Not including being on the surface or having a cut or carrying food or chum, how likely are you to be messed with by a shark at depth? This is also assuming you keep your hands to yourself.
Question on diving with sharks
- Thread starter dhogan4342
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scubapro50
Contributor
went on a Nekton cruise in June that offered a "shark dive" where they fed the sharks above us while we watched sitting on the bottom ...... no problems ..... great experience. Also incounted serveral large "reef" sharks while diving the blue holes without any problems.
Ishie
Guest
Don't know about other species of sharks, but with the big ones that seem to occasionally target humans accidentally as a food source (whites and tigers), you seem to be far safer at depth than you are at the surface (with the provision that if you do get tagged at depth, you're less likely to make it back).
adurso
Contributor
At depth you are more likely to be be attacked by a wrasse than a shark. My wife had never been in the water with a shark until this past June. When she found that they stay away or do a quick cruise by to see what you are and then go away she wanted to see more.
Yeah, I'm more worried about Sergeant Majors taking a nip at my finger than I am getting hit by a shark. Honestly, other than great whites and African bulls I can't recall *ever* hearing about a diver getting bitten (maybe an accident at a rodeo too).
I mean, c'mon: You're an apex predator. There are little fishies all around, your natural, instinctive, and habitual food. Along comes this lumbering lummox of a diver, bubbles all over the place, swims weird, smells worse, and has a magnetic signature that all but screams "I AM NOT FOOD." And, on top all that, there are rumors that these 'divers' are friends with those friggin' dolphins!!
Shark says to himself: "Why bother? Life's too short... I think I'll have a snapper or two instead."
:lol:
I mean, c'mon: You're an apex predator. There are little fishies all around, your natural, instinctive, and habitual food. Along comes this lumbering lummox of a diver, bubbles all over the place, swims weird, smells worse, and has a magnetic signature that all but screams "I AM NOT FOOD." And, on top all that, there are rumors that these 'divers' are friends with those friggin' dolphins!!
Shark says to himself: "Why bother? Life's too short... I think I'll have a snapper or two instead."
:lol:
Lecap
Registered
Even the so feared Great Whites usually leave divers alone. This also matches with my recent encounter. As far as my research went there is only one reported attack on a diver in scuba gear by a Great White worldwide. This was in 1991 when a diver got attacked at the surface (after being there for quite a while). The attack happened next to a seal colony off Mossel Bay / S.A. which is famous for hunting Great Whites.
Spoon
Contributor
guess your fears dissipatate the minute you have your first encounter with these magnificent predators. i am yet to experience this though as their have been a shortage of sightings in my neck of the woods.
Zeeman
Contributor
My firsy shark experience was just awe - it was mazing to see one in the wild. I have been keen to see as many as possible since. So far, I've seen lots of reef sharks and a leopard shark. I have been within 5 metres of all of them, an dnever had any sort of problem. If anything, they get scared and flee before you will.
Z...
Z...
Ishie
Guest
Lecap:
GWs usually leave divers alone but they have gotten a few more than that.
A urchin diver got his fin bitten by one off CA, another one got 'attacked' at the surface while on a hookah setup, but the shark got the hose tangled in its mouth and ended up essentially beating the snot out of the guy but never laid a tooth on him. Weird way to get your ribs broken though.
Perhaps most notable was the guy who got tagged at Bluefish Cove in Carmel. He came out of it quite well, but he looked back as he was headed for the surface, saw the shark, said "Oh s***" and the shark bit him. Since the guy had a tank on and some sort of panel over his abdomen though, the shark got a mouth full of metal and the guy got some stitches where his body bulged out.
Almost all attacks on divers have been at the surface with a few exceptions, and it seems to be an extremely minimal risk, with the majority of attacks also occurring where spearfishing was taking place.
Vtdiver2
Contributor
dhogan4342:
I've done a few shark dives, and have enjoyed them immensely. Check out my photo gallery, there's a couple of shots of sharks there that I've taken, and one of me with a shark.
I found that they don't like diver's bubbles. On one dive, I was neutral bouyant, in 40ft of water, 20 off the bottom. We had 5 sharks in the water with us. I held my breath and a 5 ft'er that was cruising by turned to check me out. He came within 5 ft before I realized "he was coming to check me out" and I exhaled. He turned ever so slightly and cruised over my left shoulder within 15 inches of me, so close I could make out the texture of it's skin and watch his gills ripple as it breathed. I was in awe, but when I turned to look at my dive buddy, she looked at me like I was crazy.
Once you do it once, you'll want to do it again. Like many others are posting, we aren't high on a sharks menu, as we are normally as big as they are, and there are easier prey to be had.
Chris
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