we encountered.
When we return to our ship, I am secretly disappointed. Why so? At the dive center I had witnessed Manta rays with perfect clarity at four meters. Oh, well. We did “swim with the Manta rays of Coral Bay.” But I can assure you that our guides never presented the prospect of poor visibility either in their videos or in their literature.
So, what could our guides do? Well, let me tell you, they were prepared. They first of all fed us a delicious lunch. Next they took us to a spot where we snorkled and saw a magnificent array of fish in the corals that were only one or two meter below the surface. Here are some pics.
In the bottom left, you see a Blue Staghorn Coral. Bottom right shows Cabbage Corals in the foreground.
Cleaning Station for Sharks
The ocean can be a pretty perilous place, what with all manner of hungry predators waiting to strike at every turn. But while many organisms choose to travel in large groups as a way of protecting themselves from being eaten, one genius fish has found that it’s sometimes smarter to drop out of schools and join a posse instead.
Meet the Pilot fish, a little swimmer with some big friends.
This species, measuring around a foot in length, can be found throughout the world and is recognizable by the six or seven vertical stripes on its body – but the most striking thing about them is the company they keep. Pilot fish are part of one of nature’s most fascinating mutualistic relationships, guarding themselves from threats by tagging alongside sharks.
And in a remarkable show of restraint for an apex predator, sharks have come to not only tolerate, but welcome pilot fish into their inner circles without eating them. In return for the protection, pilot fish keep the shark free of harmful parasites and clean up bits of excess food.
In fact, such is the level of trust between the animals that pilot fish are even known to enter their shark’s mouth to nibble away food debris.
The bonds shared by those predators and their diminutive pilot fish posses has been a source of fascination for ages. Chances are better than not that the fish weren’t acting out of concern, however. Pilot fish are known to swim along with other things bigger than them, like manta rays, sea turtles, and even the occasional boat. But when it comes to making powerful friends, nothing beats a shark.
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