Should You Go Shark Diving?

[RMDiver]

Your wife said that she would divorce you if you went cave diving with Great Whites!

You replied "I would love to do that!"

Do what, Divorce your wife or go Cage Diving?

A Simple question from an Englishman! Sorry!

LOL! Some days both are appealing. I guess the threat is comforting in that I know that I have a bailout plan! I would be more worried if she wanted me to up my DAN insurance and packed my lunch to go!

 

[trogloxene]

while i have done a lot of diving with sharks and find it fascinating i do not see why a cage dive would be that exciting. i tried once in south africa but we got skunked. however, even if we had seen a great white it's hard for to me to imagine that it would beat a cageless dive with tigers. to me cage diving is a little bit like seeing a shark in an aquarium (although aquariums are a lot more comfortable). you are stationary and separated by a barrier. it just isn't the same as diving with a shark. don't get me wrong, I do want to see a great white eventually and i guess only a cage can reliably get me there. however, the dream for me would be to see one on a normal dive. when they are not being fed or baited they seem pretty relaxed and a slong as you see them you should be okay. the one that gets you is the one you don't see...

Doc, I can't say that it would beat a cageless dive with tigers, but Isla Guadalupe has 100' + visibility and there were always plenty of great whites to see. Sometimes 5 at a times would be near the cage!!

Sean

 

[LRobbins]

I'm with you, I'm still on the fence about the cage dives and shark feeds (although I have to admit that for one of my first shark dives it was pretty amazing), but you have to wonder about the long term impact. I'm jealous, that you've dived with tigers, they are very high on my list. Hopefully next year.

 

[LRobbins]

From what I've observed, shark diving seems to be good for marriages. If one partner doesn't want to go, the other one goes, you get some time away, have the chance to miss each other and have an amazing adventure. It's perfect really, try that argument the next time you want to go shark diving

 

[Crowley]

I have a fair few sharks, mostly white tip, grey reef and silvertips along with a big old tiger, great and scalloped hammerheads and all of them just going about their regular business. Absolutely awesome creatures and badly maligned. At no point in any of these encounters - some *very* up close and personal, did I feel threatened.

I also participated in a shark feeding dive on a liveaboard in Australia. Many people disagree but I think in a well controlled environment it affects a minority of creatures (As compared to say, fishing and shark finning) and exposes divers to something they may not ordinarily encounter and may ultimately be benficial to all sharks. Once you've seen one, you're a LOT more likely to take a sudden and possibly passionate interest in the defence of sharks. More awareness can only be a good thing. I say all that with a slight sigh, because if we hadn't removed such vast numbers of these wonderful things from our oceans in the first place, we wouldn't *need* to go on specially organised shark dives....

There are other problems associated with this practice of course. A fatal shark attack recently in Egypt may have been caused as a result of a dive boat illegally trying to attract sharks by throwing food overboard (see accidents and incidents), although the snorkeller who sadly died may realistically only have herself to blame.

The rights and wrongs of these experiences I am sure have been debated at length but I think that - subject to strict conditions - these dives should continue.

Do not fear them, respect them and go and see them, before they are all gone....

Crowley

 

[RMDiver]

I would say that cage diving sans chumming is fine. Shark feeding (as with feeding any wild critter) trains them to associate divers with food and therefore seems like a rather poor notion.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

I got to freely dive with Tigers. Lemons, and Great Hammerheads last November with Shark Diver Magazine. I spent 5 days in the water being rubbed by them and apart of their world. I will be doing the expedition again this October. It is definitely an addiction, but I also collected a ton of data and learned a great deal from Eli Martinez, founder of Shark Diver Magazine, Weblog - Shark Diver Magazine Blog - Great White Shark - Tiger Shark - Bull Shark - Whale Shark - Web blog series from the creator of Shark Diver Magazine Jupp Kerckerinck of SharkProtect Shark Protection, Conservation, Oceanography and Ichthyology, and Wolfgang Leander shark freediver and photographer oceanicdreams.com. It was the most amazing experience of my life! The white shark is on my list for other shark trips. When a female Tiger comes by you just for your contact, it was hard to describe how that felt. Yes, they are dangerous creatures, but they are very misunderstood and need our continued protection.

Here are a few of my favorite pics that I took from the trip!

Let's hear it for Lemons!

We had many visits from this female Tiger, she was spectacular!

Me taking down notes of the Lemons, my buddy was holding my camera.

For those who want to get a close up experience, this trip is worth every penny! For one whole week, you are not insane, you are with many other divers who share your passion and are just as sane as you are!

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[LRobbins]

Fantastic photos! I'll have to add this trip to my list.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Definitely an awesome trip! I can't wait for October! I am hoping for more hammerhead contact. We only had 1 female show, but she was amazing to behold.

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[LRobbins]

Definitely an awesome trip! I can't wait for October! I am hoping for more hammerhead contact. We only had 1 female show, but she was amazing to behold.

Carolyn:shark2:

Can't wait to see the photos! I'm off to the Galapagos in 6 days, can't wait!