Gray skies may deter some, but expedition diving does not stop when the clouds come in. Slowly squeezing through Lumalihe Passage into Marovo Lagoon, National Geographic Orion anchored out of the wind and swell amidst a maze of tiny islands and coral reefs near Vanguau Island in the western region of the Solomon Islands. With exploring on our minds, dive master Ian and I found a promising reef wall outside the lagoon on verdant Sambulo Island. We relayed the scouting report to our eager guests, so it was time to gear up and head out on a morning dive while others went to the local village to sample their wood-carving wares.
Water temps were in the mid-80s so a wetsuit was left off the gear list and the warm water bathed our skin as we descended towards the coralline city below the waves. Pulsing with the rhythm of saline life, this reef was crammed with countless species of corals both soft and hard. Sea fans stretched far out into the azure water, a sure sign of prominent currents as these animals rely on water movement to provide them with drifting sustenance. Luckily, the tides were relatively flat today so the diving was warm and easy.
Far below the surface we spotted three species of sharks. I run by the motto “Any dive that you see a shark is a good dive.” As populations grow and fishing pressures increase, encounters with sharks are diminishing and, more importantly, reefs are being stripped of their apex predators. Without sharks, the oceans will be forever changed. However, today we spotted several near the reef pass entrance: the nearly ubiquitous gray reef shark, the shallow water denizen black-tipped reef shark, and a surprising spotting of a leopard shark (zebra shark to some of us). None of these animals is particularly dangerous but their grace cannot be understated. We will hope for more sightings of these beautiful animals in between our fussing about clown fish and inspecting crevices for nudibranchs.
