Here is another update from Kirsty:

My time here in Fiji has flown by, with just two weeks to go the reality of having to leave this beautiful island with its amazing sharks and people is starting to dawn on me. The other realisation is the task of analysing all the data which has been collected and writing my final report ready to hand into my University supervisor back in York, UK.

Even though I am now past my 50th dive in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve it never gets boring and the data collecting dives still produce some surprises. Last week, for example, saw increasing numbers of grey reef sharks with upwards of 10 individuals at the 10 m feeding station. Although the majority of individuals are jostling amongst each other for a scrap of fish there are a few individual sharks whose presence I have been aware of before the feeding begins but who I have never witnessed approaching the feeder. So perhaps there is some truth in this shy / boldness continuum?

Another surprise was the presence of one of the main feeding grey reef sharks “Bevis” at the 4 m feeding station, usually only attended by whitetip and blacktip reef sharks. Perhaps he too had become aware of the increasing competition for food amongst his conspecifics at 10 m and thought he would try his luck in the shallows!