NJ Scuba Divers Message Board

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Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by DaveF <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=davef' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 12:53 pm

I may be in the Bahamas on a cruise this winter and there are two possible dive trips I could take. One is a "two tank dive" that basically goes to one reef and one shipwreck, and the other is a "shark feeding dive" that does a reef dive, followed by a second dive where you get to watch a dive guide hand feed some reef sharks. No shark cages or any of that stuff, you just stay to the side and the divemaster puts dead fish on a stick and holds it out for the sharks to grab.

The shark dive sounds like it might be interesting, but I but feel it's kind of bogus because first of all, the sharks must be pretty well trained because they are fed like this all the time and second, it seems kind of "wrong" to feed predators for the amusement of tourists.

Has anyone here ever been on one of these dives and is it a "must see" experience or is it a rip off to separate a tourist from their money? The dive trip feeding the sharks is $40 more expensive than the basic two tank dive.

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by jwood <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=jwood' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/10/2012, 9:27 am, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

.

I have done the blackbeards cruise maybe 5 times now and on 4 of those we were able to get the shark dive in. It's definately a cool dive.
It's usually the second dive of the day, you are set up approx 20-30 foot away in a semi-circle around the actually feeding area....it does not take long for the show to end (as evidenced by the video)
You are permitted to swim through the feeding area to look for teeth that may have broken during their chomping on the Stainless Steel Bar that they put Barracuda on and freeze for the feed. The sharks do stay arouind for at least a little while and pictures can be had. On one of the trips we stayed at the feed site for our nite dive........That was awesome, of the 22 divers aboard only myself and 4 others would do the dive.........it is very disconcerting to be swimming up and over a coral head and have a 5 foot reef shark explode past your face.......but it was awesome none the less. Lastly, Cocos Island is on my bucket list and from what I understand is Nirvanna for shark sitings (numbers and strains) not Socorro (size and Whites)......anyway, let us know about your trip when you get back. Good Luck and have fun

DIVE SAFE/ DIVE OFTEN

video

Posted by jwood <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=jwood' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/10/2012, 9:32 am, in reply to "Re: Shark dive - worth it?"

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by MikeB <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=MikeB' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/9/2012, 6:09 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

I did the Bahamas shark dive several years ago and had a blast. The dive master wore a chainmail suit and did the whole "shark in a trance" thing as well as the feeding. They had us kneel in about 30' of water in a semi-circle. The sharks show up and swim all around us, and even bump us. It was worth it but I definitely feel there are better ways to see these sharks. However, if you want to be so close that they actually push through the kneeling divers to get to the food, this is the dive for you. For me it was worth the money, but it wasn't cheap.

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by john <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=jmoread' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/8/2012, 4:02 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

I have done several shark dives in the Bahamas. Several times with Stewart's Cove in Nassua. Great dive. i really enjoy the 1st dive when the sharks follow you looking for the food. The 2nd dive is a controled shark feed. They pull fish parts from 2 milk crates strapped together and you see many sharks. Some pass so close they bump into you. They only come for the food and once the food is gone they leave. A good feeder will keep the action going for 20 to 30 minutes.
I also did a shark dive in Freeport. The company was UNEXCO or something like that. I liked this one better. The handler fed the sharks by hand vs a stick and was able to put several to sleep. The shark feed here was much more controled and the sharks stayed around for 20 to 30 minutes also.
Shark feed dives are worth the 40 dollar upcharge.

Thanks for all the suggestions . . .

Posted by DaveF <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=davef' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/8/2012, 10:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Shark dive - worth it?"

We're on Norweigan Cruise Lines, so this isn't an alternative to a dive vacation, it's just a shore excursion in Nassau.

Sounds like everyone agrees it's worth a $40 upcharge, and I'll definitely be digging around in the sand looking for teeth now that I know about that. Won't be those Megaladon teeth, but as long as I can dig I'll be happy.

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by decodump <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=decodump' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 6:07 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

Morality aside, the Bahamas shark dives are pretty cool. I did one about ten years ago on a Blackbeard trip. Lots of sharks, lots of big groupers. But they make fast work of the bait and it's over in a few minutes. Liveaboard is the way to go. I just did Guadalupe on the Nautilus Explorer in September. I LOVE that boat !! Did Socorro and the Sea of Cortez also on the N.E. At Guadalupe, the water was full of giant (one was about 18') Great Whites the whole time we were there. We even caught the tail end of a breach about ten feet off the starboard side. Now THAT was a shark dive !!!

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by Herb Segars <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=hsegars' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 3:57 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

Dave:

I have done the Shark Dive where they feed the sharks in the Bahamas and I have done shark dives off liveaboards in the Bahamas. The last few times that I did the dive from the Nekton (which are now out of business) boats, they merely let you dive near the same site as the fish feedings. Seeing a shark was hit and miss and they told us to stay away from the shark feeding if they were doing it. The shark feeding dive was a different story altogether. If you want to see Caribbean reef sharks (and probably a nurse shark or two), the fish feeding dive is worth the extra $40. The sharks are attuned to the shark feeds and usually show up in large numbers. I can't disagree with you about the morality of feeding sharks but if you are just looking to get your money's worth, spend the $40.

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by bobby <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=1BLACKFISH' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 3:41 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

If you want a cruise and some fantistic good shark dives where you can not feed the sharks and you are on the bottom of food chain.book a liverboard on the undersea hunter leaves out of costa rica to cocos island.long boat ride about 350 miles each way, it does- not get any better.the night dives are to die for. watching hundreds of sharks hunting for dinner and your only a few feet away.no matter where your flash light shines it beam, sharks are allover the place.during the day you can look up from 100 feet down and see schools of 1000++ pound hammerheads above you..senior big whale sharks bigger then the boat.the action does not stop, even while on the deck you can watch birds diving in to get some of the scraps from whats left of the natural bait balls..question is shark dives worth it? these are. been there twice ready to go back again and again. have one friend he has made 12 trips there..www,underseahunter.com

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by Mo <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=mo' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 2:42 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

Have done 2 shark feeding dives....both in the Bahamas off of the Nekton Pilot.

The first one was amazing! Had all of the divers kneeling in the sand with a coral wall behind us while a dive master stayed above and behind us with a shark stick to poke them away if they got too close. It was a blast!

Second trip was out in the sand with a tethered bait ball but it didn't last too long since a rather large shark came along and took the entire thing so the rest of the sharks left. Plus the vis on the second shark dive was pretty lousy.

These were on 2 different trips in 2 different areas of the Bahamas.

I'm a firm believer that if you want to take a dive vacation do a live aboard. Definitely more bang for the buck.

Re: Shark dive - worth it?

Posted by RogerC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/Modiver/info/user=RogerC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 1/7/2012, 2:14 pm, in reply to "Shark dive - worth it?"

I did it in January 2002 while on a cruise. The dive shop was Nassau Scuba Centre and the site was called Shark Pit/Shark Alley. Dove to a sand bottom at 45' and the divers kneeled in a straight line shoulder to shoulder (so the sharks won't swim between you). The dive master wore a chain mail suit and fed the sharks from a 6" by 24" PVC tube with a neoprene cover with a slit in it. He reached in and fed each shark individually. We had about 12-14 reef sharks from 4' to 7-8'. Also had large grouper and jacks join in the feeding frenzy. The dive master grabbed one small shark and caused it go into tonic immobility and then passed it down the line of divers like a large loaf of french bread. After the feeding was over the divers looked for shark teeth in the sand while the sharks circled. This is all from my dive log. I am glad I did it and probably would do it again. (Since then my son and I did the great white shark cage diving at Guadalupe Island Mexico, which is a somewhat different experience).

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