Shark Encounter Dives - Is it the right thing to do?

[DougNR]

I have followed a thread in which the question was asked if a certain shark encounter dive in the Bahamas was a scary experience or not. For the most part, the responses were positive for the OP to overcome his trepidation and go for it as it was generally considered to be a great dive experience.

I was tempted to comment in that thread that participating in that kind of activity while exciting might not necessarily be the right thing to do. After some consideration, I didn't want to turn that thread into some kind of debate in which previous posters would feel that I was being critical of them for their choices. Therefore a new thread to discuss it

I've been in and out of the Bahamas routinely for over twenty years and there is no doubt the concept of shark encounter dives has caught on big time. I for one do not think it is a great idea for the simple reason that it alters the natural behavior of the animal. I can not provide any evidence that shark feeding has been problematic in any specific way. I do know that endeavors initially considered benign later have been found to have a negative impact in unexpected ways.

What do you think?

 

[Potapko]

I for one do not think it is a great idea for the simple reason that it alters the natural behavior of the animal.

What do you think?

Well, it does introduce them to en entirely new food source! Never know what impact that could have on the food chain

 

[nuke]

It causes sharks to equate people with food. If I happen to be diving in the area where the sharks are used to being fed will they think I'm going to feed them. And when I don't, what happens then.

 

[gonetobaja]

The only problem I have with it is that people are exposed to feeding predators without protection. People should wear shark armor if they are going to do that stuff and give the animals the respect they deserve.

I can see the headline....

Tourist diver has arm torn off from 8 ft reef shark during "Shark Encounter" dive. Diver was wearing no protection.

I saw a video where a Big Moray tore off someones thumb. He was feeding it.
GTB

 

[SueMermaid]

I did that dive in the Bahamas. It was outstanding and I would do it a thousand times. It's no different than the DM's in Cozumel feeding the giant morays. They equate the approaching boat with food the same way a cat comes running when they hear a can opener. The sharks associate food with the boat. The DM instructs people to kneel on the sand and the sharks are fed about 30" up in the water column. We are also instructed on shark behavior and what to do if approached too closely.
If you are going to jump in the water and not think that sharks in a feeding frenzy are not a risk, you should not be diving with sharks. I do accept a risk when I jump in the water period, but when it is with sharks, I don't assume it's 100% risk-free. That's just life in the big sea.

 

[fisherdvm]

I didn't do those dives, but we were close enough that on both our visits to Freeport and Nassau, the sharks came and visited us. They were apparently expected to be fed. I was not too disturbed by their feeding reef sharks. One little girl said that she was snorkeling above them as they fed the shark, and she was a little scare when it looks like one was approaching her.

I think it might be a good PR tool to let folks aware of sharks, the type of sharks, and that most are not dangerous to man.

However, I am against feeding of any predators that potentially could hurt man. I think this includes feeding eels, baracudas, tiger sharks, and great whites.

I am not an expert in shark, but when you feed animals that can hurt man, you are just going to increase the probability of someone getting hurt.

 

[vladimir]

In 1999 I was on Mike Ball's Spoilsport in the Coral Sea. They had a dive they called the "scuba zoo." We descended to cages in a sandy area maybe 50 feet deep as the sharks gathered. Because it was a weekly event, the sharks reacted to the presence of the boat and lined up for lunch, just like Pavlov predicted. It was an exciting dive. We were allowed to photograph from the tops of the cages until the food came out, when we were ushered inside. Then the whole thing culminated in a feeding frenzy, followed by a search for shark's teeth in the sand as the sharks dispersed. The following dive, in the evening, was just as good, because the sharks followed the boat and hung out underneath. When I returned to the boat I was actually bumped by a silvertips shark on my way aboard--cool, right?

A year later I took the same trip. I eagerly anticipated the "scuba zoo" dive, which turned out to be a big disappointment. When I asked the crew where all the sharks were, they said the shark finners had somehow figured out that if they stopped their boat there, sharks would gather, only to be caught and finned.

 

[diversteve]

I certainly do feel that it alters their behavior un-naturally. I did a feed off a liveaboard and there were noticeably more sharks in the area during the feed than had been at the same location two days prior. And the most sharks we saw during the trip were at that site.
So the potential for being fed has probably led to a greater concentration of sharks in the area than is normal. During the briefing for the first (non-feed) dive, when I asked how to get close to the sharks, the funny answer was rattle the bait ball chain...so that's not natural behavior in any way - more like Pavlovian response.

I understand from people who've done the Stuart Cove feed that there's sharks there all the time anticipating the scheduled feeds. Not sure that would be the case normally.

But in the bigger scheme of things, is that such a bad thing? If it encourages people to support a ban on shark finning, I don't think it is. The small group of sharks it impacts are minute compared to the millions being killed yearly for their fins. The same argument could be made for aquariums, how could anyone who's seen Ed & Norton (the Whalesharks) at the Atlanta Aquarium not support a ban.

JASA's Tiger Beach trip is on my short list so I'm probably biased...

 

[DougNR]

It's no different than the DM's in Cozumel feeding the giant morays..

True - And I disagree with that practice as well. It's not just about sharks. Eels, reef fish, turtles. Anything that we as divers do to change the natural behavior of marine animals could lead to problems for that animal. Overfishing and poaching are examples. We're teaching these animals a behavior that could be used by others with motives that differ from ours as recreational divers.

 

[DougNR]

A year later I took the same trip. I eagerly anticipated the "scuba zoo" dive, which turned out to be a big disappointment. When I asked the crew where all the sharks were, they said the shark finners had somehow figured out that if they stopped their boat there, sharks would gather, only to be caught and finned.

A perfect example! Thanks Vladimir!