Has anyone ever done one of those shark dives?

**coralsandbar** · 03-01-2002, 02:51 PM

Hello Everyone,

I am getting a chance to do a vacation in the bahamas next week.

I noticed on several dive sites and info on Bahamas that some places offer shark dives. I was able to find one reputable place that had this as their one of their featured dives.

I am currently a certified scuba diver, etc.

What has your experience been? I have been contemplating this dive and still get a nice "pit" in my stomach thinking out it.

I plan on taking pics with my underwater camera of whatever diving I do, do.

Thx.

Rob

**Dive_Master** · 03-01-2002, 03:35 PM

I have not done it, but I will one day. I'll would do it.

My next trip is to dive with the great whites in South Africa.

**SomeHairyOldGuy** · 03-01-2002, 03:46 PM

I'm with Dive_Master on that! I also want to goto CapeTown South Africa to get in a cage and watch a Great White. That would be so kewl! I get all excited just thinking about it!
SHOG

**Dive_Master** · 03-01-2002, 04:27 PM

Sharks are being portrayed as killers and eating machines, but they are no different than lions, tigers, or other predators in thd wild, even humans.

They need to eat to survive.

Sharks dives are my favorite. I am starting to build a 25 foot diameter tank for some sharks in my basement in Chicago.

My wife likes the idea, but she thinks that I am nuts. The basement is mine.

I had some leopard sharks and horn sharks, but had to give them away. They grew out of the 200 gallon tank.

**SomeHairyOldGuy** · 03-01-2002, 04:38 PM

That sounds killer man. If you ever complete it I sure would like to check it out sometime.
SHOG

**Dive_Master** · 03-01-2002, 05:10 PM

The tank will be made out of wood with fiberglass paint (many coats) on top(same as on boats). The viewing window will consist of two glass panes. I still need to get those. (mucho bucks). Most of the top will be open.

It will be 6 feet deep. I wish my ceiling was higher. I may make it 5 feet deep so I can have 4 feet to sit on top. I do not know yet.

I need to buy some Stock in salt companies. This is going to be expensive. I will put my green moray in there with the sharks. I hope they will be ok. I know a guy that has a smaller tank like this and the green moray jump put one night. He boke off part of the egg crate that was on top around the sides of the tank.

I will post pictures when I'm done.

**mastaJ** · 03-01-2002, 11:05 PM

I've been on a shark dive. They are so cool. Just remember that they aren't great whites or anything. They are just nurse and reef sharks, esp. in Bahamas.

What Happens: Everyone goes down to the "site." The sharks are allready there because they always feed them there. Everyone kneels on the sandbed. Then they reel the chum down and all the sharks eat it. Really cool and quite an expierence. At the site I went to there was about 20 divers and about 40-50 sharks.

I had a ~15 foot nurse shark swim within 12 inches of my face mask.

I was a bit nervous like 5 mins before I jumped in but there is NOTHING to worry about.

**coralsandbar** · 03-02-2002, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the inside tips and personal experiences. It still sounds very exciting!

Sounds like a cool tank Dive_Master! I'd be interested in seeing the pics when all is said and done.

Thanks for the info,

Rob

**Ltspd** · 03-02-2002, 03:22 PM

Originally posted by Dive_Master
I have not done it, but I will one day. I'll would do it.

My next trip is to dive with the great whites in South Africa.

I would have to wear a diaper

**scubadude** · 03-03-2002, 09:22 AM

I have not done it either....but I have heard many things about the "Shark Rodeo" in the bahamas they have a frozen 55gal drum of chum that they sink to about 40' and you dive down to the bottom at 45' and soon you will be surrounded by many sharks maybe even a hammerhead or two....Everyone that I know that has done this said that it is a massive adrenaline rush! You obviously keep your hands to your sides and DONT use flash on your camera if you do use your camera. Dont be surprised if a shark bumps you cuz you are in the path of food....but most of the sharks are very tame and recognizes humans as a spectator....however you will basically sign a release saying that they arent responsible if you become part of the "Chum"

**coralsandbar** · 03-03-2002, 09:36 AM

Yeah, I will probably have to wear a diaper for a little while. At least they will realize that I don't taste good at all.

Yeah, I'm absolutely positively sure it will be one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I have ever felt. I'm sure bungee jumping will not compare at all with anything like this!

I at least want to be in a good spot where I can use my camera with flash.

I have heard and seen on Discovery that the camera can sometimes interfer with the sharks electrical field, etc as the flash is recharging. I guess I'll just have to read the sharks fins, arching of the back so I know when to not take pics.

Rob

**karun** · 03-08-2002, 04:42 AM

Rob,
I just got back from a diving trip in Lakshwadeep. (Near the Maldives). I saw lots of white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks and nurse sharks. The largest was about 6 feet. These were just regular dives without any food thrown in to attract sharks. I also did a night dive where a shark came into the flashlight beam and got disoriented. It ended up following the light beam to within a foot of my hand. Quite a rush.
I would love to dive in the Bahamas. Enjoy the dive

Karun

**scubadude** · 03-08-2002, 07:16 AM

Did anyone watch that episode on Animal Planet (i believe) where that long haired dude (manty i believe was his name) rode sharks...he dove down gave them some food then grabbed hold of them and rode them....It was AWESOME!!! then his 2 other colleagues did it right after him!

**coralsandbar** · 03-11-2002, 06:36 PM

Well,

I got back late last night from my Bahamas trip. And all I gotta say is that the shark dive was absolutely awesome!!!

The trip out to "Shark Alley," was rough. Not to mention the pit that everyone had in their stomachs didn't help either. It was just another couple, me, photographer, and the divemaster. The lady in the group threw up and swallowed it back down and her husband/boyfriend was pacing drinking water like we was going to be as well. I was starting to feel that way as well 5 minutes prior to actual dive.

The guy that was feeding the sharks said that he would go first with the bait box (he dressed in chain mail) and the sharks would follow him. He said we wouldn't see any sharks upon first entering the water.

I dove in and immediately looked down. There were 6 sharks circling the very bottom below the boat! (I'm thinking to myself, "Ok, no sharks, yeah right!"). The sharks didn't bother us at all on the way to our shark feeding destination. It was more their sure curiousity then anything.

We were instructed to kneel down on a sandy spot and sit shoulder-to-shoulder. There was a concrete slab where the guy in chain mail came out with his tube stuffed with fish. By the time we kneeled down their were sharks everywhere. (They tell you to sit shoulder to shoulder so you form a visual reference for the sharks. It also keeps them from swimming between you and getting wacked by their tails and any stray fishing line attached to the sharks).

The sharks were absolutely everywhere!!! They even, at one point, started a small frenzy. The sharks swim right along side of you and over the top of you!

The most comical part of the whole deal was a small nurse shark waited anxiously at foot (like a dog) waiting to be fed. As soon as she got her bite of fish, she realized it was all she was going to get a chance to eat and she then took off into the distance.

I have to admit the whole experience was nerve wracking at first for the first 10-15 minutes, but once one realizes the sharks recognize divers and don't want to eat them it's all fine.

We stayed down there for about 30 minutes then we swam towards the boat while the guy with the bait box swam the other way.

I've got the whole ordeal on video tape and camera. I won't get my film back until Thursday night. The dive place (Xanadu) dubbed the tape all edited and had the music already on the tape.

I would recommend this dive to any avid scuba diver, etc. One of the most fabulous dives I've ever done. If I would have had one more day I would have done the dolphin dive.

It was very cool! I'll post pics later on when they are available to me. I have one nice shot of a shark less than 1" away!

Rob

**coralsandbar** · 03-16-2002, 06:03 PM

I definitely had much respect for all the sharks down there, I can tell you that. There were at least easily 20 black tip reef sharks.
I am in the process of downloading an mpeg video of a small portion of the video tape that I have. I can at least post a link or the pic on my site so far.

How's this for a closeup?

I'll at least post a link to the video when it's finally done downloading.

Thx.

Rob

**Elmo18** · 03-18-2002, 01:15 PM

Hey, I dont see the ear he bit off. :eek3:

Nice pic!!

-Ilham

**coralsandbar** · 03-18-2002, 08:27 PM

Here's a link to my undercontruction shark dive page with a small mpeg on it.

http://www.coralsandbar.com/sharkdive.html

Rob

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