Want Your Own Fiji Shark?

Many divers beat a path to Fiji to enjoy shark diving near Pacific Harbor on Viti Levu, where up to eight different species can turn up to regular yet frenetic shark feeds. Now you can "adopt" your own Fijian shark, even if you never cross the ocean to see it. Mike Neumann of Beqa Adventure Divers tells us his popular shark-dive operation is working on an adopt-a-shark program in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program and the South Pacific Tourism Organization to raise funds for shark conservation and research.

Their venture, called My Fiji Shark, aims to help Fiji's government in implementing and enforcing shark and ray management and conservation measures, and funding a few community-based, five-year pilot projects to create hopefully effective coastal fisheries management measures. Surplus funds will be used to establish a permanent Shark Lab research site.

Where they want the funds to come from: shark lovers who will pay between $50 and $200 a year to adopt a specific shark that has already been named (like Batman and Miss America) and is a frequent visitor to the Shark Reef Marine Reserve near Galoa Village. (You can also name your own shark if you fork over $5,000). Natasha Marosi, a former U.S. criminal defense attorney turned marine scientist and Beqa's director of conservation, runs the shark adoption program.

If you've swam with these sharks or just want to help them get the love they deserve, My Fiji Shark might be especially interesting. Details are at www.myfijishark.com