Raw Video Scuba Diving with Big Bull Sharks in Jupiter

[IncreaseMyT]

Reallly cool! Been a while since I knowingly dove with big sharks. (I'm sure a few have seen me that I missed completely.) Looks like a fun trip. Have to keep it in mind next time I'm down Florida way... M

Yea same boat here, this was my first time actually trying to dive with them lol. Usually I am fighting them for my catch. But now that I have seen this interaction, and Josh, he was really, really good and knew the behavior well you could tell. But now that I have seen the interaction I can see how I may be adding fuel to the fire, and now I think I may be able to approach the situation a little better in the future. Josh will spear fish, cut off the head and feed it to them on the spot. The sharks seem to like that the best, especially Patrick.

I really learned a lot, and it gave me a lot of confidence in the water, especially when carrying fish on the stringer. We actually went spearing today.

It was wavy today even though it wasn't supposed to be so we could only make it out to the shallow reefs 20 miles off. 3-4 footers.

Also one of the snapper spit up a Mantis Shrimp, we had never seen one of those before.

 

[CuzzA]

Yea same boat here, this was my first time actually trying to dive with them lol. Usually I am fighting them for my catch. But now that I have seen this interaction, and Josh, he was really, really good and knew the behavior well you could tell. But now that I have seen the interaction I can see how I may be adding fuel to the fire, and now I think I may be able to approach the situation a little better in the future.

I really learned a lot, and it gave me a lot of confidence in the water, especially when carrying fish on the stringer. We actually went spearing today.

View attachment 514516

It was wavy today even though ti wasn't supposed to be so we could only make it out to the shallow reefs 20 miles off. 3-4 footers.

Also one of the snapper spit up a Mantis Shrimp, we had never seen one of those before.

View attachment 514517

Nice haul.

I would not correlate semi controlled shark dives to spearfishing though. Dead scraps provided to trained sharks are much different than a freshly shot struggling fish. There's just no training for sharks and spearfishing, IMO. Experience is key. I learn something new with each encounter and it increases confidence to stay cool under pressure, but as the founder said, "The only thing predictable about sharks is they are unpredictable."

Last Sunday I had one make a bee line to me as soon as I hit the bottom, no fish, but he was all jacked up. The following dive I had a stringer full of fish and another shark just cruised by me without a care in the world. Go figure.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Oh I totally agree, it is not always the same, especially when you spear something they really like, such as a AP or a Permit.

I was thinking more along the lines of little things, like what I wear and how I present, getting into a different position before spearing the fish if there is a shark around.

Plus I think a lot of times the first swipe or pass is just to check you out, by keeping your fish into your chest and getting it in faster it is less likely they will come so close. Just stuff like that.

I am definitely not going to start feeding them , they have known Patrick for 3 years and I bet there was a long process to get him where he is today.

I think the biggest thing I learned, is to give them space to go underneath you, they don't like it when you close that gap, I assume their escape route.

I saw a really big GAG today too, season can't come fast enough

 

[IncreaseMyT]

I got so much good video I don't know what to do lol I tried making a short movie, but I may have to make a couple. Make sure your YouTube settings are in HD

 

[HalcyonDaze]

The funny thing is the tiger sightings have gone down over the last two years. We're pretty sure they're not getting fished out because we still rarely see former regulars like Sophia, DJenny, or Cassie around, but it's here one day, gone the next after years where they would just turn up and camp out for a couple months. Patrick was the only one that did that last year and so far he's the only springtime regular. It might be that the girls are getting to the age/size where their movement patterns change up. In any case generally speaking March-May has been tiger season and outside of that your chances weren't so great.

 

[Manatee Diver]

How strict are they about yellow? I see in their rules it is banned, and I do see a bunch of yellow DSMBs in the video.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

How strict are they about yellow? I see in their rules it is banned, and I do see a bunch of yellow DSMBs in the video.

Yea I noticed Josh had a few yellow SMB's. He was more worried about the camera stick I had my Paralenz on. He told me not to extend it. I never asked him why but I should have, I just assumed it was because it could be confused as his feeding arm. He did mention that once in the pre-dive, not to flare your hand because it looks like his when he is feeding.

The biggest thing was have all of your skin covered, and you had to have a SMB on you. I did not use it though, normal drift dive and you just stay with the group. Josh had a surface buoy running the whole time.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

How strict are they about yellow? I see in their rules it is banned, and I do see a bunch of yellow DSMBs in the video.

I have a yellow hose on my pony tank, green and yellow nitrox stickers on all my tanks, bare metal regs, and a blue-and-white Manta reel on my hip. I keep my DSMB in a black belt pouch. At least going from my experience on another boat where my dive buddy was told to remove her yellow-gripped calf knife before the dive, the big concern is having something high-contrast on an extremity such as an arm or leg that will be moving around a lot. I know at least one photographer who dives Tiger Beach with a fluorescent orange-and-yellow beanie hood that makes my eyes hurt.

 

[Manatee Diver]

That is good to hear, both the tanks I can use a pony at yellow, so it sounds like they might not mind.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

That is good to hear, both the tanks I can use a pony at yellow, so it sounds like they might not mind.

Yea I don't thinks so, it is more about covering all of your skin, including your head and being in the correct position.

When you drop in on the first dive it is important to stay above and behind the bait box, if you drop down below the bait box you will scare the bull sharks. He tells you this before the dive. You will have to work a little to keep your space between everyone, so it can be a little tricky because you are upright and trying to move without changing depth. Of course we jumped in and a bunch of people descended way below the bait box and started snapping pics of the bulls as they started to come check us out and that scared the big one, and it took off super fast. We didn't see them for like 8 minutes. This is also why they probably would not let Josh hand feed them that day. Make sure you stress to everyone on the boat not to drop below the bait box, especially on the first dive. They will have plenty of time to see sharks gotta go really slow.

Also Patrick likes to grab fins So when he comes under you lift them away or above him, or push him away so he cannot get under you.

I doubt you will need a pony for the dives, you will be in a big group and everyone has to stay pretty tight. Also very little time is spent deeper than about 70 ft.

I would only suggest this dive to people that are REALLY good with their buoyancy, it is important to remain at your depth when the sharks come around. Someone dropped down on Patrick and and it scared him too, he came back but not for like 5 minutes. If you bump them too hard I could see someone getting bit. A lot of the time you are just floating in the column with the Bulls so you have no reference, except for the bait box and Josh. You have to be super chill.

Also since Josh has ear problems you will be descending and ascending super, super slow. Its almost a V profile on the first dive.