I want to be responsible - -Diving Bora Bora without baiting Sharks

[Lorax]

I am the first to admit that having wildlife conveniently show up is so much better than not seeing anything, but still I side with the environmentalists that advise chumming the waters leads to UN-natural animal behavior, and to me it seems just plain old common sense it would be better if sharks did not associate diving humans with food. That being said, can anyone recommend a dive operator in Bora Bora that does not feed the sharks and/or chum the water?

 

[TSandM]

I don't know; the dive op we used did a shark feeding dive. But we were successful on Tahiti with asking the dive op not to take us for that kind of dive, and to go somewhere else. We ended up having a very nice dive on a pretty little wall with tons of life, and two fun wrecks. You can at least try it.

 

[electrix]

Moorea had more sharks than we could count several years ago don't remember seeing many at Bora Bora

 

[cbm32]

I love seeing sharks without the aid of feedings. However, when I do they are never as close or stay around as long.

It is my understanding that most shark species are opportunistic feeders and do a lot of scavenging as apposed to hunting. Even great whites dont insist on making a kill to feed and will gladly tear into a dead whale floating on the surface.

So in many ways shark feeds fall into the category of "natural behavior" for the sharks.

I have not seen/read any evidence at all that shark feeds create sharks that are more prone to attacking humans than sharks that have not been fed.

I have seen/read about sharks hanging out near areas close to busy beaches where fishing boats clean their catch and toss the refuse into the water. This seems to be a much more hazardous situation since it brings the sharks into areas where swimmers, snorkelers, and surfers can be mistaken for natural prey as they are on the surface presenting a silhouette that more resembles a sharks natural prey.

I have not done every shark dive out there of course, but the ones that I have done were not real close to swimming/surfing areas.

The few stories I have heard of divers actually being bitten by a shark during a shark feed have nearly all included some major breach in protocol by the diver in question. In every case I am aware of, the diver bitten was one taking part in the feeding and not one of the observers. The bitten diver being so used to feeding the sharks that he/she becomes complacent and does something that is ill advised at best.

In my thinking, the positives of shark feeds (basically education for the divers and good publicity for sharks) far out way the negatives.

Given all of the preceeding info

 

[richh32]

borax i dont understand your question "you want to do a shark dive with an operator that doesnt chum/bait the water"? what do you want them to use to attract the sharks?

 

[Lorax]

borax i dont understand your question "you want to do a shark dive with an operator that doesnt chum/bait the water"? what do you want them to use to attract the sharks?

Diving in an area that is known to have sharks hang out - -and hoping to be lucky enough to see one. I guess much like every dive - -discovery is part of the thrill.

I am not afraid of sharks or shark attacks (Respectful? You bet.), but some of the reports into recent incidents blame dive operators feeding and baiting the sharks and inadvertently teaching sharks to associate people with food (this doesn't seem to be a stretch in my mind); in fact one report I read on the incident in Egypt theorized that the multiple attacks on victims buttocks was proof as it was exactly the same spot dive operators wore their bait bag. The ban against feeding the bears in Yellowstone is more about protecting the bears than the people, likewise if we stop baiting sharks, and attacks go down, that will serve the sharks more than the people. I understand people care more about what they see, and education is important - it just seems a fine line.

 

[paulw]

I dove Moorea in 2009 and was NEVER in the water with less than 10 - 20 sharks and there was no feeding, I dove with Bathys Diving.

 

[honey bea]

We are on our way to the South Pacific. Can you recommend your dive operator or name the beautiful walll?

 

[paulw]

We are on our way to the South Pacific. Can you recommend your dive operator or name the beautiful walll?

If you are asking me I dove with Bathys Diving and the picture was taken on the island of Moorea at a dive site called "The Rose Garden"