parabolic
Contributor
I just returned from a week-long shark trip to the Grand Bahamas Bank. This is the same trip that is generating much controversy (30+ pages) in another part of the forum. It is an uncaged trip targeting tiger sharks with chum and bait in the water. Now that I have done it, I think I can credibly offer my own opinions about the danger of such trips and the effect they have on the animals. As to danger, I would rate it slightly more dangerous than a typical reef dive where sharks are not anticipated, and substantially less dangerous than driving on the LA freeways (particularly I-405). As to changing the behavior of the sharks, I am not sure but I don't think so. Sharks have been around for 400 million years, are opportunistic feeders, and I don't think a relative millisecond of humans in boats throwing fish parts overboard will modify eons of hardwired behavior. These sharks knew the difference between me and the bait. I personally don't think that this activity will make a shark more likely to be interested in, much less attack, a diver minding his own business on some reef, without bait and/or blood in the water. But that is just my opinion, however it is at least based upon having actually experienced the trip. The sharks are absolutely magnificent:
There were lots of beautiful lemon sharks:
There were lots of beautiful lemon sharks: