Nicolas Buray is a professional diver and has dedicated part of his life to the study of sharks. More than 20 years ago, he settled in French Polynesia, in one of the largest shark sanctuaries in the world, where he founded the Polynesian Shark Observatory.
At the microphone of Bixente Lizararuhe tells us about his passion for this fascinating and feared animal.
“Once we have seen them, the fear goes away”
French Polynesia is as big as Europe and has no less than 118 islands. In its waters lives twenty species of sharks. They are present in all habitats: in the abyss, lagoons, passes and offshore.
Since April 2006, the sharks are protected there. This measure ensures the survival of this essential animal in ecosystems and preserves the habitat of other species. “Each shark has its place. It is the last link in the food chain. If a species that is at the last link disappears, a whole ladder falls, and this can have dramatic consequences on an ecosystem. If sharks, which feed on carnivorous fish, disappear, carnivorous fish will multiply and eat more and more herbivorous fish. There will be fewer herbivorous fish that can clean up the corals and algae that get on them. Slowly, it’s the death of the coral, the death of the reefs and the death of the habitat for all the other fish “explains Nicolas Buray.
Polynesia has managed to do something beautiful with these sharks. -Nicolas Buray
The protection of sharks established in Polynesia seems to be bearing fruit. The logimane shark, which had become very rare, is gradually reappearing in the depths. “It’s a very special shark, because I saw it only once between 1998 and 2015. For me, it was a species that we were never going to see again and which was going to disappear. The protection of sharks allowed them to reproduce and multiply. When, in 2015, we started to see them again, it was unexpected. Like what Polynesia has managed to do something beautiful with these sharks »says Nicolas Buray.
No dive in Polynesia goes without succeeding in observing sharks. Nevertheless, some are harder to see than others. “You have to know how to provoke the meeting above all”says the shark enthusiast. “The search for sharks depends above all on the presence of other animals”.
If sharks cause a lot of fear, they are not all dangerous. “Once we have seen them, the fear goes away”says Nicolas Buray. “You have to stay calm, open your eyes and enjoy it”. Today, thanks to his experience, he is able to anticipate their reaction by interpreting their behavior.
The Polynesians, on the other hand, are used to live daily with sharks. They occupy a very important place in their culture. Some of them can be a God or serve as a messenger between men and spirits.