Snorkeling Kelp forests and white shark encounter

[charliebrowncpt]

Hi guys,

I'm keen to do snorkel through the kelp forests at Windmill beach but I've read some articles and got mixed responses regarding white sharks who avoid kelp forests.

If I'm on the surface or decide to duck dive below and swim through the forest, will I see a white shark? Like do white sharks live in them or swim through them?

Charles

 

[tphelps]

Hi @charliebrowncpt, while I study coral reefs, I am pretty familiar with kelp forests from growing up in California. Kelp forests are too confiding for Great White Sharks. They are ambush predators and need lots of space from below, with no obstructions to launch an attack. It also depends on where you are diving. I have heard stories of divers seeing GWSs passing by on the outside of the kelp forests at Catalina Island in California. But these incidents are very rare and lackluster. You are far more likely to run into trouble by getting entangled in kelp than encountering a shark in one.

 

[drbill]

Have dived the kelp forests of Catalina for nearly 50 years and have only seen great whites at a distance. Out in the open I've had a few close passes, but nothing aggressive. Kelp forests are somewhat difficult to snorkle over due to the canopy but snorkeling along the inner edge of them might be productive.