Diving with Bulls

[Undermar10]

Dont forget this dive if you are around Playa del Carmen
YouTube - Just bull sharks (preview)
Enjoy it!

 

[Chocoholic]

Just got back from diving Playa, we dove Tortugas and Barracuda reefs. The DM said we might see Bull Sharks, but didn't see any. I didn't know that there was a dedicated dive site for bull sharks. Not sure if I would want to dive after chumming the water but I'd like to see them.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I'm not so sure about this practice. I think that chumming for bull sharks, a short distance from a public beach, is an accident waiting to happen. Increasing and altering the natural feeding habits of dangerous animals in water that is used by unknowing swimmers is not smart.

Seeing sharks while spearfishing is one thing (and exciting) but chumming for sharks is very different.

I suggest not supporting this dive in the future.

IMHO

 

[Maverick69]

I agree . I dive this area a lot every year and seeing one without chumming would be preferable. One day I might be the chum.

 

[O'Malley]

Went out to Shark Point this morning but, unfortunately, today wasn't our day to swim amongst the Bulls; we were the first group to not see Bulls in the last couple months...go figure. The shop I went out with, Scuba Libre, does not chum...all encounters in natural state.

 

[RonFrank]

Bulls can be aggressive, and dangerous. In clear water I think there is less of a chance to have an incident, but IMO chumming the water is a bit nuts. Then again, they may not be as hungry!

I've never seen a Bull, but it's one of the few animals that would make me nervous UW. Bulls, and the Great whites are on my list of things to be avoided!

 

[Fyshebait]

I've never seen a Bull, but it's one of the few animals that would make me nervous UW. Bulls, and the Great whites are on my list of things to be avoided!

I have seen bulls before, just once. There were guys spearfishing in the area, and I think that's what attracted them. Even so, they never came very close, in fact seemed rather timid. One came within 15' or so, but just as a swim by and kept going. The visibility wasn't great, but wasn't bad either, probably 50', give or take...still plenty for us to see them clearly, and them to know exactly what we were.

I don't want to sound like I'm dismissing anyone's concerns...I recognize the potential danger, but I don't think I could pass up the opportunity to see them again, it was just such an amazing experience. I do think that if the water is clear, and you don't harrass them, you're probably ok. I know people who think I'm crazy for diving at all, so depending on who you talk to, we should be afraid just to put our heads under the water. Everything is a calculated risk, you just have to find your own comfort zone, and try to be as safe as you can at what you do.

17 days until Mexico!!

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I love sharks.

I always hope to see them when I dive.

My issue is with the chumming so close to a public beach.

As far as chumming in general...well that is an on going debate. But here is a link to a recent "accident".

Diver in chummed waters dies after shark bite - CNN.com

 

[RonFrank]

I have seen bulls before, just once. There were guys spearfishing in the area, and I think that's what attracted them. Even so, they never came very close, in fact seemed rather timid.

Don't get me wrong, I won't immediately shoot out of the water if I do encounter them. But I have a very healthy respect, and I would be paying very close attention to their posture. I've studied them a bit because they are in the waters I dive in when in FL.

One reason for Walter's insane comment is that he has been in the water with them more than a couple times. If they start to get aggressive, it's a very bad thing.

I know of speer fisherman that are also very nervous around them in FL. They are the number one man eating shark. In S. Africa I've seen documentaries, and read some real horror stories (they are called Zambezi sharks there, but they are Bulls). They have been responsible for diver deaths, and these were not accidents. The sharks have been known to attack, and kill divers even if such incidents are rare.

 

[Fyshebait]

They are the number one man eating shark. In S. Africa I've seen documentaries, and read some real horror stories (they are called Zambezi sharks there, but they are Bulls). They have been responsible for diver deaths, and these were not accidents. The sharks have been known to attack, and kill divers even if such incidents are rare.

Yeah, I've seen the documentaries, too, (I'll watch anything related to sharks that I can find) and I know their reputation. Don't get me wrong, if I'm in the water with any sharks, I'll be watching them closely, and keeping my distance...I'm not looking to get too up close and personal, I DO have a healthy respect for these guys, and I don't have a death wish. I just want to SEE them, get some video, and enjoy watching them be what they are. I guess the big thing is that healthy respect, and it's not fear it really is just that, respect...I don't think there's anything as exciting or beautiful to see in the water.

I'm not looking to harrass the sharks, and I DO understand the objection to chumming...agreed, that's changing their behavior, and I kind of look at it like feeding bears in a national park...sooner or later, someone is getting bit. I guess what I was saying is, if there is an area where the sharks are known to be hanging out, and I have the opportunity to go and the chance to see these animals in the water, even knowing there is an element of risk involved, I just don't think I'd be able to pass it up...having seen them before, I know it's one of those unforgettable experiences, and you just don't get them often enough to let them slip past. (What's the saying..."It's better to regret something you HAVE done than to regret something you HAVEN'T done"?)

Hope that makes sense...