Difference Between Feeding & Observation Bull Shark Dives At PDC?

[cleung]

I'll be at Playa del Carmen in late November which should be start of the bull shark season. I noticed that some dive ops do both feeding and observation type of dives while some do only observation. Usually the observation ones are less expensive but feature an additional reef dive too. For those in the know, is there much difference in terms of the quality of the bull shark dives itself? I don't really care for the reef dive as I'm mainly there to see the sharks. I'm DM certified so I'm not restricted by the depth of either type of shark dive there.

 

[Raphus]

Not been there yet, but i am against feeding sharks.

I hope you think about it aswell and choose the observation dives.
Its better for the sharks and its more natural.

 

[Chavodel8en]

For whats it worth, this is my impression of a bull shark dive I did in Playa last Nov.

I did not plan to do a bull shark dive. I was booked with a small dive op for a regular ol dive. But they had another guy who came over specifically from Cozumel to do the bull shark dive, so I went with it.

At first, I admit it was exhilarating -- they swam around at arms length. However, after awhile, the bull sharks just seemed to be waiting around, swimming without purpose. And the dive consisted of us stuck on the featureless bottom, watching the sharks. At the end of the dive the DM fed them.

So, I feel like I wasn't seeing typical wildlife behavior. They actually reminded me of my dogs when they want a treat. My girls walk around and around the cabinet where we keep the treats until they get one.

In retrospect, I don't agree with chumming and will take care to avoid it in the future.

On another dive, I caught sight of a baby bull shark in the distance. I remember this more fondly, bc I feel I actually saw a shark doing what a shark does in the wild. The bull shark dive I did was a bit like watching trained circus animals.

This is my post from 2017, re a 2016 chumming dive

 

[drrich2]

Did you see the Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen Sept. 2019 thread?

I haven't dove Playa del Carmen; I've gone on some shark-feeding dives out of Jupiter, FL, including some bull sharks. It was my impression feeding brought sharks in 1.) more reliably, 2.) in greater numbers and 3.) closer. Makes it easier to get better photos.

Of course, in areas where sharks are fed, they may get desensitized to divers so even those on non-feeding dives may benefit from improved observation. If the shark is skittish and avoids people, they won't observe its behavior, natural or otherwise.

 

[nwflyboy]

I've been told (by people who are knowledgeable and who have no skin in the game) that it's never a good idea to feed ANY wild animal -- bears, sharks, whatever. It's not good for them (changes their behavior), and it's not good for you (one of the changes in their behavior is they start to associate humans with food...what could possibly go wrong there?). It does put money in pockets, though, and it certainly is popular.

I like getting nice photos and videos as much as anyone, and having a big animal encounter is fun. But I would rather see wild animals (including sharks) behave naturally.

You can see bull sharks pretty easily in many places (even up close), and you don't need to feed them to do so. To me, feeding sharks just seems selfish, foolish, and wrong. Others obviously disagree.

 

[Brant Emery]

I worked on a LOB that had shark feeding dives. It is anything but natural behavior, and most people forget that the sharks did not get the email that the pink/white animals are not food.

 

[RyanT]

I've been told (by people who are knowledgeable and who have no skin in the game) that it's never a good idea to feed ANY wild animal -- bears, sharks, whatever. It's not good for them (changes their behavior), and it's not good for you (one of the changes in their behavior is they start to associate humans with food...what could possibly go wrong there?). It does put money in pockets, though, and it certainly is popular.

I like getting nice photos and videos as much as anyone, and having a big animal encounter is fun. But I would rather see wild animals (including sharks) behave naturally.

You can see bull sharks pretty easily in many places (even up close), and you don't need to feed them to do so. To me, feeding sharks just seems selfish, foolish, and wrong. Others obviously disagree.

I have a Ph.D. in animal behavior. This pretty much sums it up.

 

[Mr.337]

You dont have to feed them to have them come around you. We didn't feed any during our dive in March 2021 and we had 7 around us for about 10 mins before our NDL was getting close and we started our ascend up. We had about 3 or 4 follow our group for another 5 mins as we drifted away. It was a great experience but i'm with others i dont condone the feeding aspect as they will become dependent on humans and become more aggressive. While i know they do feed them at PDC I wouldn't pay extra for a "feeding" dive. They are abundant as they are without having to put yourself in that position of mistaken you for food during your dive.