The shark diving industry blog covering sharks, shark cage diving, shark conservation and things we find "amusing" since 2008 www.sharkdiver.com, www.sharkdivers.com, www.divingwithsharks.com
Some might say diving with sharks is the last thing they would ever want to do...until they do it! For many, it has become an addiction and more and more repeat divers are getting their yearly thrill with Shark Diver, based out of San Diego. For 14 years, Shark Diver has been introducing the public (those who are dive certified and not certified) to the underwater world of great white sharks. They don't plan to stop. Why? Because people keep coming to get their 'fix.' The shark phenomenon has continued to rise for the last few years, due to local and national television news and social media coverage, cable television programming, and of course, silly movies. The 'News' has put us in touch with shark sightings off the coasts of Australia, South Africa, the Eastern and Western United States, and Guadalupe Island in Mexico; all right at our fingertips. The more we talk about sharks, the more popular they become.
Photo: Cindy Michaels
Every year, starting the first week of August, Shark Diver takes more than 200 divers to Guadalupe Island to see these misunderstood creatures, up close. During a 5-day adventure, divers fulfill their bucket list items, unique wedding anniversary or honeymoon celebrations, birthday milestones, or childhood dreams. In 2014, Shark Diver's sold out season saw a record number of divers wanting to see great whites, but it was also one of the biggest years for shark encounters at the cages. Things were only going to grow after that. Already, since the company's first dive this year on August 9th, there have been more than 120 great white shark sightings and it is expected that the same amount, if not more, will be seen by the time the 2015 season ends in November.
Get to Know Your Sharks Shark Diver has worked with the Discovery Channel for some of its Shark Week episodes as well as countless other operations that partner for filming. But the company's greatest passion is to bring those who have never seen a shark...to the sharks, themselves. For the past 2 seasons, a researcher from the Marine Conservation Science Institute (MCSI) in San Diego has joined Shark Diver in educating divers about specific markings, migratory habits, and all the fun stuff you don't learn in school or on television. On the hosted adventures, divers have the opportunity to name any new shark that is spotted, while in the cages. That named shark is then registered in MCSI's photo database, which features more than 150 already identified sharks, such as Bite Face, Shredder, and Bruce. By naming and identifying the new great white, the divers are helping out with MCSI's research; dedicated to conserving and protecting marine resources. Shouldn't naming a shark be on your bucket list?
Photo: Cindy Michaels
What to Expect without Expecting Like other highly feared fish, great whites are unpredictable. There may be curious juveniles that try to bite delicately on the cages, or a large adult that just wants to stroll by slowly to check you out. There is no expecting one behavior or another from these boys and girls. Divers prepare themselves for a scary time, but walk away awe-inspired by what they just witnessed. Every trip reveals something different.
When you decide that life is too short to only watch sharks on television, venture out on a dive with Shark Diver. You will see a great white shark while on your trip or the crew will take you back to Guadalupe Island at no extra charge. It is the company's guarantee. Whether or not Shark Diver sees you year after year, there is a good chance you will never view great white sharks the same way, again. ~Cindy Michaels Shark Diver
About Shark Diver.
As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.
A row is brewing in the lucrative shark-cage diving industry after several established businesses in the Western Cape were unsuccessful in renewing their operating permits.
The Department of Environmental Affairs allocated 14 shark-cage diving permits on June 4. Eight are for Gansbaai, three for False Bay, two are for Quoin Point near Agulhas, and one is for Mossel Bay. A total of 26 applications were received, of which 14 were from new entrants.
All decisions are subject to the outcome of an appeals process, and the department said no permits would be issued until this process had been completed.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, several operators said the allocations would mean job losses, financial ruin and instability in the industry.
"This is a high-risk tourism industry, which attracts mostly foreigners. We cannot have inexperienced people who do not have sufficient resources when there are lives at stake," one operator said.
The operators added that the government's priority seemed to be race and gender, rather than credibility and safety.
Departmental spokesman Zolile Nqayi said eight of the existing permit holders had been "provisionally" successful, while six new operators had been granted permits provisionally.
"Applicants were scored across a variety of categories, including transformation, their operational plan and readiness to start operations."
Certain existing operators had been excluded on the basis of not using their permits enough, not having submitted the required documentation, or inadequate information.
Atlantis resort in the Bahamas announced last month they were laying off 800 employees.
This week a reef shark at Atlantis leaped to it's death on a water slide. Are the two connected in any way?
Eh, probably not:
"Yesterday morning at around 9:30 AM, prior to the resort's waterscape opening to guests, a 12+-year-old female reef shark jumped over an 18 inch wide and 1 foot high sustaining structure into the resort's Leap of Faith water slide".
The Atlantis Aquarists believe the shark was startled by an unusual circumstance that we have no way of defining completely. In the over ten years guests have experienced the Leap of Faith, the reef shark itself, harmless to humans as it is fed regularly by our staff, had shown no previous incidences of leaping out of the water in the marine habitat.
The crew from Shark Diver just about 1.5 months away from our first of many expeditions to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico this season. This is also the time of year we start getting excited phone calls from our divers seeking advice on everything from "bikini's vs one piece?" to "can I bring along a good 30 year old Scotch?"
We say yes to the bikini's and yes to the scotch, as long as it's a single malt. For those of you about to join us and for those of you who want to know what we're talking about, sit back and enjoy:
A lot of people ask us what cage diving with Great White sharks is like. It's moments like this. Shot in 2004 at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico with Sterns Bullen (fearless shooter) cage left with a frisky 12 footer:
Here at the Shark Diver office we have a Rotweiller called Sierra who just loves her chew toys.
In South Africa they have taken the chew toy to a higher art form. Sent in via Andrea R who's buddies caught chew toy mania off the coast of Gansbaii last week. As always, the shark diving is good. One question-what do they put on those things, crazy glue?
There's an old saying in the shark world "You only get one chance".
With that in mind Shark Diver has just shipped another complete set of shark cages...destined this time for the Caribbean.
Here's three reasons why we build and ship more shark cages than anyone else in the industry:
1. Quality. When it comes to commercial grade shark cages and divers well being we take care of business. "Safety" is not just a commercial tag line on our websites. In fact-our fabrication teams must also dive in the very cages they build for us. It's unique way to ensure quality control
2. Flotation. Floating cages need to be stable. That's why we engineered a flotation system that has been adopted by 99% of the entire Isla Guadalupe white shark fleet. Gone are the days of Home Depot PVC pipes that degrade in a marine environment. If you're going to trust your life to PVC you are working with the wrong crew. Our flotation systems come from a marine environment and are designed to last.
3. Shark Crews. All Shark Diver cages also come with seasoned shark crews to help you get the most out of your shark cage systems. We have traveled from Alaska to Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond with our private shark cages. Our cages are even currently in use in Tahiti.
Safety, Integrity, and Adventure. That'sShark Diver cage systems.
When you have a shark diving company like ours you get hit with media requests almost daily.
Recently we just completed a three part article for a German Magazine due out in April. The trick with working with the media is credibility. Never do anything that makes you, the sharks, or your operation look like an idiot. This is just Media 101.
That's a trick here is most media sources come to you with a basic Discovery Channel understanding of how sharks work. It's our job to introduce them to an expanded view of things.
In all media is fun to work with and we have been blessed to work with some of the greats over the years producing what amounts to a massive amount of positive press for both us and the sites we operate in.
After all, we're on the front lines of not only shark research, as is the case of our Isla Guadalupe site, but if we say so ourselves, we run a pretty cool little operation as well.
It's not all fun and games when you're a Shark Diver.
Case in point this slightly disgusting video from 2004.
Let us "set the scene". It's late November and we have three big white sharks swinging at the hang baits at the back deck- complete with two jam packed dive cages full of otherwise excited divers....that's when all hell broke loose.
Suddenly, this large 15 foot male lets loose an incredible stream of shark excrement out his tail end. Up until that exact point in time no one in the history of shark diving had ever filmed a white shark doing something like this.
Anyway, the story ending is the best part. Diver Jason Sullivan who shot the whole thing stays in the cage as the current moves this yellow "ort-cloud" of poo all over the guy. He comes up to the surface with with worlds biggest grin and says this "Dude, a white shark just crapped all over me, and I got it on film...cool", he then proceeds to get back in the cage and does not come out for the rest of the day:
In a world filled with "broken promises" it's nice to know you can absolutely rely on some things.
Case in point Shark Diver shark cages. Used on more private yachts worldwide than any other shark cages, in fact, we're pretty sure we're the only company on the planet who furnishes shark cages on an industrial scale.
To date none of the shark cages provided by Shark Diver have failed the test of weather, water, or sharks.
Ever.
After all, our cages are designed to tackle 16 foot-2300 pound Great Whites in every condition imaginable. Keeping divers safe, while providing them with comfort, and thrills, since 2002.
If you were curious about "other" shark cages, let us introduce you to the competition at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.
They maintain the following claim on their website:
"Our cages have set the industry standard for excellence. Our design and application is the envy of all other operators ".
Here's the video from their operation in 2007 to prove that claim:
Oct. 1-5 2007: Great White Shark Diving with Shark Diver.com
Let me start off by saying that this is the third trip I have taken with Shark Diver.com to Isla Guadalupe. My first trip in Oct. of 2005 was so amazing that I immediately started counting down the days until I could return again and signed up for the following year. My Oct. 2006 trip was even better and, once again, I signed up for another tour at Guadalupe. I thought I knew what to expect this third time around and was even worried that I might not have as good of a time going back again. I was WRONG!!!
The first difference on this trip was plan for departure. Due to the new passports requirements, instead of boarding the boat in San Diego, we took a bus down to Ensenada and boarded the boat there. The bus ride went by pretty quickly as I took the time to get to know some of the people I would be sharing small spaces with for the next week. We also had a little sight-seeing along the way including a great view of one of the largest's tuna fisheries around.
Once all the gear was loaded and we were assigned our cabins, the boat headed out for the long ride across the Pacific. I had my first inclination that this trip might be a little special when we had the pleasure of cruising with a huge pod of pilot whales. I had only seen one in the wild before and there must have been 50 in this pod. They actually swam with us for a while and seemed to be playing with the wake of the boat.
After a nice day of getting to know my shipmates and watching the pilot whales, we sat down to our first dinner on board. The meal was the equivalent of anything served at some of the finer restaurants in the Bay area – a far cry from the greasy burgers one might expect to eat on a typical fishing vessel. With a fantastic meal and some red wine performing an elegant dance in my belly, I descended down into my bunk to let the boat gently rock me into my oceanic slumber.
The next morning, we arrived at the island, anchored and the crews immediately began to prepare for three days of diving. The first shark showed up before the cages were even completely setup - yet another sign that we could be in for an unbelievable week!
There are two cages that comfortably hold four divers each so there are hourly rotations with eight divers. With only 16 divers max, that means you are in the cage for an hour and topside for the next hour all day - plenty of dive time for everyone! I ended up in the second rotation which gave me time to get my camera gear setup and let my breakfast settle a bit. That was the start of three solid days of non-stop action and excitement!
There were sharks on every single rotation and when I say sharks plural, I mean it! There were multiple sharks each time and several times, I counted five different sharks circling the cage during one rotation. Sometimes they took turns coming up for a close look at us in the cages. Other times they ambushed us in pairs. The "slow" times were when sharks just circled the cages below - still in sight, but not close enough to see the pupils of their eyes!
As if multiple Great Whites on the cage at a time wasn't enough, the next thing that happened caused my jaw to drop to the bottom of the cage. I was watching one large female (named Chica) slowly cruising around with an entourage of three smaller males following her around. They were swimming faster, circling each other, facing off, darting up to the cages and then back down to follow her again. That is when the unexpected happened. One of the young males abruptly turned his head up, got completely vertical and then put on the speed - straight up and OUT - he just DISAPPEARED! We had just witnessed a Great White breach and we had a front row, underwater seat to that amazing spectacle! I couldn't believe my eyes!!
And that was STILL not all that was going to make this the most amazing trip I have been on to date! Not only did we witness more breaches, but my cabin-mate actually caught the first one on camera!! She was supposed to be in the cage with me and would have seen it from underneath, but she had been feeling ill that morning and was sitting on the top deck trying to get some fresh air. She had her camera in her lap, heard the splash, looked up and raised the camera just in time to snap the shot! I have to admit that I was a little (ok, maybe a LOT) jealous that she was able to get the shot, but I was more excited than "green" .
You think I'm done, right?? Well, not quite yet!! On the third day of diving, I dropped in the cage for another rotation and still hoping to get "the shot". About 10 mins. into the rotation, there was a strange "vibe" in the water and I saw tons of bubbles from the panga boat circling above. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew it was BIG. Then the cage was pulled over to the boat and the divemaster was knocking rapidly on the cage. I looked over and my cagemates were starting to exit. All kinds of reasons started going through my head about why we had to be pulled out of the cage so rapidly. However, NONE of them were correct!!
It was a predation!!! The topside group had actually witnessed a Great White kill a seal and they were pulling us all out of the cages so we could join in and watch the feeding. I had never seen so much bright red blood in the water. I was mesmerized by the scene that was unfolding in front of us. The video was posted on YouTube, but if you haven't seen it yet - you should definitely check it out!! Here is the video:
Talk about ending the trip with an exclamation point!!! WOW! It just can't get better than that...or CAN it? Well, for me, there was one more event that was the icing on the cake. It was the final rotation of the final day and I was still snapping off pictures of the sharks who had been visiting all week long. There were only about 15 or 20 minutes left before we would have to return to our normal lives when my favorite shark of all time decided to pay us a visit - the infamous SHREDDER!!! I was so excited, that I actually screamed out his name through my regulator and tried telling all my cagemates that THIS was the shark I had been talking about all week. He came at the bait on my side of the cage and opened wide so I could get the shot I had been waiting for - mouth open wide with gill slits showing!
If you are looking for a trip to take or are one of those people who have always wanted to see a Great White, but just haven't made it happen, I would highly suggest you put this trip on the list. It is truly an amazing adventure!!
From the files of Shark Diver. The following white shark video was shot at Isla Guadalupe in 2004 with a large Great White.
Picture yourself 210 miles in the middle of the Pacific. It's 10.00am. A 12 Foot Great White Shark has decided to take a "keen interest" in the side of the shark cage you happen to be shooting out of.
If you happen to be fearless shark diver Sterns Bullen-you tighten your grip on your camera and hang on.
Go ahead, grab a beverage of choice and enjoy an up close look at a great white shark with 48,000 other You Tube shark fans:
For the serious shark diver there's only two places on the planet where divers can get face to face with Tiger sharks. One of these spectacular dive sites is Tiger Beach located in the Bahamas. This unique-sandy bottom dive site allows divers and filmmakers unprecedented access while filming anywhere from 2-12 Tigers at the same time. Not to mention upwards of 40 Lemon sharks as well!
For the divers and crew of Shark Diver Tiger Beach is the perfect next step from Great White shark diving at Isla Guadalupe for those who want to discover the "Wilder Species" of sharks from sub surface state of the art cages and gates.
New for 2008 Shark Diver is working with the research vessel RV Tiburon and is now running 7 day charters from Freeport, Bahamas. This new dive schedule allows our divers a full extra day of shark diving over the old schedule out of Palm Beach, Florida.
The Shark Diver crew will introduce you to Tiger sharks ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) and Great Hammerheads ( Sphyrna mokarran) and "clouds" of Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) up close and personal. Plus you'll get to snorkel and play with Spotted Dolphins, dive incredible sites complete with wrecks, reefs and more. Packing as much diving and shark encounters as they can into 7 days is what this is latest adventure is all about:
There's only a few places in the world where divers-who are crazy-can get face to face with Great White sharks with the added safety of a cage. For many in the scuba world and beyond these critters are the pinnacle underwater thrill, a close encounter with the "Man in the Grey Suit". You may want to even consider the "Grand-Tour", a visit to each shark site in under one year. For many shark divers this remains the Holy Grail of shark diving.
Be sure to save up in advance as the total cost with flights, hotels, tips, and a few beers for the fearless shark gals in South Africa will set you back about $30,000. If you put it all on Visa they may even stick you in a commercial..Priceless!
Top Three White Shark Encounters: NeptuneIslands-Australia
NeptuneIslands provide an ideal habitat for great white sharks. Great whites like rocky outcrops and volcanic islands because the shear drop-offs around the edges of the islands into cool, deep water provides the sharks with the temperature and depth that they need, while the seals and other animals that live on the islands provide an easily accessible food source. NeptuneIslands sit on a submarine shelf south east of Port Lincoln, and provide an ideal habitat for these ambush predators. This small group of rocky islands, composed of grey granite and coastal loam, supports a large colony of seals as well as a colony of endangered Australian sea lions. Underwater footage for the movie "Jaws" was shot here because the waters around these islands are a natural feeding area for great whites. They have become one of the single best great white dive destinations in the world.
Six miles off of Gansbaai, off the Western Cape of South Africa, lies Dyer Island. This is the original white shark destination and the granddaddy of them all. These low, rocky islands serve as a breeding ground for a wide variety of seabirds, while it's neighbour, a rocky outcrop called Geyser Islet, serves as a home for a large resident seal population. Put those two together and what you have is a prime time wildlife buffet for the great white sharks. White sharks, especially juveniles but also a few adults, are seen on a regular basis in the channel between the two islands where they feed on a variety of seals, often leaping completely out of the water "Air Jaws" style. This natural feeding ground is the main reason that many divers consider South Africa to be the one of the world's top shark diving destinations. With it's unique combination of wreck, reef, tropical and sub-tropical diving, this prime natural hunting ground for great whites, has earned South Africa a reputation as "the shark diving capital of the world"
GuadalupeIsland is an oceanic, volcanic island about 190 miles offshore of BajaMexico, 210 miles south of San Diego. The island has a sheer rock wall extending hundreds of feet up into the air, as well as hundreds of feet into the ocean. Great whites like rocky outcrops and volcanic islands because the shear drop-offs around the edges of the islands into cool, deep water provides the sharks with the temperature and depth that they need, while the seals and other animals that live on the islands provide an easily accessible food source. The volcanic islands are the only known reproductive zone for the Guadalupe fur seal in the world, and are important reproductive zones for a number of other marine animals as well. Recently discovered in 2001 by "Doc" Anes from San Diego Shark Diving- the islands large population of pinnipeds makes it one of the world's top places for great white shark sightings bar none.
Shark diving adventures have grown in popularity since 1990 with more operators and more dive sites than ever before. Safety and the understanding of sharks and shark behavior have led this unlikely revolution in scuba diving. Prior to the 90’s almost all species of shark were considered dangerous, even the beautiful Black Tip reef shark which today is the proud star attraction at many Shark Rodeos. Here is a short list of why you should consider a shark diving adventure on your next dive.
1. Safety first. Shark diving Rodeos have set the bar for safety and accessibility. This is when sharks are regularly baited to the same place at the same time with a small amount of fish carcass each day. Not enough to feed the sharks but just enough to keep their interest. Sharks will often come to places where they might get a chance at food. Operations like these have acclimated sharks over the years to the presence of divers. This is your chance to get close and personal with a shark, safely with trained professionals watching over your encounter.
2. Sit back and taken in the view. Caged encounters offer a more exciting way to view some of the top big shark species like the Great White and Tiger sharks. Newer cage designs and larger vessels have lead to an ongoing revolution in big animal encounters. Most operations do not require you to be scuba certified and run operations with either snorkel or with a Hookah or surface supplied air systems. With larger vessels divers can now visit more and more remote and pristine shark sites and offshore islands. The era of long range shark expeditions has just begun.
3. The “Eco Factor”. Shark dive leaders are a wealth of knowledge about the sharks you will be encountering. Operations worldwide are tuning to collaborations with shark research and will often have shark biologists on site as crew available to answer your questions. Dispelling the many negative myths surrounding sharks is the foremost concern of shark diving operations. For years the public have only seen the media’s view of sharks. With the help of trained shark staff and a marine biologist, you’ll come to learn that sharks are in fact in decline worldwide. The rewards of a shark encounter like this will change forever the way divers see big sharks. From the media hyped “killing machine”, to a more subtle understanding of the oceans top apex predators and the roles they play in today’s oceans.
4.Time is running out. “The Great White shark is, more importantly, endangered as the apex predator among fish.” Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, wrote this in response to the unregulated mass killing of sharks worldwide for just their fins. Sharks in the hundreds of millions are being taken each year to fuel the growing shark fin soup trade and many species are on the brink of collapse, never to be seen again. Sadly, shark diving encounters may be providing a last look at some of these magnificent predators that have been on this planet prior to humans. The good news is where ever you’ll find a shark dive company, you’ll also find a tireless champion of the species and with that comes eco protections from a growing chorus of thrilled divers and shark fans alike.
'Tis the season for best wishes to all. From us here the UT Crew, we wish you the very best this holiday season. 2008 will bring about a whole new slew of amazing Underwater Thrills and the UT Crew will be here to bring them to you.
If it's wet, if it's bizarre, if it's wild, you'll find it here at UT.
