Reef hooks

Demelza Postlethwaite & Will Postlethwaite · Issue 4, Jan 2002 · pp. 47–48

Our first encounter with ‘real’ sharks beyond the usual white tip reef variety was in Papua New Guinea. It is a wild and untamed country both above and below the water and as the six of us dropped to the reef below the fin down was pretty hard as the current was running. The huge array of sea fans and Dendronepthia bent and swayed in the wind. As we neared 30m shadows of ten to fifteen big sharks danced in the blue, 20m in front of us. A large Grey Reef came over to check us out and two Silkies glided closer. Finning hard to remain stationary I tried to set up to take a few shots with my adrenalin pumping but, with twin strobes stuck out on long arms, the drag was too much for my tiring legs. Sadly, Demelza and I agreed to let the current take us but as we turned to signal to the other four in the group we saw them hovering over the reef like a flock of birds. They all seemed to be tied …