Learn more about Tiger Shark Queen Nikki in my book “My Shark Teachers. 23 Life Lessons I Learned from Being Raised By Sharks” is now available on Amazon: [ Ссылка ] or get a free conservation sticker pack when you order from OneOceanHawaii.Com/Shop
“Queen Nikki” aka “Ali’i Nikolé,” in Hawaiian, aka “Grandma Tiger Nikki-Nik,” Is a extra special individual shark teacher. Until I really got into shark identification research I hadn’t realized how many times, and for so many years, I had interacted with her. We have a long history together, which I am so grateful for, and I have many video files that show how she’s shaped my behavior in the water, and that has transcended outside of the water as well. I’m so deeply grateful for her patience with me over the years, when I was young (and much more wild) and still figuring things out, she taught me to move with calm, quiet, confidence and purpose, to be mindful of how I use my power.
Queen Nikki is one of the largest Tiger sharks at home in Hawaii and her quiet confidence is unmatched. There are other younger sharks who are more pushy, like Kalihi, however Nikki exudes a sense of regality with the way she swims and approaches. She doesn’t size up with other sharks often, which means she doesn’t bother comparing herself the way most other sharks do, she seems to be confident in her own skin, or of her size, social hierarchy, age, or wisdom, to approach with slow but deliberate intent.
Nikki is huge and powerful, however she doesn’t utilize her power often, usually only when putting pushy younger sharks in check if they are disrespecting her by swimming close to her point of interest. One of the many things that both my husband and I really love about Nikki is that she seeks out interaction. It’s humbling to have a 15+ foot Tiger shark calmly and slowly swim up to you, almost stopping, closing her mouth, and patiently awaiting a point of contact. Sometimes she will approach closely and slowly turn to the side and almost stall, drifting in the swells, to brush up against us or a boat. Occasionally she is carried by a swell or doesn’t turn early before she brushes up against the boat and she’s bumped and cracked the boat engines and dive ladder a few times. Even a gentle push from such a large and powerful shark is enough to break through thick plastic and crack aluminum welds. It’s humbling that she approaches us so much more gently than the boat and other sharks.
Over the years I’ve watching Nikki interact with many other individual sharks and many individual humans, she’s helped me to pass on important lessons to safety diver trainee’s I’ve brought in. Professional shark safety divers fulfill an important and much needed role in a safety and conservation position, speaking up for sharks, and facilitating peaceful interactions. It is the wisdom of a grandma, to use your power only when truly needed, to be calm, quiet, and confident, and to teach the younger ones in hopes that they will help change the world for the better.
My book: "What You Should Know About Sharks. Shark Language, Social Behavior, Human Interactions, and Life-Saving Information.” Is now available on Amazon and via OneOceanHawaii
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