Grand Bahama shark dive - does every op do the same dive or is one better?

[qwimjim]

In Nassau it seems Stuart Cove's is the only one doing the shark feeding dive, but in Grand Bahama does everyone do the same shark dive? Or more precisely does Grand Bahama Scuba do the same shark dive as Unexso? I know Stuart Cove does the Tiger Beach day trip but I'm just wondering about the Caribbean Reef Shark dives, thanks!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Could you clarify what you mean by "the same shark dive"? I haven't done UNEXSO's shark dive, but I did one with Grand Bahama Scuba. I have to believe that one dive op's shark dive consists of pretty much the same thing as any other dive op's shark dive: they open the chum bucket, and you sit there on the sand while the sharks swarm around. Simple as that. I did shark dives in Fiji and Roatan, as well, and they were all pretty much like that. Sometimes the divemaster holds a piece of fish out for a shark to take. If there is some dive op that has the sharks dress up in tophat and tails and dance for you, I'd like to know.

 

[qwimjim]

Could you clarify what you mean by "the same shark dive"? I haven't done UNEXSO's shark dive, but I did one with Grand Bahama Scuba. I have to believe that one dive op's shark dive consists of pretty much the same thing as any other dive op's shark dive: they open the chum bucket, and you sit there on the sand while the sharks swarm around. Simple as that. I did shark dives in Fiji and Roatan, as well, and they were all pretty much like that. Sometimes the divemaster holds a piece of fish out for a shark to take. If there is some dive op that has the sharks dress up in tophat and tails and dance for you, I'd like to know.

oh ok, i had read that one op doesn't feed and just chums the surface so divers are on the bottom looking up at the sharks instead of having them all around them. basically there seemed to be a lot of poor reviews of unexso (cattle herding, crappy dm's, short dives, etc) and so i planned on diving with grand bahama scuba, but would do the shark dive with unexso if theirs was somehow a superior experience.

 

[Lorenzoid]

oh ok, i had read that one op doesn't feed and just chums the surface so divers are on the bottom looking up at the sharks instead of having them all around them. basically there seemed to be a lot of poor reviews of unexso (cattle herding, crappy dm's, short dives, etc) and so i planned on diving with grand bahama scuba, but would do the shark dive with unexso if theirs was somehow a superior experience.

Interesting. I have not heard of a dive billed as a "shark dive" where they chum the surface. If that exists--anywhere in the world--that is a total ripoff and, it seems to me, possibly dangerous.

Grand Bahama Scuba has fans on Scubaboard, which is why I opted to dive with them instead of, say, UNEXSO. As you've no doubt discovered, SB members can be fussy and cry "cattle boat" if there are more than six divers on a boat. Others have said UNEXSO is top-notch in professionalism but does put a lot of people on each boat (though the boats are larger) and does limit dive time. Again, I have no firsthand experience with UNEXSO. If I recall, I also gave Caribbean Divers a try and had a good experience, though it was not a shark dive. If Grand Bahama Scuba is still run by Fred and Melinda, go for it.

 

[Wookie]

I am very concerned for the success of your vacation. You seem to be very concerned about the shark dive, how it works, and if one shark dive is better than another based on some subjective criteria that you haven't provided. You might describe for us what the perfect shark dive is based on your preconceived notions, then we can help you find what you are looking for. I do want to remind you that sharks are wild animals, and they might not feel like showing up on the particular day you have set aside for this experience. The right kind of shark might not have gotten the memo that you want to look at it. I've seen an awful lot of "vacations completely ruined" because the wildlife didn't show up as expected. I'd never want that to happen to you or anyone else for that matter. The dive business is all about managing expectations. If we know what you expect, then we can help you find an op that will fulfill them.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Another thought that occurred to me in view of what Wookie said is that, ya know, you can always do ANOTHER shark dive in the future or save some option for a future trip, rather than trying to cram a lot into one trip or fretting over choosing the "best" option. I think that sometimes, in researching how to put together "the optimal trip," we lose sight of the fact that this will be just one of many dive trips we will take, and we will hopefully have many more years of diving and trips in our lives. Maybe sometimes it's best to just roll the dice, pick an option, and then you can always do it differently next time if you find something didn't suit you. The Bahamas, Cozumel, etc., are relatively easy destinations for us North Americans. Do a trip report on SB and let the rest of us benefit from what you learned.

 

[Donnah]

We've done three dives that I think of as "shark dives."
1. Somewhere in the Bahamas: We knelt on the sand, close together, DM had chum bucket and pulled out chunks of meat with a spear. The sharks seemed to take their turns coming up to him and getting a chunk. They were very polite sharks.
2. In Nassau: We did a drift dive while the DM squirted blood out of a pop bottle with a sports top. I got some very cool images of sharks. It was exciting with sharks everywhere cruising close by.
3. In Australia: Everyone in cages for the first half except for photographers who could be clinging on the top of the cage. DM had a chum bucket with holes in it to attract the sharks. At his signal, everyone had to be in the cage, then he opened the bucket. Chaos, no visibility. Sharks, big fish all over the place fighting for the chum.

 

[Sharkphoto]

There is also the option of the Tiger Shark Liveaboard boats. They go from West Palm beach then hang around in the "tiger Beach" area. You do many dives a day and some night dives and some dives on reefs. Tiger sharks, caribbean, and lemon sharks are almost guaranteed and often you get hammerheads. Plus other fish too. Most use chum to attract some hosts hand feed - it depend on who is chartering the boat that week. I charter a week each year as a photographer and it is loads of fun and most guests bring a camera or go pro. We even to pole cam stuff from the deck while chumming. Great encounters and we get plenty of time to observe and learn.

The boat I charter is just one of about 3 who do trips all winter season (this is when the sharks are resident)

Gregory Sweeney Photography and Photography Tours