Fungia |
| Characteristics |
Polyps are circular, up to 125 millimetres diameter, with a distinct central arch. Septa are densely packed and straight and have fine teeth and granulated sides. Colour: Brown to greyish-violet. Similar species: Septa are similar to those of
Fungia scabra but are thinner and more exsert. Costae are Cycloseris-like. |
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| Family: |
Fungiidae |
| Genus: |
Fungia |
| Habitat: |
Lagoons |
| Distribution: |
Limited |
| Abundance: |
Rare |
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Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Claereboudt and Hoeksema (1987), Hoeksema (1989). Identification guide: Nishihira and Veron (1995). |
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Scuba In Shark Infested Waters |
| by Patrick Smith |
Sounds crazy right? Well tens of thousands of people from all over the world disagree. Shark diving is getting increasing popular all over the world as tourists and scuba divers face their fears to take the plunge with some of the most feared animals on earth. Whether it is from the safety of a cage or in the open water, shark diving is becoming huge draw card for shark infested waters like South Africa, Australia, The Gulf of Mexico and California.
South Africa is leading the way in shark diving eco tourism. South Africa is probably the best place for seeing the so called “man eater”, the Great White Shark. The Great White is the most feared predator on earth. Fears fuelled by movies like “Jaws” and “Deep Blue Ocean”. There are literally hundreds of places in South Africa where you can go shark diving and just as many operators willing to take you there. From the safety of a solid steel cage, you can view Great White Sharks of up to 6m in length.
The dive operators take you to spots between two and fifteen kilometers offshore and throw dead fish and blood on the water to lure in any sharks in the area. Some sharks can small a drop of blood up to two kilometers away; to we’re talking a lot of sharks. Once the sharks are in sight the cage is dropped and some fake seal lures are hung over the boat to attract the sharks even closer. You can expect to spend between twenty and forty minutes in the cage. Sharks are often curious about the cage, so close encounters are not uncommon. part two |
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