Bull Sharks in Playa Del Carmen?

[Zeke XA3]

There are regular non feeding bullshark dives during the main season. I know Dressel being one of them.

There are also some operators who do one off feeding dives if people get together and pay for it.

I have done two dives with a feeding instructor.

Vid can be found here YouTube - Bull Shark Dive

The dive i did, we were required to stay away from the feeding bucket and only the instructor was allowed near it and it was at least 30feet from the rest of us. We were advised to lay as flat as we could and stay still and relax. TBH as much as they are very majestic creatures i found the whole experience incredibly boring!

Where have you been before? The diving in Playa del carmen....well depends...compared to Cozumel across the straight it is not great, but compared to my home grounds of the UK its excellent! I have a hundred or so dives off PdC so let me know what your exp is and ill describe some of the sites for you.

 

[tommydz]

did non feeding dives with playa scuba this past febuary. 40 minute dive at 70 feet. one mile off mamitas beach . 90 usd per dive. what a rush. ten feet from sharks. i will be diving febuary 2010 in playa and planning on multiple shark dives.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I saw a bull shark off the Momma Vina a week ago while diving with Marco from Geo Diving. I was never afraid as it was a good 500 yards away, but saw it I did. The current was too strong to get a picture.

Hhmm? That was some amazing vis....

 

[Zeke XA3]

ha ha paradise i never even noticed that!!!!!

Tommy - 1 mile!!!! we were less than 200m offshore and there were sharks circling us!!! I could have shouted to the people on the beach!!!!!

 

[patrick.m]

diving with bull sharks is very dangerous.
I would not support these practices, bull sharks are even more dangerous than white sharks, they are able to dive into rivers and estuaries, do not permit feeding, it is a wrong strategy for those who care for the sea and marine life, we change their customs. i.e., the bull shark sometimes change his habits and do not emigrate in summer -so the danger for people in the beach even in rivers is higher- as they can be fed by different ways like by divers.

Bull sharks should have emigrated by February, but these days you can see some of them by Playa...

 

[patrick.m]

CDNN Special Report :: Shark Feeding :: Timeline

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I don't want to make lite of the concerns that a few have posted on this thread. I understand the concerns with feeding the sharks. However, for those who DO want to dive with them, are they back in PDC? Are they being seen on a regular basis yet? I will be there in early Nov. and would like to dive with them if possible.

Thanks,
PH

 

[patrick.m]

Of course there is no problem if you want to see bull sharks in your dives, but please, do not make any feeding, that's the message. Everybody is free.

Peace,

 

[mexico984]

The Dive Center featured in this months Sport Diver Magazine is the Abyss Dive Center located in Playa Del Carmen. It is true, this dive with the Abyss is a non feeding bull shark dive and due to customer request the owner David Tomlinson has decided to offer the dives.

It is important to note the history of the bull sharks in the area and the decisions of participating dive centers. I have spoken to Dave who can be contacted at info@abyssdivecenter.com as to why he is offering the tour and how he handles it.

The bull sharks have been here for a long time, as long as Dave's shop has been her, 13 years, and they will continue to come to the area. The instructors over the last 13 years have seen the bull sharks around, and they knew where they migrated to during the months of Dec to Feb. They like colder water so they come closer to the shore, not too close to bother the swimmers but at depths of 20 meters and in the sands so they are not hanging around on coral reefs that are visited by divers.

No one offered the dives with the bull sharks up to about 2 years ago. There was one dive center that did go and dive with the bull sharks for many years but it was not publicized. And it was done on a special request.

With the changes in the industry, changes in the need for extreme sports and people requesting the dive, this dive has become popular. And the Abyss is very clear about thier policies, no feeding, no touching, no interaction and please just observe. As this has now hit the pages of Sport Diver Magazine, Dave has formalized his tours with the bull sharks. He will be using this as an educational dive so that people who want to dive with the sharks can do so safely, with integrity and will learn more about the habitat of the ocean. if anyone has been diving with the whalesharks in the area and has completed one of these tours, dave will be using the same eco and environmental guidelines for his dives to ensure divers and his staff are not changing the habitat and envirnment that is rightly that of the bull sharks.

Videos, information, discussions and very clear briefings will be done starting this year and Dave's hope is that other shops will follow.

His tours will be pubicized as soon as they bullsharks come in and if you want to dive with him they can be contacted at Playa del Carmen Diving with The Abyss Dive Center or at info@abyssdivecenter.com

Dave runs a great shop and he continues to run great tours, he is as concerned about the number of divers who come to see the bull sharks and the rumours of feeding, but he does know that the bull sharks have been here for years. And he is not about to start feeding the sharks for the sake of tourism. he just wants people to have a better understanding of the underwater world, which is why we dive Correct.?

 

[Mike]

That's great!

I think it's a good first step in the evolution that needs to take place in regard to this and one of the first steps in eliminating the renegades who will eventually cause an incident.