When the 1972 Movie ‘Jaws’ came out, people looked at the ocean with a much different perspective, the scuba industry took a tremendous hit and the masses were literally afraid to go in the water. Now, four decades later, through exhaustive research and ecological awareness, people view sharks, not as blood lusting killers, but as the fascinating and complex animals that have a very important role in the marine eco-system.
There are over 300 species of sharks and only a very few are considered to be dangerous to man. Shark attacks do occur and the culprits in these attacks tend to be one of three species, the bull sharks, tiger sharks and everyone’s favorite, the great white. In nearly every occurrence that man is attacked by a shark, it is a mistake on the shark’s part. A paddling surfer looks amazingly like a seal or sealion from below; but mistake or no, the outcome can be tragic. Free divers, abalone divers and bluewater hunters are marine mammals in the truest sense, the favored fare of large sharks and they have often become victims of attack
Confronting these ocean going predators in the water was once a recipe for nightmares, but today, divers travel worldwide to do just that. Shark diving has become an underwater recreation and big business and there are operators around the globe that outfit trips to view these amazing creatures in their own realm. Strong metal cages are lowered over the transom of the boats, they are buoyed up by floats and the divers enter from the top of the cage. Divers may be provided with scuba gear or surface supplied air.
On rare occasions, people have been known to swim among great white sharks without the protection of a cage, but as these huge, voracious, animals are quite unpredictable, this may be akin to taking the proverbial tiger by the tale. Great white shark dives are conducted in several locations around the world where there are always good populations of the infamous sharks.
The Farallon Islands lie 26 miles off the coast of California and has a huge rookery of elephant seals that breed and calve their young in the fall months. The water temperature at the Farallons is in the low fifties and the visibility runs from 20 to 30 feet. What makes great white shark diving in the Farallons unique is that the whites can be observed feeding. This is truly nature in the raw, it is quite violent and may not be for everyone.
For extended trips to cage dive with great whites, Guadalupe Island off the Pacific coast of Baja is the premier destination for shark diving. Guadalupe lies 130 miles off the coast and trips depart from San Diego or Ensenada 60 miles to the south. Guadalupe boasts not only the most prolific populations of great white sharks, the 70 degree water affords visibility of over 100 feet. On these 5 day ocean ventures, divers have private staterooms, all the amenities and are pampered with 5 star cuisine.
There are shark diving excursions in many parts of the world offering not only cage diving with great whites, but reef shark feeding and interactions with tiger sharks, bulls and schooling hammerheads. For unforgettable diving experiences, divers travel far and wide to confront their worst nightmares.
Sources:
http://www.sharkdiver.com/
http://www.divingwithsharks.com/
http://www.cagediver.com/california-cage-diving.html
http://www.incredible-adventures.com/sharks_isla_guadalupe.html