More shark friends! :-)

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Pouembout, New Caledonia, South Pacific 14/1-2014

S21°07.990´
E164°55.174´

After many windy days, the weather forecast promised a few of days with only lighter winds. Perfect weather for boating and free diving!

After a couple of hours on the road, and another hour boating, we finally reach our final destination.

A small deserted island with nothing more but sand and plenty birds.

Our aim is not to go on land, just to have this little island as shelter from the swell during our day in the water.

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As we do not want to disturb the birds we anchor the boat a good distance from shore.

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With such rich life above water, what can we then expect beneath surface?

Already before entering the water we see a shadow slowly swimming next to the boat. A shadow with both shape and movements of a shark.

We slowly get in the water to have a good look around, but no... the shadow is gone...

There are plenty fisk in the area and like us they prefer to keep close to the coral reef where they can find shelter and protect themselves if there would come a bigger visit.

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When diving down to the bottom the fishes seems to become a little more curious about their new guest...

... and it does not take long before a whitetip reef shark passes by to also have a look on this non-breathing creature lying at the bottom ;-)

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Happy about my succesful bottom time and after getting some air at the surface, I am ready to go for another try.

At the bottom again and the fishes starts to get a little closer when I start to get the feeling that there is something bigger close by.

And there it is, the same shadow we saw from the boat, but now it is just above me...

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Our new company is a blacktip reef shark.

Like the whitetip reef shark the blacktip also belongs to the requiem shark family.

This robustly built species has a streamlined "typical shark" shape, but do normally not get longer than 1.6 meters.

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Unlike the whitetip, this species needs to be on the move and swim all the time... and so it does with graceful and elegant movements.

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Our new friend seems to be curious about us and comes for a closer look before it finally decides to disappear into its blue infinite surrounding.

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Happy for this wonderful day at sea with awesome underwater encounters, it is getting time to head back to the main land of "Grande Terre" (New Caledonia).

The wind has already been starting to increase again and a bumpy boat ride back is ahead...

Many thanks to all fishes, sharks and birds for a great day! We look forward to see you soon again! :)