Shark Feeding

[meierdierck]

It is illegal in Florida and for good reason I think. A guy just died about a year ago from a bite during a feeding in the Bahamas that was being run by an extremely experienced operator. QUOTE]

I agree,this is out of control....

1 guy out of the THOUSANDS per week died doing this..... 1 guy, I wish everything else I did was this safe, like walking to work, bowling, petting dogs, bike riding, making toast, etc.......

the sharks will be wiped off the planet by fin and long line fisherman WAAAAYYYY before this will endanger them, and if you dont hang your catch on your leg, usually a spearfisherman is pretty safe too

 

[piffle]

One dead guy too many, don't ya think.

 

[BDSC]

One dead guy too many, don't ya think.

Gotta go sometime!

 

[Jupiter31]

I keep hearing about declining shark populations, and I have no reason to doubt that, but I do know from 1983 through the begining of 2000 when I hit my 1000th dive I saw 23 sharks of which 22 were Nurse Sharks (the other was a Blacktip). In the next 1000 dives, I saw 115 sharks of which 72 were Nurse Sharks (others were Caribbean Reef <19> Silky <1> Bull <5> Sand Tiger <16> Lemon <2>). I've never gone on a shark feeding dive. With the exception of a trip to North Carolina (where I made 2 dives and saw 18 sharks - 2 Bulls and all 16 Sand Tigers), my diving has not changed much from the 1st 1000 dives. It looks to me that we're more likely to see sharks than we were 10, 20 or 25 years ago even without feeding them.

Your mouth to Gods ears, Walter

 

[piffle]

The other people on the dive really got their money worth. A shark feeding and a shark attack all for the price of one.

 

[therealwwdiver]

There is nothing natural about how the oceans are now. We have wiped out 90 percent of the sharks
True, we have wiped out 90 percent of sharks, however it is still nature.
Natural according to Websters: 2 a: being in accordance with or determined by nature b: having or constituting a classification based on features existing in nature and 6: of or relating to nature as an object of study and research.
Nature according to Websters: 6: the external world in its entirety
IMO it is still nature, just no longer a pristine environment

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have an experience with an animal we have nearly wiped out completely.
Once again, I agree. My point is that the feeding and handling experience is invasive to the species we are trying to protect and appreciate

Let people continue doing whatever they need to raise awareness
frankly the "whatever they (people) need" philosophy is what has eradicated 90% of sharks

and finally
I really don't know how any of us can experience something natural on the animals part by us being there.
I do. Spend enough time in the animals environment and be unobtrusive or become invisible. Any hunter knows this.

 

[deco_martini]

Most of the shark types in those statistics are oceanic.

 

[meierdierck]

One dead guy too many, don't ya think.

I think its an amazing safety record, considering how many tourists, with little to no diving experience, rusty skills, and hangovers go through there......

I have led the tours and it is amazing half these people would even consider getting into the water, much less with sharks, if they had an ounce of self preservation, but they dont seem to consider it to be anything more than a ride at disney.....

yeah, I think its a pretty good track record.

 

[deco_martini]

I think its an amazing safety record

Its a death count, not a safety record. There is a big difference.

 

[therealwwdiver]

touche