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Imagine being on the sea bed 15 metres down, surrounded by sharks ranging from a diminutive 2 metres to a whopping 8 metres in length.  Then you realise their interest in you is because you forgot to wash the chopped tuna off your fingers...  Welcome to the Predators Playground.

The sharks circled us expectantly, coming within a few inches of us at times as they tried to work out if we were prey or hunter.  Graceful mammals, but worth treating with the utmost respect.

Then the remains of the 35kg Tuna caught the day before was thrown over the side of the boat above us, suspended by a chain and the feeding frenzy immediately commenced.

What I had not expected was the ferocity of the frenzy - around twenty sharks, and as many other predators hit the flesh of the tuna in a flash, ripping pieces off and jostling for position.  It settled rapidly into big boys first and then progressively smaller but each 'hit' caused the chain to rattle loudly.

Eventually all that was left was the tailfin which a large Tawney shark picked off.  He could not swallow it so spat it out and a smaller black tip reef shark took it up.  He in turn could not swallow it. In fact it got stuck in his throat with the fins protruding...

To remove it, the shark headed into a small cave and thrashed his head against the rock to dislodge it.  This thrashing attracted the attention of other sharks who headed in and tore at the protruding tailfin - we watched as a storm of sediment swept up, eventually closing in on the cave to watch the mayhem.

A cartoon of two sharks munching on a leg with one commenting on how he hated sushi sprang to mind.  And perhaps sensibly, we did not hang around long after that - the sharks were looking a little agitated so we left them to it.

Sharks, believe you me, have no table manners.

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