Guadalupe Shark Diving

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seansrs36

Contributor
Messages
373
Reaction score
97
Location
Santa Ana, CA
# of dives
200 - 499
Has anyone done this trip? If so how is it? Was it worth the money? I am debating if I should ever do this as the whole trip is just doing snuba in a cage. I look forward in hearing others opinions on this experience.
 
We did this years ago and I loved it. Now my wife enjoyed it but is not in a hurry to go back. The routine is in the cage an hour, out an hour for 3 or more days. On our trip many started skipping their shifts in the cage and I spent 4-5 hrs at a time looking for sharks. We had good action with only a few 1-2 hrs stretches where no sharks came by. Now it is Mother Nature and I have seen reports were people have only seen 1-2 sharks in a day.

So it really depends on you...

PS: Slideshow from our trip http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2405487&alb=0
 
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Absolutely worth it. The conditions at Guadalupe are fantastic compared to other great white shark diving areas that are colder, rougher, harder to get to and more expensive. The water is very clear, about 72 degrees on the surface. Every time I've been there we had calm seas and bright blue skies. Using a hooka system is perfect for this kind of trip. Tanks in a cage would be a mess. When you're in the cage, you can't tell the difference, other than that you don't have the added bulk of a BCD, tank and fins. You don't even need to be certified to do it, which makes the trip nice for adventurous non-diving friends and family.

From Ensenada it took us 18 hours to get there, but half of that time was sleeping. Three days in and out of the cages was just right. We had sharks all day long, sometimes up to five at a time.

My last trip was in October: YouTube - Great white sharks of Guadalupe Island

There are a lot of the big females around during October, so I'm going back again this year too.
 
I am also interested in doing this trip but am worried about the possibility of not seeing any sharks after spending the big bucks. Does anyone know if this has ever happened or are you pretty much guaranteed to see some? Thanks!
 
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Four of are looking at doing this trip during September 2012.

Was looking to use the Baja Aggressor, however it doesn't get a good review.

It looks like there are two other boats. Solmar V and Nautilus Explorer.

I am surprised with the Aggressor being of sub standard. Has it been reported to the Agressor fleet and what was there response?
 
The best dive adventure with white sharks you can get for the money. I have been going to the island on and off since 2003 and you cannot get clearer water and numbers of sharks. I would suggest going August through September as the peak of the season, later season sharks are bigger but less in your face.

I posted a trip report for your review as well. All of the boats going to the island are seasoned and know what they are doing, we have stuck with the same company for the past seven years because they have been like a family to us and offer great value, lots of sharks, and are very conservation minded. Good luck, and go shark diving!
 
I went out in October '09...and it was fantastic, well worth the time and money (even though the ride out was rough) If you go, be sure to pay attention on the ride out...saw many flying fish, dolphins and some whale spouts in the distance. The week after my trip the boat was surround by a pod of Sperm Whales and they cut the engines and just hung with them for a bit.

Major suggestion...make sure the boat your going on has submersible cages. Some only operate floating cages on the surface. I went with Nautilus, at the time they had two cages on the surface and two cages that they submerged 40' and there was talk of adding another. The sharks seemed less inclined to check out the surface cages. Also, if conditions are right, they will allow you to stand on top of the submerged cages (I thought they were nuts when they said this.....and on day 2, there I was on top of the cage in ecstasy). Be sure to bring your camera...if you're the first to get good profile shots of a previously unnamed shark you get to name it. There were two newly named sharks on our trip. One was Lavonne, unfortunately I forgot the others name. Feel free to PM me if you like and I can send you some pics.
 
I'm doing the Nautilus Explorer in August. Never did the G.W.S. dive before, but I have been on the N.E. for Socorro and Sea of Cortez trips. I can say the boat and crew are first rate !! I plan on doing all of their itineraries eventually.
 

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