Shark Diving: Bars or No Bars?

Often, the people who are most afraid of sharks and feel they need to have bars between them and the sharks have yet to meet one. Those who have gone on shark dives generally describe an experience of great beauty, transcendence, and transformation. The experience usually leaves them with a strong appreciation of and even affection for these animals, describing them as intelligent and peaceful, charismatic, magnificent, and non-aggressive toward humans—the exact opposite of common perceptions of sharks as ferocious man-eaters.

Most shark divers are seeking a more personal interaction with sharks in order to learn more about a misunderstood animal that few of us know much about. They do not choose to go cage-less because they are seeking an adrenaline rush, but rather because they desire a better connection with the animals, and respect but do not fear the sharks. The caged option, where available, does not provide the same experience.

Additionally, underwater photographers and filmmakers seek to capture this experience for others. Many powerful and beautiful photographs and films produced from these expeditions free of cages have led to a better understanding and appreciation for sharks and their critical importance within ocean ecosystems.

It needs to be said, sharks are not puppies meant to be cuddled. They should be recognized and respected for what they are: perfect predators that have survived hundreds of millions of years. While most of the Shark Angels dive cage-free, choosing to interact with sharks more intimately to dispel the “Jaws” stereotype that divers need steel cages to protect them, we also acknowledge personal comfort levels and limitations. Cages, more than anything else, protect the sharks from our own egos and also make these encounters accessible to a wider range of skill sets. Their necessity in facilitating a safe encounter is most often the exception, not the rule, but the bottom line is this: dive at your comfort level and on your terms.

Is Diving With Sharks Safe?

The risk of injury, let alone death, while diving with sharks is incredibly low.

In contrast, more common leisure activities such as biking, swimming and boating result in a significant number of injuries and fatalities each year. True, In the US alone, the risk of death by drowning is approximately 3,000 times greater than being bitten by a shark, and the number of fatalities from boating accidents is more than 300 times greater. The comparatively low risk posed by diving with sharks is far outweighed by the reward. It enables people to develop a healthy respect and passion for a critical role player in the health of our oceans that is majestic, yet misunderstood.

In terms of relative risks, in California [the U. S. state with the second highest incidence of shark attacks in the country], there is only one shark attack for every one million surfing days, according to the Surfrider Foundation. Your chances of drowning when entering the water in the US are 1 in 3.5 million. Your chances of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million and your chances of dying are 0 in 264.1 million…

Myth, media, and sensationalism have created and perpetuated an irrational and inaccurate fear that sharks as ruthless killing machines. The statistical reality is that sharks do not want to eat people. Shark incidents are extremely rare and those incidents even more rarely result in death. With hundreds of millions of people living near the shore, and even more who travel, these are infinitesimal numbers when considering the potential interactions vs. the actual interactions.

The reality stands that people just are not a natural or desired source of food for sharks. Shark bites happen, but they are infrequent and there are a variety of theories regarding why sharks bite – ranging from defensive posturing, to curiosity, to competition, to mistaken identity. From our experience, this varies by species, conditions, and even the individual animal. Suffice it to say, this is not a statistically frequent occurrence.

Save Our Seas recently posted some good information about white sharks and why they may bite. The first and most commonly accepted explanation is that they are accidental, exploratory bites – a case of mistaken identity. Secondly, sharks, who don’t have hands, use their mouths to investigate objects they are innately curious about. Finally, it is believed that certain types of sharks defend their personal space by communicating through body posturing and biting. http://saveourseas.com/articles/why_do_white_sharks_bite_people.

Regardless of why a shark bite occurs, most sharks will typically bite once, realize that we are not a source of food, and leave. The rare fatality is usually due to loss of blood after that exploratory bite. Given the advanced predatory skills of sharks, if humans were a perceived food source, there would be almost as many fatalities as there are shark incidents, and many more incidents.

Remember – sharks are large wild animals. Stepping into their habitat has some risks. With the proper safety protocols, a high level of diving experience, and guidance from reputable dive operations, the risk is small when compared to the reward of an up-close encounter with one of the great co-inhabitants of our earth.

Dive With Sharks, While You Still Can

Top 5 Shark Diving Destinations

1. Gansbaai, South Africa
For what nightmares are made of, there’s no where in the World like South Africa to encounter the so called ‘man-eater’ Great White. 12kms offshore from Gansbaai (160km from Cape Town), there are two islands Dyer Island and Geyser Rock where all the action takes place. The islands covered with seals and jackass penguins are like a ready to eat fast food meal for the sharks who patrol the shallow and narrow channel that runs between the two islands, as if they were at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

 

 

Jump in a cage here an all that’ll separate you from the most feared shark in the sea is a few metal bars. It’s a front row seat to watch the dinning frenzy and maybe a closer encounter with a curious great white when it checks out your cage. You’re guaranteed you’re moneys worth and an experience of a lifetime.

2. Nassau, Bahamas
Think cage diving is for wussies? Want a little more thrill and excitement? How about coming face-to-face with tens of reef sharks without the metal protection. Nassau attracts tons of divers every year to witness a swarm of reefies in a feeding frenzy. The difference however is that the sharks are lured by the dive master/operators dressed in chain-mail that feed them while the other divers play spectators down below unnoticed by the hungry sharks.

 

With no cage or protection the thrill of this high can be described as a powerful dose of prozac. Shark encounters include tens of blacktip or white tip reef sharks circling you feeding on bait and on rare occasion and run in the daddy of all sharks -the great white.

3. Rhode Island, United States
A combination of frigid waters and plenty of sharks makes this one of the top shark diving destinations. Point Judith, three hours offshore of New England may not seem like a great place to dive, especially since the Atlantic’s bone-chilling waters aren’t very inviting. However, the migratory blue sharks have made it their pit stop on a long journey to the coast of South America.

 

 

 

Pulled in by chumming the waters (throwing in bait to lure sharks and fish), the blue sharks are drawn here for the diving which is done from a cage. Their slender bodies and pointed snouts are quite distinguishably different form other shark species. The fearless may opt to go cage-free but this isn’t advisable.

4. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
A must dive site for shark diving enthusiasts, Cocos Island is a unique spot to dive with literally hundreds of hammerhead sharks. Ranked as the 6th Best dive site by the PADI network, it’s a live-aboard only dive destination as it’s situated some 300 miles off the main coast of Costa Rica.

 

The silhouette view of swirling hammerheads as you gaze up on a dive here is an intense and almost surreal diving experience. The sheer numbers of hammerheads is shocking and makes you wonder if there are any fish left around there. Apart from hammerhead sharks, white tips, bull and whale sharks are frequently spotted in these parts too.

5. Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas), Brazil
A lagoon off the coast of Brazil in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, 260 km (160 mi) northeast of Natal is volcanic formed island. This atoll was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of it’s rich marine and coral life. The warm waters in this area are home to a caucus of brightly colored tropical fishes, coral reefs and it’s predator—the lemon shark.

With a thriving population of lemon sharks here, which pose very little threat to humans it’s possible to dive with a school of about 30 sharks at once making it a tangy experience.