Species You've Dived With and Locations

[Rachidmrsl]

well, i just did both this week.
i had 2 dives, one in the aquarium (again), where i was surounded by many sharks.
and the 2nd dive was at the border between Emirates and Oman (Ribba rock). We had the chance to come across a shark. however it was breif and the visibily wasnt good, less than 7m.
However , and I must agree on this one, the sensations weren't the same!

 

[Rachidmrsl]

When the shark appeared, we felt fear, happiness, and surprize at the same time! awesome!

 

[ACT651755]

well, i just did both this week.
i had 2 dives, one in the aquarium (again), where i was surounded by many sharks.
and the 2nd dive was at the border between Emirates and Oman (Ribba rock). We had the chance to come across a shark. however it was breif and the visibily wasnt good, less than 7m.
However , and I must agree on this one, the sensations weren't the same!

I heard that sharks were all-but extinct off Oman, consider yourself very lucky!

I'm guessing by the visibility you couldn't identify the species...

 

[Makhno]

. . . Hoping to add scalloped hammerheads to the list in February at Green Island in Taiwan, assuming that my buddy Ambertiger has enough divers interested in it to organize a trip during the Chinese New Year holiday.

OK: so now I, Wantonmien, Broadreach, Taiwanate and a bunch of other divers can add scalloped hammerheads to our respective lists. Here are a couple of videos from a week ago Saturday (February 5th); for more info check out the Taiwan forum for recent posts & photos by Wantonmien and Broadreach.

YouTube - hammerhead sharks at Green Island, Taiwan

at 54 seconds into that video, you get a glimpse of the diver who was taking this video:

YouTube - Green Island (Taiwan) Scalloped Hammerheads. Chinese New Year 2011

 

[Wantonmien]

Nurse - Philippines (Boracay)
Grey Reef - Philippines (Boracay)
White Tip Reef - Australia Barrier Reef
Grey Reef - Australia Barrier Reef
Leopard - Australia Barrier Reef
Wobbegong - Australia Noosa & Reef
:

and adding -

Scalloped Hammerheads .. many .. Green Island Taiwan

 

[ambertiger]

You can dive now with over 300 sharks in a "safe" envirment! aquarium !!!!
in dubai, world 's biggest aquarium you can dive in cage and even feed them!
i am goimg next week, as a first experience!

I can only say in response to this post that keeping sharks in an aquarium, no matter how large, is akin to keeping eagles in a cage. What beneficial purpose is served by confining animals which roam across vast ocean in such cramped confines? I sincerely hope that all aquariums that maintain displays of sharks, whales, dolphins, Orcas etc will be boycotted by the public. A good friend of mine is one of the engineers and designers of the aquarium in Taiwan and one in Russia. He has told me that the shark and whale shark exhibits are continually changed as the animals usually die with in a few months. Taiwan exported several whale sharks to the South Georgia aquarium in the USA a few years back, all of these magnificent creatures died with a few months of their imprisonment. Jaques Cousteau was once asked what he thought of dolphins confined in marine parks, he replied that “There is about as much educational benefit to be gained in studying dolphins in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary confinement.”

I hope all divers will support any anti-shark finning campaigns that come their way and help the oceans by consuming only sustainable seafood. Avoid products made from sharks and Blue-Fin tuna.

On a lighter note and to continue this original thread about sharks. Sharks I have seen and admired.

schooling Scalloped Hammerheads: Green Island, Taiwan. Pescador Island, Moal Boal,
Cebu, Cabilao Island Philippines. Layang Layang, Malaysia
Black tip reef sharks and White tips, Seven Stars, Kenting Taiwan. Palau, Sipadan, Moal Boal. Layang Layang Malaysia. Manado and Komodo Indonesia.
Oceanic reef sharks: Palau, Manado Indonesia.
Bull sharks, Palau.
Tiger Shark, Cebu and Cabilao, Philippines.
Whale sharks, Hualien, Taiwan, Penghu Islands Taiwan. Moal Boal Philippines.
Thresher Sharks, Malapascua, Moal Boal, Cebu, Layang Layang, Malaysia.

 

[OfficetoOcean]

From various locations around the world...

Oceanic Whitetip
Grey Reef
Caribbean Reef
Great Hammerhead
Lemon
Blacktip Reef
Sand Tiger
Zebra Shark
Blue
Whitetip Reef
Sandbar
Nurse

In the next 12 months should hopefully add Great White, Tiger, Bull, Silky and Mako to the above...

 

[InTheDrink]

In order of fun...

Whale Shark (Maldives, Cocos)
Oceanic White Tip (Red Sea -Brothers, Daedalus,
Silky (Cocos, Red Sea)
Galapagos (Cocos)
Hammerhead (Cocos, Red Sea, Maldives)
Thresher (Red Sea)
Blacktip (Cocos)
Grey reef (Maldives, Red Sea)
White tip reef shark (Red Sea, Maldives, Cocos - a gazillion of them there)
Dogfish (Brighton )

Can't wait to add to this list in breadth and depth!!

Since then....
Blacktips (Aliwal shoals)
Duskies (Aliwal shoals)
Raggies (Aliwal, Protea)
Bulls (Protea banks)
Port Jackson (Perth)

Next up Tigers who callously ignored me in S.A. in November. And possibly Blues in the Azores in Autumn.

Oceanics are still my favourite though. They make you remember why it's good to be alive

J

 

[Slowpoke1]

Very impressive lists guys! Here's mine, not quite as impressive as some.
Nurse Shark-SE Florida/Keys
Lemon Shark-SE Florida
Bull Shark-SE Florida (Jupiter area)
Carib Reef Shark-SE Florida/Keys
Card Shark-Las Vegas, NV
Land Shark-Beer Aisle, Walmart

I think that the 2nd to the last one on the list is by far the most dangerous! LOL

 

[smellzlikefish]

Ambertiger-I would disagree with your accusations against aquariums. Yes, the Georgia Aquarium had some trouble with the first whale sharks and I am unfamiliar with the Taiwan and Russian aquarium's history with sharks (maybe whale sharks aren't suitable inhabitants for aquariums??), but both of the aquariums I have worked at had excellent, almost flawless track records with their elasmobranchs. Boycotting aquariums seems to be the in vogue protest nowadays and it is too bad. By jumping on the bandwagon you are missing the bigger picture.

Whereas you get to go diving and experience the world first hand, many people don't. Aquariums may be the only exposure many have (read as "only reason some people care) to oceanic inhabitants. You want laws passed banning plastic bags because the usually make their way into the gyres? You need landlocked votes. You want anti shark-finning legislation? You need these landlocked votes. You are shunning a tool that can be an environmentalist's only outreach to places like the midwest, Arizona, and elsewhere. There are masses that come to and even live in Hawaii that can't even swim, but they still vote. That's why we need responsible aquarium husbandry.