(CN) Swimming with sharks

[Guest guest]

China Daily http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy

 

(XU PING)

08/06/2001

 

Hong Junqing is quite unassuming, a typical college student with a pair of

black-rimmed glasses and a shy smile. But his looks and manner belie his

adventurous nature.

Hong is a scuba diver at the Changfeng Aquarium in Shanghai. There he works

almost daily with eight sharks over three metres long and with over 300

species of other marine life.

 

Eight years ago, Hong left his home in Hong Kong to work in Singapore as a

beer salesman. He was hooked on scuba diving after his very first

experience. The coral reefs and colourful fish mesmerized him. Hong soon

became a devoted diver.

 

Eight years later, Hong, now in his early 30s, has found an ideal job to

quench his thirst for the underwater world.

 

" Diving in the aquarium doesn't bring the same joys of diving in the sea, "

he said. " But the aquarium provides better visibility - in the sea, you can

see things over 50 metres away on a good day, but you'll see nothing in bad

weather or in polluted waters. "

 

Another benefit of the aquarium is its many species of marine life. The

aquarium provides a rare opportunity to see so many species at the same

time.

 

Hong is particularly excited by sharks.

 

" There are hundreds species of sharks in the world, only a dozen will attack

humans. And only when they are extremely hungry, " explained Hong. " Once you

are at the bottom of the sea, you must observe certain rules around the

sharks. "

 

Although the tiger sharks raised in the aquarium are relatively tame, Hong

and his colleagues must feed the sharks before they swim in the tanks.

 

Hong said it is important for the divers never to touch or follow sharks.

When a shark swims your way, you must stay calm and get out of its way.

 

Swimmers on the surface are at risk for shark attacks. To the shark, the

swimmer looks just like a seal, which are common prey for many sharks.

 

Emboldened by Hong's and other divers' brave example, many visitors dive in

the tank. About 12 visitors are allowed to go diving with Hong and the other

divers each day. The number is kept small to safeguard the cleanliness of

the tank.

 

" The sea water here is made from fresh water mixed with sea salt imported

from Israel, so it's quite expensive to maintain the aquarium, " said Hong.

 

He still longs for the open sea, and hopes to organize a divers' club and

create more interest in diving among young people.

 

" Our playground will be in the real sea near Hainan or Malaysia. I really

dream of having an encounter with sharks in the sea. "