Night Snorkeling off Grand Bahama?

Hi All:

Last summer I spent a wonderful 10 days in Grand Bahama. We enjoyed snorkeling off the beach a great deal, almost as much as the scuba diving. We're going back in August, and are interested in the idea of night snorkeling to do some photography, lobster hunting, and general sightseeing.

I understand that sharks tend to come in to shallow water to hunt at night. Something we need to be concerned about? A lot of web sites just say "Don't snorkel at night" but don't give an idea of the increase in risk.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Jason

Howdy,

Yea, sharks come in at night, especially Tigers who are hunting turtles. I wouldn't do it, personally. It is different when you are wearing tanks and a regulator.... the sounds are odd enough to put off most sharks.

You might consider looking into a shark repeller and a bang stick or pole spear - I understand that they work pretty well but I don't know if you can trust them enough for night swimming.

Tiger sharks and Bull sharks are pretty opportunistic and are definitely attracted to any surface splashing. You need to be very quiet and deliberate, and off the surface when you are in sharky places. You can swim with sharks if you are in their element, you are calm and deliberate and you don't move erratically. They can sense your heartrate so you have to keep it calm, and know your body language (and their's). Visibility is the main issue. Your lights won't give you enough range of viewing to see them....

I wouldn't suggest doing it at night, though. Anything over 6ft long can be a problem, especially with Tigers and Bulls.


Lungfish

Hey JBowl,

I was in Hawaii last summer and we were considering snorkeling at night, just you are. I asked a local Dive Master who had lived in Hawaii all his life if it was a good idea. He said, "You never want to tempt a creature as powerful as a Tiger shark." I decided to take his advice!

JBowl0101:

Hi All:

Last summer I spent a wonderful 10 days in Grand Bahama. We enjoyed snorkeling off the beach a great deal, almost as much as the scuba diving. We're going back in August, and are interested in the idea of night snorkeling to do some photography, lobster hunting, and general sightseeing.

I understand that sharks tend to come in to shallow water to hunt at night. Something we need to be concerned about? A lot of web sites just say "Don't snorkel at night" but don't give an idea of the increase in risk.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Jason

Click to expand...

The last ones of note were in 2001...

http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/wmview.php?ArtID=2813

http://www.sharkattackphotos.com/Shark_Attacks_in_Bahamas.htm

Thank you all for your replies. We'll probably talk to the local dive shop, and pass unless they do it routinely.

Jason

I went night snorkeling in Bonaire off a pier. It was amazing to see everything come alive. It was close to shore so sharks werent a concern. We saw 2 frog fish, eels, seahorses and tons of fish. And the colors of the corals were beautiful. It was a different experience from night diving.

I've snorkeled at night in Hawaii and numerous places in the Caribbean (including Grand Bahama) without issue. The locals seem to be nervous about doing it. For me, it's worth the risk (if there is any added risk). There is much to see at night that isn't visible durring the day.

JBowl0101:

I understand that sharks tend to come in to shallow water to hunt at night. Something we need to be concerned about?

Click to expand...

You state that, yet ask if you should be concerned?? Scuba at night is one thing, floating around on top in the dark is crazy if you ask me....

Christof

njdiver20:

It was close to shore so sharks werent a concern.

Click to expand...

He heh.... You too? How about telling that to all the shark victims that were in 4 ft of water or less.... Most shark attacks occur in shallow water.... :huh:

Christof

Most shallow water sharks (including reef species) are crepuscular, not nocturnal. Bump your night dive up a few hours after sunset. You can also minimize potential encounters with large animals by avoiding wall or seamount dives.

That said, unless Grand Bahama is unusually rich in sharks for the Commonwealth, odds are poor that you're going to see anything scarier than a nurse shark or large stingray. In some areas of the Bahamas you can't even find nurse sharks anymore.