Photo Copyright 2011 by Barry Fackler
Since around March, there has been an uptick in the presence of Whitetip Reef Sharks (Triaenodon obesus) residing just south of the Two-Step at Honaunau Bay. During the daylight hours they have been residing under ledges or in pukas to rest, occasionally venturing out to give snorkeling tourists a possibly unwelcome thrill. There are at least two of them as I saw a pair together. All the ones I have seen have been female.
Photo Copyright 2011 by Barry Fackler
The shark in the first two photos is small, around 3' in length. Betty found it in a sand-bottomed puka at around 20' depth. This one was quite confident in the security his shelter gave her and sat still for photographs which I greatly appreciated.
Photo Copyright 2011 by Barry Fackler
A couple weeks later I was in shallow water by myself and decided to check out a ledge where I had seen a turtle resting on an earlier dive. Turtles often stake out sheltered areas to rest in and return to them regularly. On this day, I turned the corner to find the six-foot shark pictured above where I expected the turtle to be. She quickly roused and came in my direction. In the midst of being startled I took this picture which is blurry due to me recoiling in shock as I tripped the shutter.
Photo Copyright 2011 by Barry Fackler
The big gal swam around me for awhile, clearly displeased at my presence. While I didn't check my gauge, depth had to be around 10-12'. You can see the play of sunlight on the fish as well as the surrounding reef which generally occurs only near the surface.
Photo Copyright 2011 by Barry Fackler
One last shot. Notice how ragged the tip of her dorsal fin is. She's been around the block a few times!
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