Sharks and diving

gavin123 · #1 09/20/2004, 09:21 PM

I was wondering how common it is to see a shark when diving?

I am in the process of getting my diving license. at the end of the class we go diving in monteray, and i'm just curious.

Have any of you guys seen a shark while diving?

maxxII · #2 09/20/2004, 09:34 PM

Ive seen sharks while diving, but I've always been a warm water diver. Never had a problem. Every shark I've been in the water with has been more scared of me than I was of it. Besides, statistically, you have a better chance of dying from a lightning strike, or a bee sting than being attacked by a shark.
Nick

jbt123 · #3 09/20/2004, 09:39 PM

i have never seen a shark while diving, except for when i went on the shark dive at stuarts cove in nassau bahamas, which was by far the coolest dive i have ever been on, on the first dive you swim around and look at everything and watch the sharks, then on your second dive you get in a circle and there is a "control feeding" which really wasnt controlled at all but really awsome, sharks bumping into you and swimming between you and your buddy. They do the dives about 3 times a day so the sharks learn when its dinner time and they start sticking around in the same area so there where about 30 different reef sharks when i went. I would suggest everyone to go on this dive. Its unforgettable. Oh by the way its the same sharks and dive spot they used for Open water.

gavin123 · #4 09/20/2004, 09:41 PM

Thanks.

sounds fun.

Razing Kane · #5 09/20/2004, 10:30 PM

Ive seen more sharks on my dives than not, but they are afraid of us. Sorry for crappy pic, extracted from a 15 year old handycam.
but this is the "Bull Run" Shark dive in the bahamas.

gavin123 · #6 09/20/2004, 11:44 PM

that looks big.

scotter · #7 09/21/2004, 02:46 PM

Hi Gavin,

You're not going to see much while diving in Monterey - including sharks. The upwelling, bone-chilling currents are full of plankton. If you see a shark in the kelp forest it'll be cruising the bottom. See: http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_smm/smm_meet.asp
If you find yourself diving amongst seals, Great Whites may be lurking (unlikely next to Monterey).

As for my diving experiences - I've never seen a shark in Monterey, but I've seen plenty of white tip reef sharks, black tip reef sharks, and gray reef sharks in Hawaii and Fiji. They're quite common as you cruise the reef. On a wall dive (barrier reef), you can occasionally see open water sharks cruising the wall, but they're quite a distance off - difficult to tell the type except that they're big (I think I've seen a hammerhead (outside an aquarium environment)).

Overall, don't worry about the sharks. Hypothermia is what you need to worry about. Monterey, even with an 8 mm wetsuit is VERY, VERY COLD.

Good luck!
Scott

gavin123 · #8 09/21/2004, 08:46 PM

thanks.

themadreefer · #9 09/23/2004, 12:26 PM

can't wait for the day i get to pet a great white shark.

Captain Michael · #10 09/24/2004, 10:09 AM

Never dived Monterey, But I've hit the Channel Islands. Sharks are rare or at least shy. Just because I didn't see any doesn't mean they didn't see me. themadreefer has more cahones than I, if he plans on petting a Great White. He may pull back a bloody stump!

themadreefer · #11 09/24/2004, 03:02 PM

do not worry, more than likely i will be in a cage.(maybe)

Holokai · #12 09/25/2004, 12:24 AM

Sharks are the coolest thing I've ever had the fortune to see under water... and close too. we stumbled on a group of reef tip sharks sleeping/resting under plating corals in Molokini crater, about 7 of them... I was SO tempted to pet one...

Ciali · #13 09/25/2004, 02:09 PM

I'd be sooo scared.

ACIDRAIN · #14 09/25/2004, 10:00 PM

I have been on many shark dives, and spent a week in Cuba on a science research about sharks. I have hours and hours of video of many different sharks. As for seeing a shark on one of your dives, well it is estemated that on average, 90% of all SW dives made, a/more than one, shark will come in to investigate what that crazy thing in its/their territory is (you). They will usually leave as soon as they see it is nothing to worry about, or you are not of concern. I have video of sharks following friends of mine while diving as well. Nothing like showing them after we get back on the boat, LOL. Basically there are only 4 types of sharks that you ever need to have any kind of worry about at all. Most all of them will not bother you, as long as you do not bother them. And, show all of them much respect and you will be fine. The only ones I recomend slowly heading back to the boat, are White Pointers (Australia only), Great White (world wide, though mostly Australia), Tiger (mostly Pacific, but world wide), and the Bull Shark (the ones all over the Caribean and gulf/Atlantic coast of US.

A few things to know about sharks, and why most are not a danger to humans
Basically there are three types of sharks, of which can be defined by their teeth. First off are the Nurse type sharks. These sharks have more like plates for grinding than teeth like the sharks most people associate sharks as having. Their teeth are very small, and they have massive sized jaw bones like plates. These plates they use for grinding up mullusks, crabs, and such. These fish will not bother you ever, as long as you don't agrivate them, or mess with them. This means don't kick them with your flippers when they are on the bottom, just to get a good pic. Otherwise, they are harmless.
Secondly, are the sharks known as fish eaters. These are the sharks, most of us have seen pics of, with the numerous rows of long pointy teeth, just hanging out of their mouths. They look mean and scarry, and very aggressive. These are mostly the sand sharks and such. These fish'es teeth are long and pointy, just like the pics. They are also curved inwards. The reason for this is, they are used to graple prey, and pull it into their mouths. Not for sawing and cutting. These fish are relatively harmless to humans, as long as you do not try to grab them by the tail and turn them upside down, like you saw once on the Discovery channel. They would never attack a human unless provoked. This is because, they would lose some of these teeth, and with out them, they would not be able to eat and thus would starve. These fish eat all of their food whole. The teeth graple it, and with each lash forward, the teeth get a better grip on it, and pull it in more. They could not eat you whole, so there is no worry with them.
Now for the MAN EATERS. These sharks make up only about 10% of all the total sharks world wide. These fish have teeth that are triangular shaped, and sharp or serated on the edges. These teeth are very strong, solid, and sharp. They use these teeth to slice/cut chunks of bite size food from anything they think to be prey. These are the only fish you have to worry about while diving, and then it is rare for you to have to do that.

Now for some other info. Did you know that 99% of all unprovoked shark attacks have taken place either in 3 foot of water or less, or while only 3 foot or less of the person was in the water? This is true. As you are a large item to attack and try to eat, without maybe getting injured, the shark usually does not try to attack you when seen diving. However, when your legs are hanging off the boat in the water, or you are wading in shallow water off of the beach, the shark does not see the upper half of you that is out of the water, but only sees the two nice sized legs that are visable in the water. Just something to keep in mind if you see a shark around.

Good Diving!

Holokai · #15 09/25/2004, 10:04 PM

That's fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

gavin123 · #16 09/25/2004, 10:56 PM

thats good to know.

Captain Michael · #17 09/26/2004, 06:08 AM

The Nurse shark may be docile but yet it is responsible for the majority of attacks in Florida. Reason? "Oh, let's go pet the nice shark" Hey it is still a shark! That and lobstering. Nurse sharks like lobster as much as myself, but I won't mug you for one.

HJimm · #18 09/27/2004, 08:08 PM

Excellent post Acidrain!

I've done all most all of my 12 years of diving in FL (12 dives in Hawaii and 8 in the BVI's) and I've seen tons of sharks. Not been the least concerned until last year. Dove the Bahia Honda Bridges (Middle Keys) and had at least 3 medium to large Bull sharks circling in poor visability. Didn't like that at all.

HJ

Holokai · #19 09/27/2004, 08:09 PM

I hear that the circling means they Like you HJ. :-D

ACIDRAIN · #20 09/27/2004, 08:59 PM

Yes, I have to say, in murky waters, I too get that little eery feeling when some good sized sharks start circling.

Scuba Dog · #21 09/28/2004, 05:04 AM

With over 150 salt water dives or so, quit loging them long ago a natural disdane for paperwork on my part...I have only seen a handfull of sharks and those were caribbean nurse sharks...pretty cool actually....youl find your self wanting to see them in the wild...and I have dove the monterey area and never seen any sharks...actually you would have to dive monterey nearly everyday for 10 years and you would probally only see a GWS maybey twice ....

Holokai · #22 09/28/2004, 05:06 AM

That's a shame, I'd surely love to see a GWS at some point in my life... Sharks are definitely a highlight of any dive for me.

Scuba Dog · #23 09/28/2004, 05:12 AM

Holokai

Well I have heard stories of divers being atackek in the monterey area. by one of the divemasters i hired several times there....but i dont want to get into old war stories.....do a search on the farrolin islands sp...and there is an operator out of frisco or alameda that takes divers out to see the whites in some cage dives....expensive though...

snarfe · #24 09/28/2004, 03:24 PM

chances of seeing a great white are slim for most dives. well depending on the location. they are more open water sharks, but of course as most sharks they come in to feed. but they usually have their favorite spots and rotate between them. more likely to see one doing an deep water dive aways off shore. the scariest sharks that most of us would encounter would be tiger/bull sharks. tiger sharks are big and WILL check you out to see what your doing and possible stay around to make sure your not doing something that they don't like. a lot of us will see bull shark before our scube life is up. bull sharks are about medium in size compared to the others, but they do have attitudes. these are the sharks that make me nervous when i'm in the water. they are fast, strong, and sometimes unpredicable (sp?). they go to the shallows (3 ft ) to feed. they have short tempers, they will attack if bothered! if you are diving to see/photograph sharks it is best that you know the different common species and how to tell them apart. and just be smart, you'd be suprised where such big animals can go or place they can get too!

Scuba Dog · #25 09/28/2004, 03:37 PM

Pretty much chances of spoting a GWS are super slim, unless you go out looking for one! Just check out the seal rookeries..and then your asking for it...Of the divers that been atacked it has been when a GWS is coming in to feed....the man wasent biten but ramed...tore up the dry suit pretty good and left some nasty scars...was off of point lobos about ten years back..