How much does shark sightings change your dive?

[koozemani]

Seeing one makes my day, its humbling to be around them. I'll usually stop what I'm doing and just watch them glide by. Chasing them for more pics is pointless(I've tried), so I'll just hover and watch and be glad that they're still around.

 

[ccx2]

Haven't seen one yet in 8 years, 350+ dives. If I ever see one it would scare the %^&# out of me. It would change my dive plans so as never to dive there again. But again, though not paranoid (???), I am in a tiny minority.

Kinda sorta the way i feel about sharks, ive seen a few , dont need or want to see anymore,why make a dive dangerous ,why look for something that could end your dive in a bad way, i think its Stupid to target a dive to feed sharks, im not at all fascinated by Sharks,ive caught on hook and line many sharks and dont want to catch anymore,they are a distraction from a pleasurable dive and fishing trip,if i want to see Sharks ill watch Shark week or Nature on TV,sharks Really arent that cool to look at compared to other fish and reef/sea growth,sharks make most of us cast a wary eye over our shoulder when trying to look at interesting things on a dive,i dont like ****ting my wetsuit upon seeing a shark when surfing,ect,ect,ect.

 

[hroark2112]

FILE0136 - YouTube

gotta love a shark flyover!!

 

[adurso]

To those new to diving, there are some things you should know about sharks and shark behavior when reading the opening post.

1. The diver is talking about collecting fish for an aquarium. When you net fish as he does, they send out distress signals. This attracts sharks. The people who are most involved with nosy and somewhat aggressive sharks are spearfishers and fish collectors for that reason.

2. The diver is talking about doing photography. It has been well documented that there seems to be something in photography, possibly the strobe action especially, that seems to attract sharks. Sharks have senses that may be picking up on the electronic actions of the camera equipm
ent.

Divers who are doing neither rarely draw much interest from sharks.

The ampullae of Lorenzini act as electrical activity receptors....they sense the electrical activity which is similar enough to prey that they are curious and excited.

Except when I have my camera....then they disappear...

 

[kaerius]

I love seeing sharks on dives. Heck the first sharks I ever dived with were bullsharks, and it wasn't an issue, even when one came within 3'(and caught a fish while it was there! Feeding behavior witnessed from close up indeed!)

Dived with bullsharks, whalesharks, white-tipped reefsharks, black-tipped reefsharks, grey reefsharks, leopard sharks, nurse sharks(to within inches).

Oceanic whitetips would give me pause, as would tigersharks that got a bit too interested, and great whites if I'm near/at the surface. Any shark during a feeding frenzy.

 

[RJP]

Sharks really aren't that cool to look at compared to other fish and reef/sea growth...

You need to get a closer look!. Here's the last one I ran into... almost literally. (I'm the one on the right.)

 

[down4fun]

Depends on the shark and there behavior. I have seen many sharks on many dives and it is usually fine. However...on one particular dive I ran into a mako that made me really uncomfortable. I was coming up from a 200 foot dive, my buddy and i were both on rebreathers so no bubbles, just drifting along in blue water doing our deco when he starts to yell at me thru his mouth piece and pointing wildly. I was a bit slow on the uptake and turned just in time to see the tail of a turning shark inches from my face. It swam off about 20 feet, turned, faced me and swam directly at me again. He was a foot or two from me when i grabbed my bailout regulator and began purging it into the water column. The shark reached the bubbles and turned off again. He again swam off 20-30 feet and turned. this time he swam past me and "bumped" my buddy in the thigh. And finally swam off into the blue abyss. I can tell you my heart was pounding and the rest of that deco we were both on "high" alert searching the water for the mako.

 

[aceupmysleeve777]

Love diving with sharks! Seeing them would change my diving by diving the spot I've seen them at more. The only times I've been harassed by sharks was during feeding dives when I was the feeder. Normally sharks are very relaxed, when they aren't it can be interesting!
For the thread starter I know with reef & white tips they will follow you around the reef if your digging under rocks and pretty much hunting whether your just taking stuff alive or shooting it. They just want to see if they can get some of the action.

 

[chillyinCanada]

well down4fun! Happy to say have not had that great a shark experience, but have been in the water with lots, not near enough of them. RJP, photoshop me into your position in your picture and I've been there a couple of times at least. Two times were a bit hairy, but worked out well. Do love getting the heart racing a bit.

Today was talking with a colleague who's spouse is a wildlife photographer. They've been hanging out with polar bears!! That is faaaaarrrrrr more frightening to me than being at depth with a shark(s).

No shark feedings for me, give me the spontaneous encounter any time!

Does seeing sharks make my dives better?? . . . oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah . . .

 

[Abdullah]

I am new to diving... What should I keep with me to fend them off if they get pushy??
Are there signs to watch for and what is bad about Oceanics??
The majority of my diving will be in the gulf at the rigs out of grand isle after my Florida trip.
Spearfishing to say the least.

OWT's are very aggressive. A single OWT is manageable as long as you maintain contact. They will approach you, test you, and try to bump and nip at you. More than one OWT is a problem. They compete with each other for the potential food source (you the diver), their aggressiveness and speed ramps way up, and it becomes difficult to deal with them. They also don't deter easily. I smacked one on the head with the back of my torch hard enough to leave a mark and he kept coming back. Yes, the come right in on you.

I've dived with Tigers, Bulls, and Mako's and stayed with them as long as they tolerated my presence. But when OWT's are around, I prefer to be on the boat - I thumb the dive at first sign of them.