Oceanic White Tips anyone ???

[anquetilbrewer]

Sorry folks, I am living in Italy and, as many of you, I am already starting to think over the dream trip for summer 08 (!!!).

I am very keen to chose Hawaii, but I would like to get some first hand info on the actual chance of meeting those sharks as they advertise on some dive shops websites, when doing the so called blue water dives and the trips in search of marine mammals etc.

Thanks for your help.

Elio

 

[ch0ppersrule]

Sorry folks, I am living in Italy and, as many of you, I am already starting to think over the dream trip for summer 08 (!!!).

I am very keen to chose Hawaii, but I would like to get some first hand info on the actual chance of meeting those sharks as they advertise on some dive shops websites, when doing the so called blue water dives and the trips in search of marine mammals etc.

Thanks for your help.

Elio

I think we only have reef whitetips here. At least that is what I have seen. Oceanic whitetips are aggressive. If they have the aggressive one's they may be out further than the dive boats go? I added my 2 cents and now I will let the experts tell you the answer you are really looking for.

 

[friscuba]

Oceanics tend to hang out with the pilot whales offshore. They are around on occasion, but there's no guarantees you're going to find them... it's a big ocean. I've never had them show up on a blue water dive, but I've only done a few and I know it does happen occasionally.

 

[Lopaka]

I think we only have reef whitetips here.

Oh, the oceanics are here. They follow the pilot whales around, and the pilots do not leave Hawaiian waters. Luckily, I gather the oceanics do not leave deep water, preferring to troll behind the pilot whales for scraps.

The couple times I snorkeled with the pilots during a surface interval off Kona, my head was on a swivel watching for the oceanics as much as the whales. It was a bit creepy, knowing they were out there, and how far down the food chain I was.

Saw some good video someone at Jack's Diving Locker shot of an encounter with an oceanic, where one guy had to keep shoving it away with his camera housing. Thought of that a lot while swiming around out there......................

 

[Wildcard]

Your best bet for sharks here in Maui. MAui ocean center shark tank or shark condos on the crater. Both are pretty buch a slam dunk for seeing sharks, esp the tank! It's an awsome dive BTW.

 

[Walter]

Oceanic Whitetips are to be avoided.