shark dives vs au natural

[isurus]

However I absolutely feel that it is a viable way to generate money into a local economy and at the same time provide a reason to keep these animals alive for all the reasons I've already gone over. For that reason alone I will always be 100% behind them.

exactly. I couldn't agree more with sadie's mom's statement however sometimes feeds aren't about "seeing one for sure" but having any kind of chance to see one at all eg makos, blues, whites or porbeagles.

 

[Kind 1]

Is there really any argument that suggests shark feeds contributes to the depopulation of sharks? They can be educational and a lot of fun for some. No doubt, the unexpected encounter is the best, but for many that opportunity may never come...lack of diving, luck, ect. There is nothing like sticking your head in that cave and seeing a big nurse staring right back. OMG its a shark....ohhh its a nurse wheres my buddy I gotta show em...I found em first Its so refreshing to see your passion for sharks, its that passion that will allow my daughter to see em too when she gets her c card.

 

[sharky60]

Also in a lot of places (like Palau Yap ) there is no need for feeding. You will see a shark on just about every wall dive, all it needs is to suck in the belly stick out the chest and venture out into the blue, get away from the safety of the wall.

This may be one of the reasons I feel like I do, I was certified on Midway Island while in the Navy. We had one of the highest shark populations in the world out there and rerely dove with out them.

 

[isurus]

This may be one of the reasons I feel like I do, I was certified on Midway Island while in the Navy. We had one of the highest shark populations in the world out there and rerely dove with out them.

Am I right in thinking midway has a pretty good Galapagos shark population?

 

[simonspear]

exactly. I couldn't agree more with sadie's mom's statement however sometimes feeds aren't about "seeing one for sure" but having any kind of chance to see one at all eg makos, blues, whites or porbeagles.

Couldn't agree more with you either! Did you hear about the planned trips in Cornwall next year looking for Blues and Porbeagles? Richard Peirce from the Shark Trust has organised them. Can't wait already!

 

[isurus]

Couldn't agree more with you either! Did you hear about the planned trips in Cornwall next year looking for Blues and Porbeagles? Richard Peirce from the Shark Trust has organised them. Can't wait already!

the form is sat on my computer waiting for me to get round to posting it

 

[simonspear]

Great maybe see you there then!

 

[SadiesMom]

I can't say anything about availability of "sharky" sites on the other side of the pond, but here in the US, there are plenty within relatively easy and relatively inexpensive reach of the East coast and midwest.

I dove Jupiter, FL and had bull and Caribbean reef sharks show up on 3 of 5 dives and nurse sharks on all 5 dives (including one of the biggest I've ever seen - probably 10 feet long!). They are very common there. In addition, lemon sharks come to Jupiter to breed in January in large numbers - I haven't done a lemon shark dive there yet, but hope to this year. Jupiter is easily reached from the West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale or Miami airports and there are plenty of relatively cheap flights from most east coast airports.

The Bahamas teem with Caribbean reef sharks and you don't have to do a shark feed to see them when diving. My first "au natural" shark encounters were with Caribbean reef sharks on a liveaboard in the Exumas - 3-5 reef sharks showed up on about 5 of our 15 dives that week, plus we had the chance to snorkel with lemon sharks while moored in the Exumas Land and Sea Park Headquarters. Lots of nurse sharks as well. Sure, liveaboards aren't "cheap," but they're well worth the money for the amount and quality of diving - and airfare to the Bahamas isn't super expensive from the east coast these days. Plenty of "bargain" airlines have good fares these days.

Cozumel, which is reached easily from the midwest and west coast (much more cheaply than the east coast) has tons of nurse sharks - look under pretty much any rock or reef! Coz has great diving, and is a pretty inexpensive place to vacation - food and accomodations are *very* reasonable and excellent.

So I've seen and dived with a fair number of sharks in three locations - and not once in a "feeding" situation. I just go to where the sharks *are.*

 

[isurus]

So I've seen and dived with a fair number of sharks in three locations - and not once in a "feeding" situation. I just go to where the sharks *are.*

I'm absolutely not disagreeing with you when you say that its perfectly possible to see sharks by diving in appropriate locations. I've seen over 20 species on 4 continents in non-baiting situations. Nor would I argue that a natural sighting isn't better than a baited one. My points are simply that a) not all shark feeds are carribean reef based circuses, some involve species divers just wouldn't otherwise encounter (such as those previously listed); and b) the carribean reef based circuses aren't a bad thing just cos you can see sharks without them.

My guess would be that for the majority of the divers who do them they represent a first encounter with "a looks a bit scary sharky shark" as opposed to "a lying on the floor not doing much nurse shark" and that as such the feeds represent valuable good pr for sharks.

 

[cdiver2]

My guess would be that for the majority of the divers who do them they represent a first encounter with "a looks a bit scary sharky shark" as opposed to "a lying on the floor not doing much nurse shark" and that as such the feeds represent valuable good pr for sharks.

I WANT.

the feeds represent valuable good pr for sharks.

ROFL