Pix of great whites off Guadalupe Island, Mexico

[Drewpy]

Thanks Dr Bill! Ill check your site next week as well!
An outfit up here(Nor Cal) offers a one day trip to the Farllones for about 800 bucks. Since it is a prserve they are not allowed to use baits or chum-they tow and drag neoprene cutouts of seal shapes trying to entice them to the boat-kinda like bass fishing for 1500 lb bass..??!!They claim a great success rate and offer a deep discount if no sharks are seen...Seeing GW so close to home might not be good :11: ...I think Ill spend the extra $$ and go to Guadaloupe

 

[drbill]

We had a "sea lion" cut out of carpet that floated behind the boats. Only one shark showed any interest in it at all. Although the yellowtail baits were small, they still wanted them.

The best months to go are Sept-Nov when the water temp is warm and the albacore are in the waters there. We were at the tail end of the season yet had great luck in drawing the 15 sharks within eyesight.

Dr. Bill

 

[mbuff]

I'd encourage any diver considering a commercial shark dive to think about it. Up in the Bay Area, the commercial operations are controversial. The fear is that sharks may come to associate the sound of a boat engine with food, which of course, has consequences for "regular" recreational boat divers.

IMO, a dive operation such as the one Dr. Bill went on isn't in the same category, since the purpose of the trip is scientific. Presumably the footage will be used to further educate the public on GWs and expand the body of knowledge on these fascinating creatures.

Anyway, I guess I find commercial cage diving to be distasteful for those reasons.

About seven years ago, I had a spot aboard a charter boat headed to the farallons for 2 days of diving. It was organized by some local divers. No cages were to be used and no chum. Only advanced divers were allowed, and rules were in place to maximize safety (ie. buddy diving only, no surface swims, no lingering around the boat.) My friends thought I was nuts to be planning this. I had to give up my spot, unfortunately, because I was ordered out of the water for six months for medical reasons. Color me bummed. Anyway, my dive partner who went said it was some of the most amazing diving he's ever done -- the kelp forests out there are said to be absolutely incredible, rivalling the kelp beds off Big Sur. They didn't see any GWs incidentally.

Finally, Dr. Bill, I didn't know that Tiger sharks ever ventured to this side of the pacific. I can see why you'd be scared! A friend of mine in HI, says they are much more feared than the GWs, as they are supposed to be more aggressive... more likely to come in to shallow water.

I've also heard that there are some distinct behavior differences in terms of aggression between California "Red Triangle" Great Whites and those found in Austrailia. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[CALI68]

I'd encourage any diver considering a commercial shark dive to think about it. Up in the Bay Area, the commercial operations are controversial. The fear is that sharks may come to associate the sound of a boat engine with food, which of course, has consequences for "regular" recreational boat divers.

Are you sure they chum the water off The Faralons for those trips? I thought that was not allowed. I know there was controversy regarding some chumming off Ano Nuevo a few years back.

SIDE NOTE: I saw something on The Channel 2 News (SFO local news) a year or so ago about some crazy Guy who goes in the water at The Faralons without a cage but he carries a huge picture of Killer Whale face. The footage they showed had The Great Whites turning 180 degrees away from the picture when he held it up to them. Crazy but true. Anyone know of this Guy or his research?

 

[drbill]

Agree with the concerns re: chumming for the GWS's anywhere. It was obvious that the GWS's at Guadalupe had become accustomed to the feeding. We were at the tail end of the season (Dec... best times are Sep-Nov) and they appeared to be well fed and not that interested in the elephant seals on the beach. Of course the association of humans with easy food is a concern, especially since there are free and SCUBA diving trips to Guadalupe.

I doubt I would have gone on such a dive had it not been for the scientific intent. Much of the new information we are learning about GWS's is coming from these satellite tracking efforts.

Now safely back on Catalina where GWS's seem to run from our bubbles.

Dr. Bill

 

[Xarifa]

Wow--great pictures. I also appreciate your reference to them as 'beautiful & graceful' with a certain 'sadness' in their eyes. It would be hard to look cute with that many jagged teeth exposed--eating daintiliy is not an option...

Anxiously awaiting "Great white shark diving, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico Part 3 "

 

[murphdivers286]

Nice pixs there Doc. I must ask you a question. I have always wanted to do a cage dive with GWs. Is that wrong? I don't want to patronize anything that would hurt the eco system or other divers. I just want to dive with them. Please give me you opinion on this.

Maybe I could accompany you on a scientific dive as an equipment assistant.....:lol:

 

[drbill]

Nice pixs there Doc. I must ask you a question. I have always wanted to do a cage dive with GWs. Is that wrong?

Is it "wrong?" That's a relative question in my mind.

Is it "wrong" that we interact with our environment? Don't all species (including those "polluters" like sea lions and black sea bass and whales who defecate mass quantities)?

Is it "wrong" that we influence the behavior of other co-residents on this Earth? Don't many of us have pets?

We extract vast numbers of marine critters from the sea to feed us. Many of the divers I see here in the dive park make physical contact with organisms, interact with garibaldis defending their territories, kick up the bottom sediments allowing bottom feeders to locate prey more easily (good for them, bad for the prey species), handle horn sharks forcing most of them out of the park, kill sea urchins to feed sheephead and other fish, or remove living things from the park itself. I, too, interact with them when I film or even observe them.

It is natural for all species, including man, to interact with other species... most often as part of the mutual eating society. However, I don't think it is a great idea to train great white sharks to associate food with humans. But is it wrong? You'll need an answer from a higher authority than me! I am not wise enough to distinguish between good and bad in many cases. The Golden Rule extended to other species might be a good thing to consider.

Dr. Bill
Tongue in cheek and...
Too much time on his hands due to rainy weather in SoCal!

 

[Poseidon8118]

Thanks for the great site Dr. Bill, good info and some great photography!!!

 

[drbill]

Just updated my web site with the last (3rd) installment re: the Guadalupe great whites.

Dr. Bill