Meeting up with sharks

[SharkRider]

I have dove with Bull and Sand Tiger Sharks in North Carolina, Hammerheads in San Salvador, Carribean Reef and Nurse in the Bahamas, Grey Reef and Whitetip Reef in Australia, Blacktip and Grey Reef in Truk Lagoon and each and every time has been an incredible experience. On each of these encounters I was within 5 - 15 feet of multiple sharks... usually just cruising around. The Bahamas was the only place sharks were lured in by feeding... the rest were all natural encounters. I have shot much video of my close encounters and the thing that is interesting to me is that Sand Tigers seem to be attracted to Lights. Running my Video Lighting each time seemed to lure the sharks in closer. When I turned the lights off they would veer away. This made for some good close-ups. While American Sand Tigers have not been credited with an attack on humans... their sisters the Grey Nurse and Ragged Tooth (all of which by the way are the same species of shark) have been credited with biting photographers in both South Africa and in Australia. In all cases, these were not so much attacks, but responses to camera flashes going off too close to the shark. The sharks turned and snapped at the flash and caught the photographers hands or fore-arms... so use caution with flashes around these docile beauties.

While not recommended... it is generally safe to pet a Nurse shark... not pull on it... not try to ride it... but simply a gentle petting on the back... I have done this many times without incident. Many times they will circle back to you for more....

Enjoy your world... dive with sharks!

 

[PaulChristenson]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it.

The main thing right now that is holding me back from diving is sharks. I was just wondering if you have ever run into them?.... Is running into a shark during a dive a common occurance? The reason I ask this is that I am scared to death of sharks and dont think i would probably freak out if i ever saw one during a dive -_-.... may sound like a bit of a sissy but sharks and bears are not my friends (and since i dont have to worry about finding bears underwater... ya) Guess im also wondering what you do if you run into a shark during a dive.....

The person in the picture with you on your profile page is more dangerous than a shark....

 

[Cacia]

uh, that cute girl is his sister, Paul.

 

[PaulChristenson]

uh, that cute girl is his sister, Paul.

See what I mean...she's going for the inheritance...

 

[mistressmotorsports]

I dunno about this "You don't see sharks on dives if you don't go on a shark dive" deal. My first two dives after getting my OW cert both had shark encounters. We were in Maui and saw a 5 foot (or so) white tip cruising by the 85's maybe 20 feet from us. Or maybe it was 30 feet away since I'm not used to the underwater magnification effect yet and the vis was really good. The second dive the same day we saw a pair of juvenile white tips resting in a small cave in the reef inside Molokini. I got good pics of both encounters. Neither time did any of the animals pay any attention to us. In fact I bet the young ones probably wished we would just go away and leave them alone to watch Sponge Bob or whatever they were doing in that little cave. In any case, I wasn't scared, although I didn't know how I would react arund sharks before the incidents. Seeing them being so casual around divers helped me to realize that they weren't interested in us at all.

Mike

 

[SharkRider]

I dunno about this "You don't see sharks on dives if you don't go on a shark dive" deal. My first two dives after getting my OW cert both had shark encounters. We were in Maui and saw a 5 foot (or so) white tip cruising by the 85's maybe 20 feet from us. Or maybe it was 30 feet away since I'm not used to the underwater magnification effect yet and the vis was really good. The second dive the same day we saw a pair of juvenile white tips resting in a small cave in the reef inside Molokini. I got good pics of both encounters. Neither time did any of the animals pay any attention to us. In fact I bet the young ones probably wished we would just go away and leave them alone to watch Sponge Bob or whatever they were doing in that little cave. In any case, I wasn't scared, although I didn't know how I would react arund sharks before the incidents. Seeing them being so casual around divers helped me to realize that they weren't interested in us at all.

Mike

Smart sharks... lure you to sleep then wham... just when yout thought it was safe!

 

[rawls]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it.

The main thing right now that is holding me back from diving is sharks. I was just wondering if you have ever run into them?.... Is running into a shark during a dive a common occurance? The reason I ask this is that I am scared to death of sharks and dont think i would probably freak out if i ever saw one during a dive -_-.... may sound like a bit of a sissy but sharks and bears are not my friends (and since i dont have to worry about finding bears underwater... ya) Guess im also wondering what you do if you run into a shark during a dive.....

VERY rare occurance to be attacked. I dive around sand tigers all the time and have never seen an agressive behavior by one of them, even though they are on the top 10 most dangerous sharks list. There is a couple of wrecks where they congregate off Cape Lookout, NC...the Papoose and the Nancy Lee...especially the Nancy Lee. Not unusual to see 20 or 30 of them. Just be respectful of their space and don't box them into a corner and you will be fine. Even then they won't try to eat you. They would simply be trying to escape out of fear of you

 

[boulderjohn]

There's an old joke that has a lot of truth in it.

Question: Why don't sharks attack lawyers?
Answer: Professional courtesy.​

I had something of a realization along those lines once while diving a bommie (coral spire) in the Great Barrier Reef called "Temple of Doom." It got that name because all the regular reef fish were browsing around happily next to the coral, while all the large predators (trevally, barracuda, sharks) circled continuously around the outside, awaiting a reasonable opportunity for a meal.

The key point is that all the predators swim side by side, paying little attention to each other. Professional courtesy.

Divers in the water are perceived to be predators, and we are given that respect. We just have to know the rules.

If you ever see a group of predators go after a food source, you will see that they all don't go in at once. There is a definite pecking order, and the dominate predator gets first shot at what's on the menu. If a predator gets out of turn, then there is going to be a skirmish. They don't see any point in that, so it generally does not happen.

That is why the very, very few encounters between sharks and divers usually involve spearfishing--a competition for food. Most of the unprovoked shark attacks, as others have said in this thread, are surfers or other surface swimmers--they are mistaken for prey.

Statistically, you are much, much more likely to be killed by lightning while playing golf.

Every experienced diver I know goes out of his or her way to seek out sharks. They are simply beautiful animals, and it is a thrill to see them.