Big sharks

[mogwai]

I dive at the aquarium in Denver, Colorado in an exhibit with about a dozen sharks: two Sand Tigers (which we refer to as "Gray Nurses" since the area of the world that the exhibit represents is the Indio-pacific, and that's what they're called there), two Sand Bars, four Zebras (my favorite shark) and about six Nurse sharks.

Oh, and one very large sawfish, which isn't really a shark but it's close

I like your shot of the overbite, that's my favorite view of the Sand Tigers!

Roak

There was an angel shark in there as well. Even got to stroke it as it lay in the sand. Very weird skin. Could feel all the denticles on it. Sandpaperish. Managed to get close and touch one in the wild a few years back on a try dive in Lanzarote as well. Except this one took exception and buggered off into the blue after we had stroked it a couple of times. In the aquarium we had 2 of the sand tigers cruising head on for us at one point. Obviously very interested, the guys who were supervising us even had to go and scare them off. Interesting sight seeing to 10ft long sandtigers swimming side by side heading straight for you. Wish i had a camera in the water with me for that, would have made an incredible shot.

 

[SA-Diver]

We regularly (especially in winter) see Sand Tigers (we call them Ragged Tooth Sharks) on Aliwal Shoal off the Kwazulu Natal Coast.
During the winter months you are almost sure to see a number of them on every dive.
We also get to see Zambesi (Bull) sharks and the odd Tiger shark on Protea Banks.

 

[SA-Diver]

Ragged Tooth shark on Aliwal Shoal - November 2003.
This one was about 9' in length.
We saw 9 on this dive.

 

[SA-Diver]

Here is the pic.

No...., something is broken, I'll try again later.

 

[sbloomer]

Spearfishing near Great Whites !!!! Oo me god, not me, give us some details of the 'chase'

Normally we toss the fish in the boat, but I had a couple of yellowtail (don't know what they are called elsewhere) still on the stringer. On the one occasion when a 12' white showed more interest in me than what was left of my stringer, we decided a beer at the local pub was a more attractive way to spend the afternoon. The other time there were 3 sharks between 6' and 9' hanging around. After losing a couple of fish we cut the stringers loose, because there's no way I'm going to try keep them if a shark wants them.

Interestingly enough, seals are a bigger problem for spearo's than sharks...

 

[PolsVoice]

We regularly (especially in winter) see Sand Tigers (we call them Ragged Tooth Sharks) on Aliwal Shoal off the Kwazulu Natal Coast.
During the winter months you are almost sure to see a number of them on every dive.
We also get to see Zambesi (Bull) sharks and the odd Tiger shark on Protea Banks.

I am flying to SA in March (1st-14th) to do a bunch of concerts. There is a medium to high possibility that I'll have a day off in PE and/or Cape Town. I'll be in Durban also, but we fly in around 2 PM and fly out 10-noon two days later, thus can't dive with flying restrictions. I was hoping to do some free diving with sharks, hopefully some big bulls :51:. Could you suggest any divemasters that offer such excursions? I'm also hoping to find a place that is pretty cheap seeing how I'm still paying my way through college.

This might be the only time I will ever get to dive SA, since I'm going on someone else's dime.

Any help would be WUNDERBAR!!!

thanx in advance,

PolsVoice

 

[jeadiver]

I haven't ever dived over there, but a fellow by the name of Andy Cobb of Andy Cobb Eco Adventures was really helpful to me in identifying some Raggy Tooth behavior stuff. His web site ishttp://www.adventurescuba.co.za

 

[DORSETBOY]

hey mogwai, thanks for the tip!
Dived with bull sharks and grey sharks on chumpon pinnacle (koh tao), great experience except when a group of bull sharks started circling and ascending underneath myself and my buddy... Headed back toward the pinnacle then a bit sharpish!!

 

[Georg_R]

South africa is one of the the best places to see sharks, have been there twice, and it was great, I have seen ragged tooth sharks, zambesis, coppers, whitesharks.

Some pics I made lat year in Gansbaai, southafrica, and in Protea Banks, Natal, RSA.


Gansbaai:

protea banks:

...hmmm... is the img tag not working or am I doing something wrong?? - for me the pics are only links....

 

[sbloomer]

I am flying to SA in March (1st-14th) to do a bunch of concerts. There is a medium to high possibility that I'll have a day off in PE and/or Cape Town. I'll be in Durban also, but we fly in around 2 PM and fly out 10-noon two days later, thus can't dive with flying restrictions. I was hoping to do some free diving with sharks, hopefully some big bulls :51:. Could you suggest any divemasters that offer such excursions? I'm also hoping to find a place that is pretty cheap seeing how I'm still paying my way through college.

Any help would be WUNDERBAR!!!

thanx in advance,

PolsVoice

I don't want to be seen endorsing anyone, but there are several shark tour operators in the Gansbaai area near Cape Town. Just search for white shark and gansbaai in google to find them. BTW, to offer white shark tours in SA all operators have to be registered with Satour and have a valid permit with SA Marine and Coastal Management. Check this as there are a few rogue operators out there. You have the choice of free or scuba diving with them as they are usually surface cages.

Simon

PS what concerts are you doing?