Diving with Sharks

[TMHeimer]

Don't buddy up with a guy named Chumley

I agree with the first post by Oldbear and stop, be silent, don't appear threatening to the shark. I disagree that if I ever see a shark (502 dives in 10 years so far without), my life will be enriched! Maybe it's because I am primarily a shell collector with no real interest in seeing fish at all (an anomaly, I know). Sharks are really big things that CAN have something wrong with them that CAN cause them to attack a a diver (whoa, divers are on the surface and may resemble a shark's natural prey?). I hope we don't get into the "this can kill you a million times more likely than a shark attack" thing. Hey, I didn't read all the posts this time but recently it was said "Nurse Sharks are FAIRLY harmless". I've never seen a nurse (or any) shark--so what does "FAIRLY" mean? I'd do what Oldbear says--be quiet and slither out of there ASAP.

 

[drrich2]

I won't do a shark dive. I'm philosophically opposed to artificially changing shark behavior. I mean, would you go sit in a circle in Yellowstone and let the guide bring in a grizzly with bait? I don't think so. It's actively discouraged, leaving food where the bears can find it. Why be any different with any other wild animal.

This has been discussed in other threads. In summary:

1.) Sharks are far different animals than land mammals.

2.) Practical experience has show that shark feed dives can be routinely conducted by professionals with a good track record of safety. For example, Randy with Emerald Charters out of Jupiter does shark feeding dives and hand feeds sharks. Nobody does that with grizzly bears for a group of tourists.

As to whether people approve of shark feed diving, or choose to particulate in it, has been hashed out on other threads. I just wanted to point out that close-in feeding of wild sharks & wild bears differs substantially, borne out by real world experience over years.

Richard.

 

[Doc Harry]

Look at the track record for shark attacks.

Almost every single shark attack has been on someone who was not scuba diving.

Numerous scuba divers have been attacked by sharks, but almost every single victim was spear fishing and carrying a string of dead fish.

Here is a picture of the most dangerous creature on the planet.
The other creature in the photo is just a shark.

 

[MB NZ]

...please advise on the basics and extra tips on what to do and how to behave and any precautionary measures in general to take when diving with sharks (say, tiger sharks, longimanus, hammerheads)?

take a camera with you. guaranteed to keep sharks a good distance from you.

 

[BabySweetlipsLover]

If you really want a tame shark diving experience, Shark Ray Alley in Belize is pretty fun. It is primarily nurse sharks that act more like puppies. You can roll them on their backs, rub their bellies, pet them, etc. I'm not overly enthusiastic about situations where people feed sharks, but this is probably the exception. Nurse sharks are fairly harmless and judging by the hundreds that swarm the boat when you pull up, it doesn't seem to have resulted in any harm to the local population within the marine park.

I honestly think this is the worst part. You're changing how the sharks act in their natural state. You feed them, you touch them, you do things to them that are outside of their normal life.

That kind of diving is pure and simple harassment to the wildlife. Sure it's great for the people who get to do it, but in terms of the widlife ecosystem, it's damaging. Think about feeding ducks / turtles bread at the lake. Sure yeah, they'll eat it, you think you're helping them, but you're just filling their stomachs full of the least nutritious food possible.

(13) The term "take" means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal.
....
A) The term "harassment" means any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which—

(i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild; or

(ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.​

 

[kwinter]

And don't forget to think quickly.
https://youtu.be/ycMzujs1lf4

 

[Doc Harry]

And don't forget to think quickly.
https://youtu.be/ycMzujs1lf4

The person in that video is not a scuba diver, and that video is not representative of what a scuba diver might experience.

 

[kimcil]

Wow this is a very amazing experience. the question that it's interesting.

 

[TMHeimer]

Look at the track record for shark attacks.

Almost every single shark attack has been on someone who was not scuba diving.



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Hmmm.... What would be the most important word in this sentence?

 

[100days-a-year]

Feeding wild animals for my personal entertainment violates my ethics.That said,I spearfish and see all the sharks anyone would ever want to.