mcohen1021
Contributor
I know this was Bahamas, but anyone who's been at Cara a Cara in Honduras knows 1st hand how insane/dangerous Caribbean Reef sharks can get when food is introduced.
Marine Life Shark bite at Grand Bahama
- Thread starter jonhall
- Start date
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Green Frog
Contributor
Introduced? Organized Shark Feding has been common practice in the Bahamas for over a quarter century. As I posted previously, the predominant species I’ve observed in this time has been identified to me as Caribbean Reef Sharks. I’m sure that under certain circumstances they can become dangerous as can any animal. OTOH, with proper precautions, they’re like any other predator… you are not identified in their pea brain as a food source. Humans who are melanin challenged present the “fish belly white” skin, so I believe that’s why the shark mistook her for dinner.
in answer to another opinion expressed here, I have my serious doubts that “climate change”, if it even exists, had anything to do with this unfortunate event. Free swimming in water where they were chumming for sharks was the more likely causative agent. JMHO, your mileage may vary!
in answer to another opinion expressed here, I have my serious doubts that “climate change”, if it even exists, had anything to do with this unfortunate event. Free swimming in water where they were chumming for sharks was the more likely causative agent. JMHO, your mileage may vary!
as to what caused this incident—of course. As to the overall state of affairs—Scientists have an explanation why there is an increase of shark attacks off East Coast
CWK
Contributor
I remember diving a site like that in Bora Bora in December 1995. In those wild early days of diving, I saw the dive guide fling something into the water just as we were doing our backward roll. Suffice to say that sharks were very active swimming right amongst the divers. It was a farewell present from the guides as they knew I was quite unimpressed with diving in Bora Bora in comparison to places like Sipadan and Banda Neira.
mcohen1021
Contributor
Introduced, I meant added or tossed or whatever...
I've been on 1 dive in 34 yrs where the sharks got fed. I'll not do it again. My choice.
I wasn't there but it's not normal for the sharks to come to the surface to bite a human... I was thinking not unless the food was being tossed and was at the surface..
I also keep wondering if this was the case, is the dive operator liable and is there a lawsuit coming...
CWK
Contributor
I was on a dive with whale sharks being fed. Would not go out of my way to do it again, but if it is offered as a dive during one of my trips, I’d do it.
OP
jonhall
Contributor
Grand Bahama has very few dive ops on the island and there may be only one, UNEXSO, that does the "specialty shark dive" in which a feeding occurs. Other ops may refer to a shark dive, but there is no feeding - it's practically a given sharks will show up when divers enter the water until they realize there is no free food. The site is Shark Junction which is in the Freeport (Port Lucaya) area which is on the south side of the island. One could figure a plan to dive Tiger Beach from the West End of Grand Bahama, but that's a completely different type of seeing sharks - I'm basing this on the videos posted on SB by members who have done Tiger Beach and my own experience at Shark Junction. Tiger beach obviously is known for Tiger sharks, but, as I recall, some SB members have mentioned seeing lemons and hammerheads also - Shark Junction has Caribbean reef sharks (black tip.)
Shark Junction is a large, mostly sandy, site with about a 55' max depth. There is a structure (part of a wreck?) that divers can kneel by to observe sharks. There are coral heads around the site and, although other life can be observed, if sharks weren't there, it is a pretty blah dive site, IMO. Wherever one swims in this area, sharks are probably going to swim by - pop your head over a coral head and a shark may be near!
In this case a group tour in a glass bottom boat was HAND FEEDING sharks at the surface at a nearby site. So, the sharks are being trained to come to the surface. Feeding at the surface is not new - the first time I went to GB, we stopped at a restaurant on a bluff somewhere (didn't eat there so don't remember the name) on the southwest side of the island - they were feeding sharks down below creating a feeding frenzy. It was mentioned that Heidi's dive op, Grand Bahama Scuba, had waited a little longer before entering the water for their dive because of glass bottom boat feeding. For a bite experience that is not generally something one prepares for, it's nice to know that the dive op owners, were ready and performed lifesaving actions that may have saved Heidi's life.
As to a dive op being liable, would that be the ops that allowed for shark feeding at the surface? Comments I've read lean more toward probably no lawsuits, but that there should be. At best most would like to see the hand feeding and chumming outlawed in some way.
It was brought up earlier about exposed skin at the surface being an attraction, but many divers wear shorties or only swimsuits - in hindsight, I'm glad I went the time of year I did as I wore a 3mm full suit - actually made a swap to the owner for a hat as my suit was falling apart.
The thing about the Grand Bahama scuba tourism is that seeing sharks is a draw. Shark Junction is still a draw and people specifically ask for it. As sites tend to be close to one another, sharks also show up at them. Hope to not hear of more bites in the near future.
Shark Junction is a large, mostly sandy, site with about a 55' max depth. There is a structure (part of a wreck?) that divers can kneel by to observe sharks. There are coral heads around the site and, although other life can be observed, if sharks weren't there, it is a pretty blah dive site, IMO. Wherever one swims in this area, sharks are probably going to swim by - pop your head over a coral head and a shark may be near!
In this case a group tour in a glass bottom boat was HAND FEEDING sharks at the surface at a nearby site. So, the sharks are being trained to come to the surface. Feeding at the surface is not new - the first time I went to GB, we stopped at a restaurant on a bluff somewhere (didn't eat there so don't remember the name) on the southwest side of the island - they were feeding sharks down below creating a feeding frenzy. It was mentioned that Heidi's dive op, Grand Bahama Scuba, had waited a little longer before entering the water for their dive because of glass bottom boat feeding. For a bite experience that is not generally something one prepares for, it's nice to know that the dive op owners, were ready and performed lifesaving actions that may have saved Heidi's life.
As to a dive op being liable, would that be the ops that allowed for shark feeding at the surface? Comments I've read lean more toward probably no lawsuits, but that there should be. At best most would like to see the hand feeding and chumming outlawed in some way.
It was brought up earlier about exposed skin at the surface being an attraction, but many divers wear shorties or only swimsuits - in hindsight, I'm glad I went the time of year I did as I wore a 3mm full suit - actually made a swap to the owner for a hat as my suit was falling apart.
The thing about the Grand Bahama scuba tourism is that seeing sharks is a draw. Shark Junction is still a draw and people specifically ask for it. As sites tend to be close to one another, sharks also show up at them. Hope to not hear of more bites in the near future.
mcohen1021
Contributor
Dan
Contributor
Sharks would leave you alone if you just stay vertical in water column, make yourself look big, and calmly watch the show without splashing around or finning fast.
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