Shark Feeding
Trip Start
Jul 03, 2011
1
165
166
Trip End
Jan 17, 2012
Waya Lailai, Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Fijians believe that they have magical powers. One of these powers is their ability to charm sharks. They claim to be able to swim across the ocean without ever being attacked by a shark. In fact, the only people who can get bitten are those who do something wrong, so if someone ever were to get bitten by a shark, they would be exposed as a bad person to the tribe.
When we got to Waya Lalai, Maria and I asked if we could swim with sharks as well. Usually they seek out the sharks in the morning time, but since tomorrow is Sunday (the day of rest in this majority-Christian society), we went this afternoon instead.
After a twenty minute boatride to the reef, one of the boys who'd come with us jumped out with a metal rod and speared us a couple of fish. We jumped in the water with our snorkeling gear, ripped the dead fish open, and were immediately surrounded by flocks of colorful fish biting at their dead companion. This fish frenzy brought out a curious reef shark who swam with and around us for a long while, occasionally swooping in for a nibble. At first I squealed and tried to swim out of his way, but soon I was comfortable enough to swim after him, fixated on his fierce beauty.
We stayed in the water well past the point where we started getting cold and running out of speared fish, but I was still hesitant to leave, entranced by this underwater life cycle. The entire ride home I wore a broad dopey grin on my face, thinking about the magnificently gentle shark as the fresh air lapped at my face.
At night we participated in a traditional kava ceremony, a Fijian ceremony where you sit cross-legged in a circle on the floor, play instruments, sing and drink kava. Kava comes from the roots of the yaqona plant, but it is ground up and mixed with water before you drink it. It looks and tastes like mud, and makes your mouth and tongue tingle. If you can get past the taste of the kava itself, the ceremony is very nice. Every time you are given a cup you clap your hands once, say "bula" (which means hello), and drink it. When you drink your shallow cup the rest of the circle claps three times in succession. Everyone is happy during a kava ceremony. It is a chance to enjoy time with friends, sort out any tribal differences, mend relationships, and learn from one another.
We got to know our hosts during the ceremony, sharing stories, songs and jokes. They invited us to come with them to church in their village in the morning, an invitation Maria and I gratefully accepted in pursuit of different authentic cultural experiences.
In resorts around the world there tends to be a distance kept between the local peoples and the tourists they serve. In Fiji this is not the case. In both Bounty and Waya Lalai we've met Fijian men, women and children excited to be our friends and to teach us about their culture. They welcome us in with enthusiasm and sincerity. Fiji doesn't feel like any other generic tropical paradise, it feels like Fiji, and it is definitely the Fijians and their willing openness that make it feel so special.
