Intense fun with the Oceanic Whitetip Sharks of Cat Island Bahamas

[Premo83]

I recently posted a video were my dome port got scratched by an Oceanic Whitetip Shark. I would like to share the whole video from the trip to Cat Island, Bahamas. The trip was organised by Andy Murch from Big Fish Expedition and I can only recommend them. It was a lot of fun. We were diving to see the Oceanic Whitetips but we also had a couple Silky Sharks and Dusky Sharks. It’s blue water diving so there isn’t much else. You can get lucky and see Marlins, Mahi Mahi, Tunas and other pelagic fish.

I shot the video with the Sony A6500 in a Nauticam housing with a 10-18mm lens and a 16mm lens with fish-eye converter. I hope you guys enjoy.

 

[D_Fresh]

@Premo83.... I both love you and hate you.... wait, no, hate is too strong of a word.... (not so)severely dislike (but in a good way?).....

That is some amazing footage right there! Really, wow! I saw your footage of getting the scratch on the dome, but the full video is super cool.

The reason for the above comment is that I have an a6000 with 10-18, but have resisted (with all my might) the expense of investing in a housing and lights to take it UW.... Your footage makes me severely regret my decision to resist, and my bank acct will forever hate me.....

Seriously, not only is it a stunning encounter and well filmed, but the clarity, the depth(of field), even against the light above the surface... wow, nice!!!

How did it feel diving with them? We get Blacktips and Whitetips here around the reefs of PH, but not often with those kinds of encounters... only at Malapascua and Tubbataha...

 

[Anthony A.]

Beautiful footage and music. Is that a spot where they usually hang out at or were they lured in somehow? Also, how did they react when it was time for all the divers to board the ladder?

The whitetips seemed a little bit excited (they moved pretty quick and made sudden movements), was this their typical behaviour or was their a reason behind it?

 

[Premo83]

@Premo83.... I both love you and hate you.... wait, no, hate is too strong of a word.... (not so)severely dislike (but in a good way?).....

That is some amazing footage right there! Really, wow! I saw your footage of getting the scratch on the dome, but the full video is super cool.

The reason for the above comment is that I have an a6000 with 10-18, but have resisted (with all my might) the expense of investing in a housing and lights to take it UW.... Your footage makes me severely regret my decision to resist, and my bank acct will forever hate me.....

Seriously, not only is it a stunning encounter and well filmed, but the clarity, the depth(of field), even against the light above the surface... wow, nice!!!

How did it feel diving with them? We get Blacktips and Whitetips here around the reefs of PH, but not often with those kinds of encounters... only at Malapascua and Tubbataha...

I’m glad you like the video. I really enjoy the A6500 with the 10-18mm lens, it’s a good setup. There are some issues I don’t like about the A6500 (white balance and I would like to have 60fps in 4k) but in general I’m happy with it but I understand getting a decent housing and lighting get expensive fast.

I have done quite a lot of shark diving but this was probably the most fun I had. Beforehand I was a bit worried because these sharks have a bad reputation and the shark diving I’ve done before there were maybe 1-8 sharks and most of the time maybe 2-3 so it was easy to keep track of them and they also came always from the same direction against the current. Here I knew they will come in bigger numbers and from every angle. Most of the time they were however on their best behaviour, very relaxed but they come check you out and see if you are paying attention. At times, I was filming one shark but had my head turned around so see what another shark is doing behind my back. It is also important to know I like to go where the most action is so I placed my a bit exposed. If you are in the middle of the group you still get good encounters because they are bold, not afraid of bubbles but you don’t get as many as when you are in the front or on the edges. They also got even bolder when they had even numbers on us or outnumbered us (once we had 13 so that was a bit of a circus). So when you were one of the last ones in the water you got all the attention from them. Entering and exiting the water was at times an adventure as well. They find their food usually on the surface or very deep so everything on the surface they are interested in and check it out so you had to get down quickly while entering and pay a lot of attention what’s behind your back when getting out. But not once on this trip they tried to bite someone, there were many bumps with the nose on cameras and for sure you always have to pay attention.

 

[Premo83]

Beautiful footage and music. Is that a spot where they usually hang out at or were they lured in somehow? Also, how did they react when it was time for all the divers to board the ladder?

The whitetips seemed a little bit excited (they moved pretty quick and made sudden movements), was this their typical behaviour or was their a reason behind it?

That’s where they usually hang out this time of the year. When we got to the dive spot they were already waiting for us. When they hear a certain noise of an engine, they investigate because they try to steal the fishermen’s catch so they show up immediately next to the boat. We did however have a chumbox on a buoy to keep them interested. We were drifting in the blue with the buoy and the sharks. So the diving was easy. On one dive we drifted almost 4 miles in the blue but the boat was always close to the buoy following us.


The sharks got very excited when you were close to the surface because that is where the usually find their food and they investigate. So entering and exiting the water was interesting. You had to go down quickly when entering and while exiting you had to pay attention what’s happing behind you. They were also bolder when they had even numbers on us or outnumbered us. When you were one of the last ones in the water you got all the attention. But most of the time I would say they were very relaxed and just gliding around. I was much more worried before the trip.