Great White Photos

[scuba andy]

I came across an article with some incredible photos and a few comments of Great Whites alongside divers:

Article link below:
Great White sharks are not dangerous according to daring photographer | Mail Online

Photographers website (shark section) below:
http://www.danielbotelho.com/sharks-tubaroes/


Fairly blinking impressive

 

[yodelhawk]

Didn't the guy living with the Grizlies in Alaska say the same thing... Right before they ate him?!?!?

 

[scuba andy]

Tim somebody...? Yep. Ate him and his girlfriend. Was an interesting and weird film.

So far the photographer has managed 24 dive time with them without a bite. Of course, even a small 1st bite is likely to be catastrophic. But you have to admire the awesomeness of the photos, right?

 

[Mike]

Well, it wasn't too long ago that all sharks were considered man-eaters and just waiting to chomp you if you got in the water with them. Even the great Jacque Cousteau and his family have made films where they killed the 'devils' on sight and said so quite proudly.

Bull sharks, tigers and Great whites are considered by many to still be feared, yet tiger beach dive in the Bahamas is dived without cages with tigers and has been for years, in Playa Del Carmen over the last six or seven years they are now diving freely with the bull sharks.

Great whites....maybe not so fearsome after all...

 

[daniel f aleman]

Great whites....maybe not so fearsome after all...

Sure. Prove it. And be sure to have your dive buddy promise to post the video.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Had a close-up Great White encounter in the wild about 3 months ago. 40 feet below, an investigatory swim by and he/she was on their way. Amazing and beautiful animal. By the way, I'm alive and well and look forward to the next "meet n greeet"

 

[Peter_C]

Sure. Prove it. And be sure to have your dive buddy promise to post the video.

Here you go!

[video=youtube;OfyVbqS7W-M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfyVbqS7W-M[/video]

Someday I would like to have a Great White do a fly by.

FWIW Most bites occur at the surface not underwater. (Although Marco has proven that theory wrong, and lived to tell about it). Most bites on humans do not result in death either.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Great pictures!!

 

[drbill]

I've had one known encounter with a great white "in the wild" here off Catalina and several others have had theirs as well. Not a single injury or even as threat to any of the divers. Of course I don't swim in the ocean, surf, paddleboard, etc.

 

[dhaas]

Amigos,

Most Great White images seen today have been taken on digital since 2002 or so when Doc Anes of San Diego Shark Diving opened up cage diving at Guadalupe. South Africa had been doing it I believe for a few years but the clear and reasonably accessible Isla Guadalupe opened it up for more divers. Doc had been there with film crews previously plus spearfisherman and fisherman had known about White Shark migrating through there for years.

I went in 2002, and 2003 and last trip in 2008. Tons of hours all in cages and in 2003 did a 5.5 hour stint when folks got cold and wanted to skip their one hour rotation

One company I believe takes a small number (5-6?) per year for "out of the cage" scuba dives now where that article was written about. Some boats have submersible cages too where you can stand atop at maybe less than 40' but most of what I've seen the sharks aren't as interested in coming super close as at the surface cages.

In 2008 I had a 15' deep 3rd cage on my trip. Myself and one photographer spent more time in it than the whole group (????) Did it product great shots compared to surface time? Not as much but maybe others have had better luck. They are wild animals after all....

I've thought about would I get out on a tank with the right person backing me up? I hesitantly say yes.....But only in clear water......

I also have seen free divers in South Africa (Andre' Hartmann, Mark ?) and others push the envelope but that would be a bit more nerve wracking. Then again these guys have thousands of hours with White Sharks.

I guess my point is for the newer generation of scuba divers (less than 15 years) this has been around for awhile. In 2002 it was rare to be a regular diver and be able to get in a cage to see a White Shark unless you were shooting for Nat Geo or had mega bucks to go to Australia. Some of those trips were great with survivor Rodney Fox's company and some got skunked as in NO sharks for a $7K trip

These days for N. Americans Guadalupe is THE place if you want to experience these marvelous animals

David Haas
www.haasimages.com