shark and other fish feeding

[novicediver]

This may very well be a dead horse, but I am too old, lazy, and tired to do a search, and maybe someone else wants to talk about it too. Have any of you participated in shark feeding dives? If so what was the experience like? I love sharks and when I start diving again, hope to see more of them in a natural setting. I am just curious why we as humans have these kinds of expeditions though. Do we go on nature hikes and feed the bears? Is there a difference? Some of these trips take place under the auspice of education, but aren't there better ways to educate without exploitation and creating unnatural circumstances? Now I am not trying to start any kind of flame war, and I'm not criticizing anyone's diving preferences, I am just curious.

PS - save the popcorn or dead horse smilies, I am only looking for a fresh discussion not an argument

 

[tstormdiver]

I have been on several shark feeding dives (usually live aboards). The first time was cool. I was a brand new diver had never been around or seen sharks, but have always been fascinated by them. After the first time, the rest of the feedings I have been on, I really could have cared less if it was done, but understand for those other new divers who want to see the experience. I much more prefer to see the sharks anymore, doing their natural behaviors. Are the feedings a good thing? I don't know... I see both sides. 1- it conditions the sharks to being fed by humans, reducing their natural fear of humans. 2- the sharks are not doing their natural thing. On the other side, I can see where it may be a bit of an educational thing for some divers who might not get any other chance to see sharks while diving. While yes, some of their behavior is not natural, some of it is, also. If anything, I look at it as a necessary evil (for lack of a better term), kind of like zoological parks & such.

 

[novicediver]

Fair enough, I am becoming less a fan of zoos, aquariums such as SeaWorld, and the like as I get older. The animals look too bored, and in the wild will roam hundreds of miles in a day. I am neither a fanatic nor idealist, but things like that seem way too contrived.

 

[DandyDon]

I took a baggie of dry cat food on a dive once years ago to try attract reef fishes. The triggers and cudas chased everything else away. One cuda followed me back to the boat. Never again.

 

[drrich2]

I am just curious why we as humans have these kinds of expeditions though. Do we go on nature hikes and feed the bears? Is there a difference? Some of these trips take place under the auspice of education, but aren't there better ways to educate without exploitation and creating unnatural circumstances?

We do it because people want to see sharks.

Some people feed bears. Conventional wisdom views feeding bears as more likely to precipitate situations resulting in dead bears &/or dead people. Saw an old 'Faces of Death' video where a guy was dropping food to a grizzly outside his RV, got out to film it, & it turned & killed him. There's hot theoretical debate on whether shark feeding makes potential maneaters more likely to kill us, but there's not as much theoretical agreement on that as there is on bears. Yet, anyway. Time may tell. So yeah, there's a difference.

Auspice of education? It amazes me how our culture is oddly ashamed of hedonistic recreational sight-seeing of animals. If you want to learn about sharks, save time & money...stay home & use Google or order some books off Amazon. Yes, you might make some personally fulfilling observation staring at reef sharks in the Bahamas (not that there's a lack of videos to watch at home), but I don't think that's the primary motivation. People want to see sharks for the fun of it.

Exploitation? Now there's a word that gets used to death in our culture. The sharks don't seem to mind it! To some extent, most any transaction can be seen as exploitation. My employer exploits my dependency on a paycheck to get me to come to work. This issue is whether the shark population is suffering undue harm as a result.

We precipitate unnatural circumstances when we strap on scuba gear & dive. Considering the human impact on shark populations, fish populations & the ocean, I'd say 'unnatural circumstances' are pretty much a given, anyway.

Many people would probably prefer to observe sharks ambling along 'naturally,' but we're told many sharks are afraid of divers & avoid us like the plague. So a lot of folks paying thousands apiece for exotic tropical vacations may not (in some locations probably will not) see sharks at all (much less in decent numbers & close & long enough for a good look at) without the feeding dives. I'm up to around 83 dives or so, the large majority in Bonaire with a few elsewhere in the Caribbean, and I haven't seen a shark yet.

I haven't yet had the chance to participate in a shark feeding dive. I probably would, though. As long as it didn't involve something akin to chumming for great whites near populated beaches or something along those lines. With that in mind, I do think the practice bears guarded, cautious monitoring.

Richard.

 

[TMHeimer]

You're ALL crazy. Why???? Seeing a shark sucks.

 

[Damselfish]

I haven't heard enough evidence against shark feeds that I'm violently against them, but I'd say there's much more chance of downside than upside. I'm certainly not fond of the idea and have no interest in participating.

It's really not necessary to do a shark feed to see sharks. If you dive a decent amount, particularly in the right locations (generally not Bonaire), you'll get to see them - especially if you make a point of scanning the blue periodically. I couldn't remotely guess at how many I've seen and I've never even chosen a destination with that in mind. Some places it's a few lucky ones and some places they're just known to be around more.

 

[Mike Boswell]

We see lots of sharks during normal dives and they are beautiful, graceful animals. Typically, on tropical reefs we see smaller sharks like white tips, grey reef, nurse, etc. and we often see soupfin sharks here in San Diego.

I've also been on two shark feeding dives in Fiji, and on those, the sharks were surrounded by thousands of fish of all sizes in a mad feeding frenzy. On those dives we saw larger species like bull and tiger sharks. It is a spectacle, and you do see the larger sharks, but it isn't a natural setting and not something I would do again.

 

[DandyDon]

I haven't heard enough evidence against shark feeds that I'm violently against them, but I'd say there's much more chance of downside than upside. I'm certainly not fond of the idea and have no interest in participating.

What about when the local sharks learn to follow boats in hopes of handouts, then are caught by local fishermen?

Or how about when divers are killed in chummed dives?

 

[knowone]

Rarely see big ones of the sharp tooth variety naturally, but they still seem 16 times bigger even the small supposed harmlessish ones.
Used to go privately with a couple of blokes to a couple of spots frequented by the sharp tooth variety and did our darnedest to avoid feeding them. Haven't been for ten years and it would still get the sphincter going. Will go again but theres no rush.

People and sharks is only good without the people. There are already hordes enough in cars and shops without taking them with you elsewhere.

If you look past the boredom of animals in zoo's you would see psychological impairment and borderline psychopathy.


People well do you give them what they want or make something and suggest they need it.


Yes I do.