Page 83 - Melanesia
P. 83
iji is home to an amazing variety of fish in French Polynesia, with Beqa being the turtles, and pelagics like tuna, barracuda,
exception. The most common species seen and occasionally manta rays. While diversity
F life, including colorful angelfish, sea are grey reef shark, whitetip reef shark, sil- is not as great as Southeast Asia’s coral tri-
vertip shark and hammerhead shark. Sharks angle, there is a wide range of species here,
anemone, anthias, frogfish, hawkfish, moray always make great subjects, but reef sharks including mantis shrimp, decorator crabs,
eels, ghost pipefish, and many other spe- are difficult to get close to. you will see up bobtail squid, and many different nudi-
cies. Blue Ribbon Eels are also present. The to 8 different species of sharks number- branchs that will make any photograpghic
yellow and blue males are full of person- ing in the dozens, including very large bull or filming expedition successful.
ality and if you search hard, you can find sharks and potentially tiger sharks that
the female (all yellow) and juvenile (black makes irregular-regular appearances. Other
with a yellow stripe). The black juveniles sea life includes banded sea snakes, sea
are difficult to photograph. Sharks do exist
in Fiji though they are not as prevalent as
