Shark Adventure on the North Shore

[justleesa]

On Monday we were able to drive up to the North Shore and experience the North Shore Shark Adventure.

The weather was slightly cloudy and perfect for the trip, not too hot. The drive up from Waikiki to Haleiwa took about an hour and the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor was very easy to find.

After a short intro and a boat breifing the crew told us what we are to expect. They told us that the spot we were going to has been used for crab caging (I think that was the word) for over 30 years. The fishermen would drop cages (the bottom lays some where around 300') and when the pull them up some would fall out or they would throw back the rejects.The sharks quickly learned that the sound of the motor meant food.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

So when we got out to the spot they left the motor running, pull the cage up to the boat, we crawl in and they let the cage go. To each side the cage there were plexi glass windows and the rest was barred.

Then, sure enough, the sharks showed up. Galapagos sharks ranging from about 4' or 5' to about 12'. This was my first encounter with anything other than a white tip and to me they looked pretty simular. There were skinnier and fatter ones...some with darker spots. But not at all dangerous looking. The teeth were laid back and they looked calm enough to be petted, but I didn't really want to try to see if it was so.

Inside the cage we were bouncing around like popcorn in hot oil. Not that it was choppy, but the cage bounced around around us and made it hard to stay in one spot to take pictures. When you thought you had something, the cage moved.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

The crew started to feed them and they came even closer. circling the cage, but never bumping it...well they did once, right at the beginning...Turtleguy was holding on to the bar and one bumbed up to his hand..Surprise, Surprise!..after a finger count he was ok again...lol

Oh yeah, I also wanted to mention that this is a snorkel adventure, I would have preferred tanks, but se'la vi. So in order to get a good look you had to take a deep breath and hook your feet thru the bars to stay down. We did wear our weights, but it wasn't quite enough. I had my camera set up, complete with strobe and tray, but I didn't need the strobe - I just had to leave it on because of the lens dock. Anyway the rig was too big to get thru the bars, so most of my pics are with bars.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

Hope you like the pics (more in My Gallery) and here are a couple of the places that offer the Shark Adventure, just incase you are thinking of trying it yourself.

http://www.discount-oahu.com/oahu/north_shore_shark.html
http://www.hawaiisharkadventures.com/
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/
http://www.adventuresextremehawaii.com/sharktour.htm
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/activities/north_shore_shark_adventures.htm

 

[medic_diver45]

nice pics

 

[Turtleguy9]

Aloha All
This is the activity written up in this months Sport Diver Magazine.
Justleesa was there with me in the cage. In my first minutes in the cage, I was sticking my camera and hands out of the cage to get better photos, when the shark bumped into my hand, it did rattle me a bit. To try to stay stationary in the cage, I would hold my breath, sink to the bottom, and wrap my legs around the outside of the bottom bars. I am very glad the sharks did not bump my legs. I shot mostly film, and will try to scan some of the shots into my gallery later. I also shot some with the Oly 5050.
One thing I might try if I did it again, is wrap my camera in foam, to keep it from banging into the bars all the time.
I lost my Sea and Sea optical viewfinder, when it got banged loose, by the bars. I saw it making its way to the bottom 300 feet below.
I am posting a couple'a photos, of justleesa, in the cage, hope you like them.
Turtleguy

 

[kidspot]

Looks like a great experience - wonderful pictures too. Much better vis than I had on Monday (about 10 ft. if that) at Ulua Beach.

 

[justleesa]

Thanks and it was fun too! the vis was fantastic. I couldn't see the bottom....but who can see down to 300+ feet?

 

[munkispank]

excellent report and pics- thanks for posting- I was deciding how to spend my time in Hawaii- this has helped make one decision for me!!!

 

[sea nmf]

On Monday we were able to drive up to the North Shore and experience the North Shore Shark Adventure.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to mention that this is a snorkel adventure, I would have preferred tanks, but se'la vi. So in order to get a good look you had to take a deep breath and hook your feet thru the bars to stay down. We did wear our weights, but it wasn't quite enough. I had my camera set up, complete with strobe and tray, but I didn't need the strobe - I just had to leave it on because of the lens dock. Anyway the rig was too big to get thru the bars, so most of my pics are with bars.

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/activities/north_shore_shark_adventures.htm[/url]

Just wondering why they don't allow scuba?

 

[justleesa]

Just wondering why they don't allow scuba?

Taking a guess here. The cage is only some 6-7' deep and not all that big (something like 6x8") so if you got in there with scuba it would be pretty tight. Also considering how much we were popped around we would have constantly been banging the tanks. Now if they had a bigger cage, muuuuch bigger that is...It would maybe work.

 

[justleesa]

excellent report and pics- thanks for posting- I was deciding how to spend my time in Hawaii- this has helped make one decision for me!!!

Glad we could help. When are you headed our way?

 

[StingRob]

Nice pics, I bet it was a nice experience. Thanks for sharing.

StingRob

On Monday we were able to drive up to the North Shore and experience the North Shore Shark Adventure.

The weather was slightly cloudy and perfect for the trip, not too hot. The drive up from Waikiki to Haleiwa took about an hour and the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor was very easy to find.

After a short intro and a boat breifing the crew told us what we are to expect. They told us that the spot we were going to has been used for crab caging (I think that was the word) for over 30 years. The fishermen would drop cages (the bottom lays some where around 300') and when the pull them up some would fall out or they would throw back the rejects.The sharks quickly learned that the sound of the motor meant food.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

So when we got out to the spot they left the motor running, pull the cage up to the boat, we crawl in and they let the cage go. To each side the cage there were plexi glass windows and the rest was barred.

Then, sure enough, the sharks showed up. Galapagos sharks ranging from about 4' or 5' to about 12'. This was my first encounter with anything other than a white tip and to me they looked pretty simular. There were skinnier and fatter ones...some with darker spots. But not at all dangerous looking. The teeth were laid back and they looked calm enough to be petted, but I didn't really want to try to see if it was so.

Inside the cage we were bouncing around like popcorn in hot oil. Not that it was choppy, but the cage bounced around around us and made it hard to stay in one spot to take pictures. When you thought you had something, the cage moved.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

The crew started to feed them and they came even closer. circling the cage, but never bumping it...well they did once, right at the beginning...Turtleguy was holding on to the bar and one bumbed up to his hand..Surprise, Surprise!..after a finger count he was ok again...lol

Oh yeah, I also wanted to mention that this is a snorkel adventure, I would have preferred tanks, but se'la vi. So in order to get a good look you had to take a deep breath and hook your feet thru the bars to stay down. We did wear our weights, but it wasn't quite enough. I had my camera set up, complete with strobe and tray, but I didn't need the strobe - I just had to leave it on because of the lens dock. Anyway the rig was too big to get thru the bars, so most of my pics are with bars.

Image by justleesa (Copyright) posted at ScubaGallery

Hope you like the pics (more in My Gallery) and here are a couple of the places that offer the Shark Adventure, just incase you are thinking of trying it yourself.

http://www.discount-oahu.com/oahu/north_shore_shark.html
http://www.hawaiisharkadventures.com/
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/
http://www.adventuresextremehawaii.com/sharktour.htm
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/activities/north_shore_shark_adventures.htm