Roatan Shark Dive

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I did that dive in December. I thought it was well worth the $$. Great experience!
 
I did this dive in Jan and agree that it was a great experience. Unfortunately the day I went there were absolutely no grouper. Still it is something that I want to do again. Do you know why(around the 1 minute marker on the video) the DM was probing at the shark? It didn't look like the shark was doing any thing provocative.
 
Disappointing to see at least two of these girls had hooks still embedded in the corner of the jaw with fishing line trailing behind. I participated in the Waihuka shark dive a couple of years ago and wondered if one I saw then - with a hook and short length of line trailing - was one of the same ones in this video. It appeared that the guy holding the prod had his tank come completely detached from his BC at the very end. Interesting...
 
Just did this dive last Friday. It was amazing. Also saw a good sized porcupine puffer at the end.
 
As a dive guide,I do not support chumming or feeding any sea creature for the sole purpose of entertainment & greed. If the guide can not find what you want to see then find a different guide or go to another location.
Share what the ocean gives you,do not buy/create it.


"living life without a hard bottom"
KT
 
As a dive guide,I do not support chumming or feeding any sea creature for the sole purpose of entertainment & greed. If the guide can not find what you want to see then find a different guide or go to another location.
Share what the ocean gives you,do not buy/create it.


"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

I appreciate your point of view and respect it. I have to say though, that there are many more people who care about sharks as a result of having a chance to swim freely with them without fear. Sharks need all the good PR they can get since they are being slaughtered at a pace that - if continued - will annihilate them from the planet in only a few years. With their small litters, slow reproductive rates and slow growth, they have no chance against fishermen who can make a quick buck from finning them. As long as people fear them, (or are uninterested) there won't be enough support to get the laws passed that are needed to protect them. This experience is very educational, and I support it from that perspective.

The Waihuka Shark Dive operation in Roatan uses a very, very small amount of fresh cut fish as an enticement to bring the reef sharks in close where divers can get very close and personal. They do not "chum" the water - the reward is kept in a closed container until the very end of the dive, when it is released into the water. Only one shark usually gets a small snack and the show is over. Not nearly enough food to provide a realistic alternative to natural feeding behaviors, and the operation is very responsible and careful. While reasonable people can make a compelling argument against feeding wildlife in any setting, there are quite a few studies showing that this kind of measured and responsible approach does no harm to the sharks and does not seem to alter their natural feeding behaviors.

It is obvious though that "natural behavior" for these animals is to never approach divers and to normally flee from bubble streams. These animals have been coming several times a week to the exact same offshore location at proscribed times with no divers being harmed and many of the same apparently very healthy animals coming regularly for years. It is a unique experience, because divers are usually afforded the opportunity to swim freely among up to 20-30 grey reef sharks for 20-30 minutes. No cages - and they are large and magnificent creatures!

MY 2PSI? I think it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about and appreciate wild sharks in their natural habitat.

We will have to agree to disagree!
:sharkattack:
 
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I did that dive in June, was thinking it was a joke, but dropped in and really enjoyed it, also got some great up close pics of some nice sized Carib's! We had an extended dive and ran out of no deco time, which I appreciated..........was expecting the typical 20 min bottom time circus dive!
 
That looks awesome. I cant wait to go to Roatan.
 
I did the dive about 3 years ago, I thought it sucked. Put some chum in a bucket with holes in it -- yank it around on a rope for about 5 minutes - then remove the cover and watch the sharks eat for 2 minutes. what a joke.
Try Blackbeard's in the Bahamas, I did that 3 times, last time was also about 3 years ago. The feed last 15-20 minutes and is much better.
I am going again in September but now they sail out of Nassau so I am sure they will use a different dive site then the Bull Run reef that was used when they sailed out of Freeport.
 

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