Great Barrier Reef - Tijou Reef

With just over 100mi (160km) to go on my journey, I am now at Tijou Reef at the southern end of the Far Northern Reefs, the most remote part of the Great Barrier Reef. The Far Northern Reefs stretch all the way to Cape York, the northernmost point of the Australian continent.

No ocean journey is complete without talking about sharks, and Tijou Reef is the perfect location. The reef's northern tip has a dive site called Shark City, where reef sharks like to gather. The site isn't limited to sharks, as barracuda, trevally, mackerel, and tuna also visit the area.

Now a shark story often conjures some pretty gruesome thoughts. Has anyone ever watched Steven Spielberg's movie Jaws? A dive or snorkel on the Barrier Reef is generally nothing like that because the typical sharks encountered here are not dangerous to humans. However, the best advice is to always give them a wide berth and observe them from a safe distance.

The most common experience at Tijou Reef is seeing whitetip reef sharks. As the name suggests, the sharks have a white tip on their dorsal fin and tail. These slim-bodied predators have a hunting edge. As fish flee between small openings, they do not realize that a shark's flat head can fit within those spaces and snare them. Another advantage is that whitetip sharks can pump water over their gills while sitting motionless on the ocean floor. This is unlike the hammerhead sharks or great white sharks, who need constant motion to breathe oxygen.

Reef sharks are beneficial marine animals as they prey on weak or sick fish and help maintain the species below them in the food chain. Only strong fish survive, grow and spawn. A healthy fish population provides support to the ocean ecosystem and the fisheries.

Whitetip reef sharks are not very social but tend to gather in caves or crevices, seeking shelter from predators. When they sleep, they don’t mind being piled atop each other in packs. That’s a lot of cuddles.



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