ScubaSarus
Guest
Best just call it a rough shark dive maybe is wasn't so horrible a Doc mentions.
We set off for a shark dive on Sunday the 28th for a 30-40 mile trip off the coast of R.I. The seas were choppy but manageable. ½ hour from our arrival the captain spotted the dead, bloated, rotten carcass of what appeared to be a small seal caught in a net. The captain decided to use it a chum and brought it aboard and bagged it. The smell of the thing was over whelming (IT MADE THE CHUM SMELL SWEET) and we were forced to stay inside the hot cabin or lean over the sides for the rest of the trip out.
Upon arrival at the site we began suiting up. The captain placed the carcass on the chopping block and began gutting the thing and tied a line to it and tossed it out. The smell got much worse during this process and people could take no more. People began throwing up. I gagged and held my composure and gave one quick up-chuck over the side and then jumped in hoping I would feel better once in the water. The video-ographer Scott followed me in. I decided against staying in the cage that was moving up and down. Scott and I descended; him to 40ft me to 30ft to experience the 45 ft + vis blue waters and get some good footage. I approached the cage area to form a comfort zone in case a shark appeared. Upon looking up thru the water and seeing the carcass with its guts falling off the smell of that thing came back to me. I began violently throwing up into my regulator. After the 3rd or 4th dry heave I decided I better get back on to the boat. Scott stayed out a bit longer to get some video footage. After my boat entry, another diver came on board and started throwing up also. I also noted the photographer (not Scott) that came with us was ill and one other diver also. After 2 hrs of no sharks we packed up and headed back in. Maybe were were lucky they didn't show. Could be good could be bad.
My big question was that if that carcass had been on the surface in waters frequented by sharks for such a long time (it was bloated) why hadnt a shark eaten it or did a shark previously eat it (no head was on it) and discard and have no desire for it. It seamed Scott, the Captain, and one other diver (who used to chum on a boat) were immune to getting sick.
It was a tough humbling day.
Water temps 74
Vis 45 ft (secchi disk measurement)
Scott may post some pictures of the dive in a few days but be warned they wont be for those with a weak stomach.
Chris
We set off for a shark dive on Sunday the 28th for a 30-40 mile trip off the coast of R.I. The seas were choppy but manageable. ½ hour from our arrival the captain spotted the dead, bloated, rotten carcass of what appeared to be a small seal caught in a net. The captain decided to use it a chum and brought it aboard and bagged it. The smell of the thing was over whelming (IT MADE THE CHUM SMELL SWEET) and we were forced to stay inside the hot cabin or lean over the sides for the rest of the trip out.
Upon arrival at the site we began suiting up. The captain placed the carcass on the chopping block and began gutting the thing and tied a line to it and tossed it out. The smell got much worse during this process and people could take no more. People began throwing up. I gagged and held my composure and gave one quick up-chuck over the side and then jumped in hoping I would feel better once in the water. The video-ographer Scott followed me in. I decided against staying in the cage that was moving up and down. Scott and I descended; him to 40ft me to 30ft to experience the 45 ft + vis blue waters and get some good footage. I approached the cage area to form a comfort zone in case a shark appeared. Upon looking up thru the water and seeing the carcass with its guts falling off the smell of that thing came back to me. I began violently throwing up into my regulator. After the 3rd or 4th dry heave I decided I better get back on to the boat. Scott stayed out a bit longer to get some video footage. After my boat entry, another diver came on board and started throwing up also. I also noted the photographer (not Scott) that came with us was ill and one other diver also. After 2 hrs of no sharks we packed up and headed back in. Maybe were were lucky they didn't show. Could be good could be bad.
My big question was that if that carcass had been on the surface in waters frequented by sharks for such a long time (it was bloated) why hadnt a shark eaten it or did a shark previously eat it (no head was on it) and discard and have no desire for it. It seamed Scott, the Captain, and one other diver (who used to chum on a boat) were immune to getting sick.
It was a tough humbling day.
Water temps 74
Vis 45 ft (secchi disk measurement)
Scott may post some pictures of the dive in a few days but be warned they wont be for those with a weak stomach.
Chris
