KY_BOB
Contributor
Bob - as I'm sure you know, sharks kind of do their own thing and you can't count on seeing them. That said my first trip there, maybe third OW water dive ever, asked the dive shop owner (then LeRoy French, very interesting guy and Great White attack survivor) about seeing sharks. I wasn't too keen on them at the time, being just barely able to sort out my own gear. Slim was the answer. That dive to Charlies Shoals, Lee and I buddied up. We round a reef corner and ten feet away is a 6 foot Caribean Reef Shark aggressively posturing (back arched, mouth agape and shaking head left to right). Lee looked at me and signaled 'shark' I see it and sign OK, he points again and signals emphatically 'SHARK', yes I point, signal 'shark' and OK. Seeing it was the trip highlight (that and mating cuttlefish). I've seen nurse and some others that I haven't been able to identify. Splash in first and scan the bottom in all directions. The shy sharks tend to move out pretty quick. Or be the last one back on the boat, I've seen them whilst doing safety stop. Dive Safari's SXM used to do a Shark Feed, not sure if they still run it. Did not see sharks on Saba, lots of large grouper hanging around like bad dogs.
Thanks Jersey. Yes, I'm aware that those of us that love to see them rarely do. That was good advive that I hadn't thought of about being the first in or the last out. I hadn't thought of that but I did dive the Oriskany last weekend and the only shark sighting was the first guy in on the second dive (it wasn't me) but the shark was gone when divers started splashing in.