What's a guy gotta do to dive with sharks?

[quikcolin]

Hey everyone,

I'm an advanced/nitrox diver who desperately wants to go on a shark dive. More than anything do I want to dive with this misunderstood creatures.

I'm going to be on a Caribbean cruise next month (going to Nassau - Bahamas, Grand Turk - Turks and Caicos, San Juan - Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas).... is there ANYWHERE I can dive with sharks? I found an amazing spot in Turks and Caicos, but it's in the Providenciales Islands (have amazing shark dives)... and have no way to get from our cruise ship and back in time. Also, Stewarts Cove in Nassau (who does a shark feed) only do afternoon dives, and the timing doesn't work, and won't allow us to get back to the ship on time :(

There has to be somewhere? In Grand Turk (other than Providenciales islands - would have to be main land), or in Puerto Rico.... we plan to dive the Miss Opportunity and WITT Shoal II in St. Thomas, so that's out...

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Colin

[dallaskincaid]

I think there are some other operators in Nassau who offer shark dives. Not to be THAT guy, but have you googled?

[aceupmysleeve777]

Like dallaskincaid said I'm sure other operators offer shark dives. Also even if you don't book a shark dive there's a good chance you'll get to see some sharks on dives in Nassau.

[Scuba_Noob]

If you want to guarantee shark dives, you might want to plan a diving vacation (versus diving as a side activity to a cruise), so that you're not in such a time crunch.

Just Googling gets me a few sites - Bahamas Scuba | Bahamas Scuba Diving | Nassau Scuba Dive | Freeport Scuba (http://scubadivebahamas.com/?gclid=COy_iNOQl68CFQ4zhwodGn_Z9w) or Attractions on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/attractions_stt/) , but I don't really have personal experience. I recommend contacting dive shops there before you head out to ask questions and actually make reservations. I'm sure those types of dives are popular.

[gconner]

Plan a trip to North Carolina. We have plenty of sharks that you can dive with :-)

Check out some of the dive blogs from Mike Gerkin and Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City from last year. It's not unusual to have more sharks on the wrecks than divers. And these are not the same "shark dive" that you see in the Caribbean where they feed the sharks to get them to come to the divers. You get to experience the sharks in their natural environment.

Here's the link to Mike's blog Blog - Evolution Underwater Imaging - Mike Gerken | SmugMug (http://www.evolutionunderwater.com/BlogSpot/Blog/21489545_SSQ4kk)

He's got some great videos from last year and I'm sure we'll see more great things from him this year.

[diversteve]

Oddly enough there doesn't seem to be much mention of shark sitings off Grand Turk - turtles and dolphins though. Which is weird because we saw a lot of sharks on the other side of the islands near West Caicos and especially French Cay.

As I mentioned in your other thread, your best bet is still Nassau with either Stuart Cove's or Bahama Divers. As I mentioned in your other thread, Bahama Divers dives the lost Blue Hole 3x week in the morning and sharks are often seen there.

Or some of the dive sites that Stuart Cove's regularly dives. You can request sites on the boat. Most divers would likely be interested also.

Go to their interactive map and hover over each site. Stuart Cove (http://www.stuartcove.com/dive_map.aspx?pageId=52#)

A few in particular:

Shark Wall - site #33 - has to be just about a given...lol.
Edwin Williams Wreck - site #35 - the photo shows multiple reef sharks.
They're the two closest sites to the Shark Arena where the feed is held. So the sharks hang out nearby even when they're not being fed. We observed the same behavior near Cay Sal in the Bahamas.

Site 14 - Nari Nari mentions Hammerheads.
Site 19 - Shark Wall North - another obvious choice.
Site 22 - Treasure Wreck - shows at least 5 sharks in the photo. And it's where they filmed Into The Blue.

There's a 1/2 dozen other site descriptions that mention Reef sharks also.

That's where I'd go.

[dallaskincaid]

I just dove with Stuart Cove on Thursday last week and the divemasters and captains are usually pretty open to suggestions on where they are going to take you to dive. The only exception to this is if they have students on the boat or resort divers.

[Teller]

Dive in the Gulf of Mexico a few times. I just got back from Florida and we saw sharks everyday including Bull Sharks!

[quikcolin]

I think there are some other operators in Nassau who offer shark dives. Not to be THAT guy, but have you googled?

From what I understand, Stewarts Cove is the only "shark dive" operator in Nassau - they have a monopoly going on or something.

I've googled the HELL out of this topic, this was my last resort lol

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 12:15 PM ----------


Oddly enough there doesn't seem to be much mention of shark sitings off Grand Turk - turtles and dolphins though. Which is weird because we saw a lot of sharks on the other side of the islands near West Caicos and especially French Cay.

As I mentioned in your other thread, your best bet is still Nassau with either Stuart Cove's or Bahama Divers. As I mentioned in your other thread, Bahama Divers dives the lost Blue Hole 3x week in the morning and sharks are often seen there.

Or some of the dive sites that Stuart Cove's regularly dives. You can request sites on the boat. Most divers would likely be interested also.

Go to their interactive map and hover over each site. Stuart Cove (http://www.stuartcove.com/dive_map.aspx?pageId=52#)

A few in particular:

Shark Wall - site #33 - has to be just about a given...lol.
Edwin Williams Wreck - site #35 - the photo shows multiple reef sharks.
They're the two closest sites to the Shark Arena where the feed is held. So the sharks hang out nearby even when they're not being fed. We observed the same behavior near Cay Sal in the Bahamas.

Site 14 - Nari Nari mentions Hammerheads.
Site 19 - Shark Wall North - another obvious choice.
Site 22 - Treasure Wreck - shows at least 5 sharks in the photo. And it's where they filmed Into The Blue.

There's a 1/2 dozen other site descriptions that mention Reef sharks also.

That's where I'd go.

LOL thanks again DiverSteve... I have spoken to Bahama Divers and they have the Lost Blue Hole on Monday (which is the day we'll be in Nassau)... sounds like that is the the best chance I'll have to see a shark (or a bunch of them - fingers crossed)

What about other (none shark dives) in Grand Turk? Any suggestions on operators, or dive sights?

Thanks again!

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 12:16 PM ----------


Plan a trip to North Carolina. We have plenty of sharks that you can dive with :-)

Check out some of the dive blogs from Mike Gerkin and Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City from last year. It's not unusual to have more sharks on the wrecks than divers. And these are not the same "shark dive" that you see in the Caribbean where they feed the sharks to get them to come to the divers. You get to experience the sharks in their natural environment.

Here's the link to Mike's blog Blog - Evolution Underwater Imaging - Mike Gerken | SmugMug (http://www.evolutionunderwater.com/BlogSpot/Blog/21489545_SSQ4kk)

He's got some great videos from last year and I'm sure we'll see more great things from him this year.

I had no idea there were sharks in North Carolina?!?! My uncle lives there - might be a good excuse to visit!

What is the water temp like??

[electrix]

Go to Tahiti "shark diving capital of the world" you will see more sharks than you can count.

[Mark Derail]

I saw publicity on SB for Guadalupe diving with sharks in a cage.

[rmh84]

Dad has a great video of the Nassau Sewart's cove dive. He and a buddy were being cheap though - they went down on their own 1 dive site over from the shark feed and then swam over. Really cool videos from that.

[Razorback76]

If your only going to Nassau then Stuart Cove is a possibility. If you make it to Freeport ask to dive the Pretender wreck dive site. There are almost always some reef sharks hanging out at that location. There should be plenty of youtube footage shot there.

[TMHeimer]

quikcolin, Sorry to be of no help. When I see my first one I'll look like your avatar.

[Hoomi]

Beqa Lagoon Fiji has an incredible shark dive. Nurse sharks, lemons, bulls, reef sharks, and - on the dive we did with Aqua Trek - the 14' Tiger Shark. Granted, you're not heading to Fiji this trip, but you might consider it for a future trip. In our opinion, the shark dive alone made the trip worth it, and it was only one day of a whole week of wonderful diving.

[farsidefan1]

I like your odds of seeing sharks in the Bahamas. I've been there a few times and it seems like I saw sharks on most dives, not just the organized shark dives.

[vladimir]

A lot of places can bring sharks in with bait. If you want to see sharks behaving naturally, ie., in the absence of bait or lure, then Cocos Island, the Galapagos, Palau, and Rangiroa are the most prominent destinations.

From Cocos:

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/cocos_hammerhead7.jpg

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/cocos_hammerhead12.jpg

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/500/cocos_hammerhead15.jpg

[Davemohio]

Fantastic photos Vlad.

My favorite shark dives are The Hyde in North Carolina..probably one of my favorite dive sites period. I could do it all day/every day.

And the shark dives in Grand Bahama.

[DivemasterDennis]

My wife and I do not go on shark dives where feeding occurs. Lots of people do, and that's there business. In order to dive with sharks, you need to go where the sharks are. In the Carribean, that is almost everywhere. We have enjoyed nurse sharks in Mexico south of Playa del Carmen, have seen lots of grey reef sharks in the southern Bahamas without feeding them, often see white tipped reef sharks in Hawaii (on Maui at a site called Mala Pier you will see them on nearly every dive), hammerhead sharks off Molokai, and regularly see nurse sharks off Key Largo. We saw sharks in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji, while NOT on the shark dive. Finally, I did see a large tiger shark at Molkini Crater, Hawaii back wall a couple of years back. None of these was a shark feeding encounter. Just saying.
DivemasterDennis

[divekraz]

If you want to go some place in North America you are assured of seeing sharks. Go to Hatteras N. Carolina. When there, we dive with Capt. J.T. Capt JT's Wreck Diving Site - Diving Hatteras NC and Virginia Beach VA (http://capt-jt.com/) who runs a 6 pack. He was in the book divers down. Great boat if he lets you on. There are many places to travel to if you'd like to see sharks naturally as others have said. Cocos, Galapagos, Fiji, for sure. There are places in the Bahamas that feed shark other than stuarts cove and you can google them. To be assured of seeing Sand tiger sharks in North America so you don't have a huge distance to travel, I'd go to Hatteras. I saw sharks on every dive we did.

Shark Encounter 8-25-06 Hatteras - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX8o60T6J9U)

Click on the link above to see a 10 foot Sand Tiger Shark charging me on a wreck in Hatteras, North Carolina on 8-25-2006. I had just finished filming a moray eel on a 600' wreck, middle of the deck, nothing around me but space, at 90'fsw with good visibility. My wife Cathy suddenly spun me around and all I saw were teeth coming at me. I immediately turned on my camera. The shark didn't turn until I shoved the camera at it which was way to close at one ft away. This took less than 3 seconds for the shark to cover about 25'. If I wasn't facing the shark I'm not sure what would've happened. My wife says she saved my life, I say she put the biggest piece of meat between her and the shark. If you slow the speed you can see a Remora under the shark and see the clouds of fish in the background to see how large the shark was. Also note the pectoral fins are angled downward which indicates the shark is in a aggressive mode. When the fins are out straight they are relaxed. Divers especially and people in general are not a food source for sharks and are bitten 99.9% of the time due to mistaken identity. This shark probably didn't read the same book we've been reading. Yes, I did go diving on the same wreck the next day and I saw at least 6 more sharks. They pretty much ignored us as they should. I'm pretty sure I saw the same shark who just cruised on by me

[dallaskincaid]

You could always just dive with a lot of bloody fish on a line trailing behind you. Something will happen...Not sure what, but SOMETHING will.

[quikcolin]

Thanks for everyone's replies. Rather than address you each individually, please accept a big group "Thank you" ;)

Well it looks like we've finalized our plans. We're doing the following dives while on our cruise.

Nassau - diving the "Lost Blue Hole", which I understand has sharks frequenting the area regularly.
St. Thomas - The WITT Shoal II and Miss Opportunity wrecks
Grand Turk - one of their ledge dives.... I'm hoping the deep water meeting the shallower waters might bring a shark or two in (fingers crossed).

What I've learned is if you want do do a shark dive, you need to skip the cruise and track the sharks down. One of the islands in Turks and Caicos has outstanding, natural, none feeding shark diving - which I hope to do one day in the near future. Here is the link if anyone is interested...

Shark Diving in the Bahamas, Dive with Caribbean Reef Sharks (http://www.tcidiving.com/ca_sharkdive.htm)

Also, it sounds like N. Carolina is another great spot for sharks - which is perfect as I have family there!

I will be reviving this thread when I return from our trip (May 5th - 14th) and hope to have a video of sharks to show everyone! I just ordered a Backscatter housing for my GoPro Hero 2, so again - fingers crossed!

Thanks again everyone!

[diversteve]

From what I understand, Stewarts Cove is the only "shark dive" operator in Nassau - they have a monopoly going on or something.
Stuart Cove's and Bahama Divers are the only two options there.


I had no idea there were sharks in North Carolina?!?! My uncle lives there - might be a good excuse to visit!
Sand Tigers on the wrecks:

z0R3sWpc1dk&

We dove French Cay in the TCI last year. 2-3 Sharks on every single dive over 2 days. I almost landed on one one jump I made. Most were 5-6' reef sharks - saw one bigger shark but he was deep down the wall. All in a natural environment while they feed up the wall. At one site there was a smaller spotted (leopard?) shark that hung around near the mooring - I saw him at least twice. At night the bigger pelagics hit the baitfish in the boat lights. Coming back from a night dive the sharks were hitting the pelagics 120' away near the front of the boat.

Caicos Adventures that you referenced above goes out there - it's a 45min. trip from Provo. We did it on the Explorer liveaboard. Here's a link to Mike Southards trip report from a couple years ago: http://www.awoosh.com/Saudio/Saudio_Turks&Caicos.html

[diversteve]

You could always just dive with a lot of bloody fish on a line trailing behind you. Something will happen...Not sure what, but SOMETHING will.And crunch a plastic water bottle between your hands while you do - as long as you have hands...lol. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/shark-forum/256436-does-crunching-plastic-bottle-attract-sharks.html

Edit - example: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=438_1322012604

[dallaskincaid]

And flail around a lot on the surface...like a seal.

[quikcolin]

DiverSteve - I really like that video! Illustrates that these "monsters" of the deep aren't the flesh tearing, senseless killing machines the media, and movies like Jaws portray. I can't wait to dive with them... if by chance I don't see on this trip, I will def. be sure to take a shark specific scuba trip as soon as possible.

---------- Post added April 4th, 2012 at 05:47 PM ----------


And crunch a plastic water bottle between your hands while you do - as long as you have hands...lol. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/shark-forum/256436-does-crunching-plastic-bottle-attract-sharks.html

Edit - example: LiveLeak.com - Diver Has Close Encounter With Shark!! (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=438_1322012604)

LOL - that was just a headbutt... no teeth, I think that's common for ticked off sharks - curious sharks (I'm sure the noise of the bottle was irritating lol)

[Tamara Da Costa]

Hi.

I am probably going on vacation to Puerto Rico this Summer. Was curious if you found a place there to dive with sharks? Looking forward to doing the same :)
I heard once that you could dive and feed sharks there (cage dive) but can't find anything about it on the internet.

Greetings,
Tamara

[Unbent]

Mandalay bay's shark reef. Awesome dive, expensive, but with all of the sharks, awesome.

[616fun]

From what I understand, Stewarts Cove is the only "shark dive" operator in Nassau - they have a monopoly going on or something.

I've googled the HELL out of this topic, this was my last resort lol

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 12:15 PM ----------



LOL thanks again DiverSteve... I have spoken to Bahama Divers and they have the Lost Blue Hole on Monday (which is the day we'll be in Nassau)... sounds like that is the the best chance I'll have to see a shark (or a bunch of them - fingers crossed)

What about other (none shark dives) in Grand Turk? Any suggestions on operators, or dive sights?

Thanks again!

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 12:16 PM ----------



I had no idea there were sharks in North Carolina?!?! My uncle lives there - might be a good excuse to visit!

What is the water temp like??

http://youtu.be/pjcKMtJ5ULg

In the summer when the Gulf Stream moves in its 72 top to bottom. It's hardy diving though. Expect two hours to the wrecks and two hours back. Not your typical Caribbean dives. And seas can be rough. That said I've gone back 5 years in row to dive NC. It's the only location I make a yearly trek.

[Capt Doug]

Book a dive with Randy Jordan and Emerald Charters. Jupiter Florida

[highdesert]

Two of the very best outfits for Bahamas shark diving. Very professional,lots of experience ...

Bahamas & Palm Beach, Florida Scuba Diving :: Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures (http://www.scuba-adventures.com/index.php)

Shark Diving with Tiger Sharks, Bahamas (http://www.sharkexpedition.com/)

Both of these boats attract divers from all over the word, many of them highly visible in international efforts to conserve shark populations. You get not only the dive time with sharks, but a lot of insight into the issues of keeping them from extinction.

[templeton]

I'm pretty sure I did the exact same cruise back in early March - went to all the same places. Did SNUBA with my non-diver GF in St Thomas, and then the 2 tank dive in Grand Turk through the ship (Oasis was the company). Not a lot of shark action other than a nurse shark hiding out under a coral head. But otherwise tons of fish, and a couple of HUGE moray eels. The water there is crystal clear - great visibility! Exactly what you dream a Caribbean dive to be like. Definitely go for it, because there isn't a lot else to do there beyond sitting around and enjoying a cold drink on the beach.

[drbill]

Dive a few decades ago when we still had them, or go to Tahiti, the GBR or the Bahamas (among a number of other destinations). I'm here in the Philippines right now and there are very few up in Anilao and Puerto Galera