Stuart Cove "Incident"

[dumpsterDiver]

Granted, I haven't. I make the assumption it must be adequate for the practice to be allowed to continue. Did the 3 you mention die from clear cut attacks? Any credible chance of heart attack or other issue that could've readily happened on a non-feeding dive?

4 were bitten, one fatally - all were actively involved in shark feeds at the time.

I know several other people who have been attacked by sharks (not during shark feeds) and lived. Also one guy who I used to see on the dive boat was killed by a shark while diving solo (or that was the presumed cause of death). The other attacks were associated with spearfishing that is often considered to be an activity that "provokes" sharks.

I have to feel that shark feeding is provoking sharks as well.

For comparison, I don't know anyone who has died from an air embolism or the bends..

I'm not so sure that it is allowed (or disallowed) by any authority, other than maybe the State of Florida prohibits it in waters under their jurisdiction. People engage in all kinds of dangerous activities, I think it would be wrong to assume that any activity which is "allowed to continue" is safe.

Certainly there are safer ways to attract (and feed) sharks and there are more dangerous methods. However, are there any authorities which have defined and enforced - heck even recommended safe practices? Does Dan or PADI say shark feeding dives are safer if you do A and B and not C? Or possibly they don't want to be directly involved in "allowing" or "disallowing" it? I'm really not sure?

 

[tomfcrist]

I don't think DAN or PADI are qualified to make that statement. And the liability if they said that feeding is "safer or safe" when you do A and B but not C would be unacceptably risky.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Unless you make it a "distinctive" specialty. Then you might see some recommendations. :shocked2:

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Unless you make it a "distinctive" specialty. Then you might see some recommendations. :shocked2:

"Distinctive" meaning "$5,000 course."

 

[Capt Scotty]

Depends on what you're comparing them to. Spearfishing has resulted in quite a number of shark attacks over the years - by the raw numbers more attacks and more serious or fatal ones than shark feeding.

As far as shark feeding, we have one death I know of (Markus Groh at Tiger Beach: got too close to the bait, was slashed in the leg by a bull shark, and bled out). As for the remaining "bites," from what I've read they've been exactly that - bites. Feeder or tourist (reporter on one occasion in the Bahamas) puts his or her hand in the wrong place, gets bit, goes to the hospital to get some nasty lacerations stitched up, and walks out. Not fun and not something to dismiss, but not a life-threatening instance either.

The Groh incident was not at Tiger Beach. It was at Isaacs if I remember correctly...

 

[HalcyonDaze]

The Groh incident was not at Tiger Beach. It was at Isaacs if I remember correctly...

You may be right. I've never been out there and I had assumed there was just one provisioning site rather than several.

 

[Joe Underwater]

Agreed, not an incident. Why would the feeder hold the food behind him like that? I don't understand.