Pics of Snorkeling & Great White

[yeti]

Hi all,

New to the boards, am really excited about everything I'm finding on here. I have a quest : I remember about two years ago seeing several photo galleries of someone who snorkelled (no cage) with a fairly large Great White. There were also pics of the diver touching the snout of the beast (and I believe holding its fin), and the shark arching it's back and such. Unfortunately, my machine died that had the links, does anyone know what I'm talking about?

 

[alemaozinho]

the snorkeler you mentioned is a marine biologist from the cape in SA

 

[Mike Veitch]

HIs name is Andre Hartman, google his name and you'll find loads of stuff

 

[drbill]

J-M Cousteau did the same, while diving with Hartman I think.

Dr. Bill

 

[Stirling]

Hi all, New to the boards, am really excited about everything I'm finding on here. I have a quest : I remember about two years ago seeing several photo galleries of someone who snorkelled (no cage) with a fairly large Great White. There were also pics of the diver touching the snout of the beast (and I believe holding its fin), and the shark arching it's back and such. Unfortunately, my machine died that had the links, does anyone know what I'm talking about?

This may be what you are looking for. Check out the gallery at
http://www.sharkdivingunlimited.com/

Ralf Kiefner's photographs show Michael Rutzen diving with and touching a great white shark in the way you described. The photograph at the bottom of Ralf's gallery includes what looks like a series of stills shot in rapid succession.

 

[yeti]

Thanks everyone! Figured someone would be able to help me out!

 

[saildiver]

Thanks everyone! Figured someone would be able to help me out!

Hey Yeti-welcome to Scubaboard-seems like the answer is always just around the corner-usually.Just don't go swimming off with the Great Whites the way Micheal Rutzen does-he's one of only a few who have swam with great whites who knows them well enough not to be an appetizer ...Peace...Saildiver

 

[cra2]

Several months ago, I remember a tv show on Discovery Channel (I think) that had several nutballs going out to snorkel with Whites and it was billed as the "first time anyone had done so." Anyways.. pretty exciting show and INCREDIBLY CLEAR footage of several of these folks doing so. And there were SEVERAL big whites in the water, coming from all directions. One person even went so far as to grab onto the shark's dorsal fins and go for little rides before coming up for air.
Fascinating show if you can find it and order a copy.
Though someone MUST'VE already posted about that on here somewhere.

 

[gangrel441]

Several months ago, I remember a tv show on Discovery Channel (I think) that had several nutballs going out to snorkel with Whites and it was billed as the "first time anyone had done so." Anyways.. pretty exciting show and INCREDIBLY CLEAR footage of several of these folks doing so. And there were SEVERAL big whites in the water, coming from all directions. One person even went so far as to grab onto the shark's dorsal fins and go for little rides before coming up for air.
Fascinating show if you can find it and order a copy.
Though someone MUST'VE already posted about that on here somewhere.

If I recall correctly, I believe that was Andre, along with a team including some former model recovering from a car wreck who wanted to learn to do the same (hitch rides on the dorsal fins of great whites). Some cool stuff, but over all, struck me as more sensationalist crap from Discovery Channel with little to no educational value.

Just my $0.02, though...

 

[cra2]

Some cool stuff, but over all, struck me as more sensationalist crap from Discovery Channel with little to no educational value.

QUITE sensational.. LOVED it! None of us millions who tuned in thought it was going to be a lecture on shark mating habits. lol. Got exactly what we wanted!

Though I must say they conveyed their main point clearly - that the white shark wasn't some mindless wrecking ball that charges & kills anything in the water.
On the contrary, they clearly demonstrated that the shark's actually quite timid and approaches unfamiliar objects (snorkelers) very cautiously. They'd circle and circle, getting closer and closer, and even once they closed in, they'd do gentle bumps and nudges to figure out what they were investigating before committing to a chomp.
Very illuminating. You'd think with the size, speed, and strength they have, that nothing in the ocean could pose a threat and therefore they could just charge in and chomp anything they chose to. But for some reason, that's not their behavior. They acted more timid than the cichlids I've got in my aquarium.