Shark Adventures

Shark Adventures

Join us for one (or all) of these incredible shark diving adventures:
The Farallon Islands - Great white sharks are closer than you think! Choose from a one day adventure departing from San Francisco or a two-day expedition that leaves from nearby Sausalito. The Gulf of the Farallons Marine Sanctuary is home to some of the world's biggest great white sharks. Read more >

Bahamas - A one-day tiger shark adventure departing from West End, Bahamas. The area known for very big tiger sharks is also home to reef sharks, lemonsharks and hammerheads. Read more >

Isla Guadalupe - 5 day live-aboard adventure to the newly discovered and pristine Isla Guadalupe site off the coast of Mexico. Read more >

False Bay (Cape Town, South Africa) - Just down the coast from our Cape Town jets, there's another incredible adventure. Shark dives depart from the scenic village of Simon's Town and are led by a professional shark photographer and experienced researcher. Dive for one day or dive for ten. Read more >

Gansbaai (South Africa) - Cage diving is incredible in the area near Dyer's Island better known as Shark Alley. You don't have to be a diver to see great action. Read more >

Sardine Run - Follow the annual migration of sardines along the Wild Coast of Africa. This rugged dive adventure puts you in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Read more >

DIVING WITH SHARKS

DIVING WITH SHARKS AND RAYS

Source of post: http://elasmodiver.com/Shark%20diving%20101.htm


First and foremost, I can't stress enough the need to gain as much knowledge as possible about the animals and their environment. To go into the water without at least a basic idea of how the sharks are likely to react is foolhardy to say the least. If you are participating in an organized "shark diving experience" you may feel that the operator's knowledge is sufficient and that you can sit back and watch the show. It's important to remember that every shark interaction is different. Just because countless people have watched the parade of sharks at a particular site passively swim by does not mean that you will have the same experience. Following are some guidelines for minimising the dangers associated with interacting in the wild with sharks and rays. Whilst the advice hopefully is useful it should be regarded as a vague guideline only. Your experiences will differ greatly from mine and the sharks and rays you encounter may react in a completely different way. As such, I take no responsibility for the outcome of any encounters that you may have or for the validity of any information stated below.

1. Get educated!
Ask local divers and fishers what species of sharks you are likely to see. Knowing if an area is frequented by nurse sharks or tigers may make a big difference to how alert you feel you need to be on the dive. Learn the stats on different sharks. The shark attack file is a good place to start to find out which sharks have been responsible for attacks in the past.
Find out how the sharks in the area normally respond to divers. Most free swimming sharks will disappear the minute they see a noisy, bubble blowing diver heading their way but some sharks are more curious. Occasionally sharks like to wander up to divers and give them a closer look. Being buzzed or even brushed by a shark does not necessarily mean that you are about to become lunch.

Are the sharks in the area regularly fed by divers? It can be disconcerting to drop down onto an area of reef where shark feeds normally take place and immediately find yourself surrounded by expectant sharks.
Ask if bait will be used or if any member of the dive group is planning to spear fish. Aggressive behaviour is significantly increased in the presence of struggling fish or when blood and other juices are in the water.
Find out if the sharks in the area are territorial. Sharks may respond to divers as threats to territory and defensively attack.

2. Dress appropriately.
There are differing points of view on the subject of what colors are most likely to attract a shark's attention. Every conceivable color combination has been tried at one time or another in an effort to deter sharks from attacking. Even broad black and white stripes have been tried in an effort to replicate the appearance of a banded sea snake which is an animal avoided by the majority of shark species.

As a rule of thumb, tropical sharks are mainly fish eaters and as such are attracted to bright and shiny objects. Therefore it would seem logical that a neon yellow wetsuit would attract the attention of sharks looking for a meal. In shark diving circles neon yellow has actually been given the nickname of "yum yum yellow". Other bright colours may also have the same effect so if you're planning on regularly putting yourself in the presence of tropical fish eating sharks it may be a good idea to tone down your fashion statement and choose a more muted color or black. Bear in mind that thousands of divers swim with tropical sharks every day wearing all manner of clothing from bikinis to camouflaged full body dive skins and the incidence of attack is extremely low.

If you have bright metal objects such as reels or dive knifes attached to the outside of your BC try to stash them out of sight in a pocket or replace them with darker coloured alternatives. Even a diver's first stage can look good to a hungry reef shark as I found out in the Bahamas.

Wear dark gloves. From a shark's point of view there's nothing more tempting than seeing two small lily white "fish" flapping around in front of them. If you don't have any gloves try to keep your arms folded across your chest. Using your hands to swim with is asking for trouble.
Full suits are better than shorty wetsuits. This is the same principle as exposing your hands. try not to expose distinct areas of skin that a shark can focus on or mistake for a fish. Even if you have dark skin it's a good idea to cover up. A lot of injury can occur from the brush of a shark's sandpaper like skin.

Some sharks in temperate seas feed on seals and sea lions. The chances are that you will never see a white shark under water. I have a friend that lives on Catalina Island who has seen a couple but he considers himself very lucky indeed to have done so. Many divers prefer the tough guy black commando look and this is reflected by the choices of suits that manufacturers offer. Personally I think that mimicking a seal doesn't seem like such a good idea. Keep in mind again that there are plenty of fish eaters in temperate seas as well, including smaller white sharks, so flashing bright colours and shiny objects may also be unwise. I own a nice neutral blue dry suit that hopefully differentiates me from both pinnipeds and schools of fish.

Lastly, fins tend to be prime targets for bites. This is more likely to do with their movements and exposed position rather than colour but white, silver, or bright fins should probably be avoided.

3. Avoid erratic movements.
Sharks are able to pick up on disturbances in their environment. They are looking for the tell tale signature of a wounded fish or other animal. Once they find one they carry out their civic duty and remove the wounded creature from the gene pool. Thrashing around in the water may mimic the vibrations sent out by a wounded fish and/or may replicate the movements of a feeding shark. Either way, slow, rhythmic fin strokes are more likely to be ignored. Good buoyancy is also important. crashing into the reef or struggling to stay down could generate interest or may work in reverse and drive away sharks that you were hoping would stay around.

4. Look but don't touch.
The best way to get bitten by a shark is to grab it by the tail or any other part of its anatomy. You wouldn't think this needs putting into print but a surprising amount of shark bites are the direct result of divers trying to man handle otherwise docile creatures. Joe diver sees a nurse shark's tail protruding from under the reef and thinks that if he gives it a little poke or tug the nurse shark will shift into a position where Joe can get a better look at its head. He grabs the shark's tail and before he has time to register exactly what has happened he looks down to find a nurse shark jaw wrapped around his wrist. Contrary to popular belief, nurse sharks do have rows of sharp little teeth and once Joe is finally released (which sometimes doesn't happen until he is literally dragged out of the water) Joe gets to spend the rest of his holiday at the very least with a bandaged arm. Don't be Joe Diver. Sharks are extremely flexible and explosively fast.

Rays usually remain very docile if you approach them slowly until their personal space is encroached upon and then they finally either bolt or slowly lift off the bottom and relocate a few meters away. The best way to get near them is to move in close to the sea bed. Rays feel more threatened when approached from above.

In rays the two defence mechanisms that a diver needs to be aware of are: the stingrays tail barb, and the electric rays ability to shock.

Waders (often fishing) have been wounded and even killed where medical attention was not available as the result of stingray barbs entering the abdomen or other vital organs. The barbs often carry toxins which compound the medical problem and create immense pain. Luckily divers are rarely faced with stingrays using this defence mechanism as it is only employed as a last resort when the animal is pinned down. Stingrays are more than happy to move away if they are too closely approached by a diver. I am not aware of a single diver that has been stabbed whilst on a dive. This is not to say that you won't step on one with painful results whilst attempting a shore entry. If this occurs wash the wound in fresh water and apply as much heat to the area as possible. This will help to break down the toxins and relieve some of the pain. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Stingray barbs often break up upon entry and the wound may need to be cut open and cleaned to avoid infection.
The electric organs of some rays are potentially dangerous but again in the majority of cases the ray is far more likely to move away than shock. However, torpedo rays are known to have a bad temper and there have been a few cases of these animals chasing divers and repeatedly shocking them. Some torpedo rays have been shown to be able to emit in excess of 200 volts! Usually if the animal is not harassed it will leave divers alone.

5. Stay away from the chum.
Sharks that come to a shark feed are not there to socialise. They want food and if you're between them and dinner you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Keep your distance from any hanging bait that has been placed in the water and if the current is moving a chum slick away from the area make sure that you are positioned off to the side or up stream.

Having watched the shark's behaviour for some time you may feel confident about moving in for better pictures or a better look. Remember that if the current is running and you are down stream any sharks that are swimming up to the bait may think that those delicious odours are emanating from you. Now you're stuck in a position where a shark is coming toward you and you are drifting into it. As it's very hard to swim against even a mild current you probably now have to turn around to make headway against it to get back up stream which puts you with your back to the approaching shark. A better course of action is to swim sideways until clear of the chum slick at which point you can kick up current without looking like a fleeing wounded animal.

6. Get underwater.
Floating at the surface in the presence of sharks sends the wrong message. You want to descend as soon as you can for a few reasons:
Firstly, a body floating at the surface is high on the list of desirable objects for a shark to explore. In the ocean dead things float. Oily chum tends to create a slick on the surface that you may be covering yourself in while you remain there.

Secondly, if your head is above water you are effectively blind to the movements of any sharks underwater.

Thirdly, a positively buoyant diver's actions are far more limited. It takes time to become negative and descend out of trouble and swimming at the surface in dive gear looks an awful lot like a thrashing animal.

7. Read the sharks.
It's important to pay attention to the behaviour of the sharks participating in a feed. Although sharks become agitated as soon as they know food is available they will usually continue to cruise around calmly waiting for the opportunity to strike at the bait. In a well organized feed, access to the bait is often restricted to keep the sharks interested but not overexcited.

If too much bait ends up in the water, the sharks may become very aggressive. They may chase each other tearing at the food and in their single-mindedness any divers that get in the way stand a chance of getting hit. To understand the significance of being thumped by a shark underwater it's necessary to look at the medium the sharks are moving through. If an adrenalin filled dog were to hit you at 20 miles an hour it would bowl you down. Now replay this scenario in a medium 800 times denser than air and you don't get bowled over anymore because you're supported by the water. However, the object hitting you is still travelling at the same speed resulting in a tremendous impact. Even a leisurely swimming shark can hurt a diver but sharks rarely collide with anything unless they are panicked. Pay attention to the dynamics of the feed.

Beyond a critical level of excitement sharks may become too aggressive for divers to safely remain in the water, and it is difficult to judge when this point is approaching. If many sharks are in attendance and ploughing into the food, seemingly indifferent to anything else around them they may become excited enough to bite randomly at whatever is close to them. Often the surprising thing is how fast the pace can change.
Some sharks regardless of food stimulus may become aggressive towards divers. Any type of posturing is a bad sign. The threat display of Grey reef sharks has been well documented. This consists of exaggerated swimming motions, back arching, raising of the snout, lowering of the pectoral fins, and head swinging. Not all sharks will give you these visual cues but you may see some small modified behaviour. The message is a clear one: BACK OFF! Hopefully the diver will notice the posturing and move away before the shark takes its next defensive strategy which is often to attack. The most common scenario in which this situation occurs is when a shark is cornered. Try to always give sharks an escape route.
It may be tempting to want to photograph posturing behaviour but this has proven to be the downfall of numerous divers in the past. A camera flash is often the catalyst that brings on the final attack. Even bringing a camera up to eye level may be enough to push a shark over the edge and it's important to remember that no matter how ready you think you are, if a shark attacks at speed you are unlikely to be able to block the attack in time.

8. Be a responsible participant.
We have come a long way since the early days of Jacques Cousteau pitting himself against the monsters of the sea. The survival of the sharks that cruise today's oceans hangs in the balance. There is no excuse for harming any shark or even interrupting important behaviours such as mating or birthing. If you feel that a shark diving situation may require the use of a power head or other weapon for protection then the dive should not take place.

It is also important to protect the fragile environment that sharks and rays inhabit. "Getting the shot" is secondary to protecting the reef regardless of what the subject is. Always practice good buoyancy skills and if the situation calls for you to crouch inconspicuously on the sea floor find a barren spot that will not damage any corals or other marine creatures. That group of orange sponges may make for a better photo location but not at the expense of the surrounding corals.

If baiting sharks in to an area is enough to create a worthwhile experience, then actual feeding is not necessary. The consensus is that it is far more harmful and behaviour changing to actually feed sharks that to just lure them into the area.

Try to avoid creating a repetitive feeding area where resident sharks wait for a handout. Whilst this may be a convenient way to re-attract sharks it provides an easy target for unscrupulous shark fishers.

Diving with sharks can be a fun and highly rewarding activity but this becomes hollow and selfish enjoyment if you in any way harm the animals that you have come to see.

Whale shark

Common Names: Whale shark.
Latin Name: Rhincodon Typus
Family: Rhincodontidae

Identification: Enormous size (worlds largest fish). Body scalloped (with two distinct ridges running from behind head along each flank into caudal fin. Pattern of white spots and indistinct lines on grey dorsum. Ventrum white or pale. First dorsal large. Caudal large. Mouth terminal and often open when observed feeding on plankton.

Size: Maximum length 18m (unconfirmed) reliably to 16m.
Habitat: Pelagic. Comes into reef areas when food supply is abundant e.g. coral spawning.

Abundance and distribution: Circumtropical except Mediterranean.
Behavior: Usually seen swimming with mouth agape in feeding mode. Little is known about the Whale sharks biology or migratory patterns.
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. Previously thought to be oviparous due to an eggcase containing a Whale shark embryo dredge from the bottom of the sea. This perception changed in 1995 when a Taiwanese fishing boat harpooned an 8m female containing 300 embryos. Whale sharks have been observed at Ningaloo performing figure 8 maneuvers while nose to tail. It has been speculated that this may be some form of courting behavior.

Observations:
Photographs: Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.

Similar species:
Reaction to divers: Whale sharks generally move away from the noise creatred by scuba bubbles and from physical contact. Getting too close to a whale shark often causes it to dive and 'riding' the sharks interferes with their natural behavior and should be discoraged even if local rules are very liberal. The best encounters tend to be on scuba.

Diving logistics: Operators around the world run Whale shark encounters. Some use spotter planes while others rely on the sharks returning to well known feeding sites. Ningaloo Reef encounters are very predicable and the customers generally get a few sharks each day during the season. For more information on Ningaloo go to the Exmouth / Ningaloo page in the Shark diving hotspots section of Elasmodiver or follow the link here.

Come on People Get a clue! (PLEASE)

Come on People Get a clue! (PLEASE)

Moves to impose trawling ban stymied
"a stunning example of dysfunctional decision-making and the unwillingness of the world's nations to stand up and just say 'no' to activity that is destroying the global marine environment."

U.N. says 2005 set greenhouse gas record
Report: Seafood faces collapse by 2048


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Clambakes, crabcakes, swordfish steaks and even humble fish sticks could be little more than a fond memory in a few decades.

If current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of just about all seafood face collapse by 2048, a team of ecologists and economists warns in a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

"Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world's ocean, we saw the same picture emerging. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems," said the lead author Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are -- beyond anything we suspected," Worm said.

While the study focused on the oceans, concerns have been expressed by ecologists about threats to fish in the Great Lakes and other lakes, rivers and freshwaters, too.

Worm and an international team spent four years analyzing 32 controlled experiments, other studies from 48 marine protected areas and global catch data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's database of all fish and invertebrates worldwide from 1950 to 2003.

The scientists also looked at a 1,000-year time series for 12 coastal regions, drawing on data from archives, fishery records, sediment cores and archaeological data.

"At this point 29 percent of fish and seafood species have collapsed -- that is, their catch has declined by 90 percent. It is a very clear trend, and it is accelerating," Worm said. "If the long-term trend continues, all fish and seafood species are projected to collapse within my lifetime -- by 2048."
"It looks grim and the projection of the trend into the future looks even grimmer," he said. "But it's not too late to turn this around. It can be done, but it must be done soon. We need a shift from single species management to ecosystem management. It just requires a big chunk of political will to do it."

The researchers called for new marine reserves, better management to prevent overfishing and tighter controls on pollution.

In the 48 areas worldwide that have been protected to improve marine biodiversity, they found, "diversity of species recovered dramatically, and with it the ecosystem's productivity and stability."

While seafood forms a crucial concern in their study, the researchers were analyzing overall biodiversity of the oceans. The more species in the oceans, the better each can handle exploitation.

"Even bugs and weeds make clear, measurable contributions to ecosystems," said co-author J. Emmett Duffy of the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences.

The National Fisheries Institute, a trade association for the seafood industry, does not share the researchers alarm.

"Fish stocks naturally fluctuate in population," the institute said in a statement. "By developing new technologies that capture target species more efficiently and result in less impact on other species or the environment, we are helping to ensure our industry does not adversely affect surrounding ecosystems or damage native species.

Seafood has become a growing part of Americans' diet in recent years. Consumption totaled 16.6 pounds per person in 2004, the most recent data available, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That compares with 15.2 pounds in 2000.

Joshua Reichert, head of the private Pew Charitable Trusts' environment program, pointed out that worldwide fishing provides $80 billion in revenue and 200 million people depend on it for their livelihoods. For more than 1 billion people, many of whom are poor, fish is their main source of protein, he said.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation's National Center for Ecological Synthesis and Analysis.



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Oceans Conference 2008

"Environmentalism is about saving our communities. It is about the power of the community asserting itself on these environmental issues that will directly affect our future generations."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., SOS Clean Oceans Conference 1997


We hope to enlist the help of like minded people and organizations worldwide so that we as a whole can make a positive change in conservation practices in Hawaii, Polynesia, and the World. Many places in Hawaii are on the verge of becoming protected areas, and we as a whole can work to implement these changes efficiently and positively!
SOS needs your help, please renew your membership or Join SOS to help us promote and educate people from all walks of life about our precious resource, the ocean.


The link below takes you to a Sierra club summary of our state governments action or inaction on an array of environmental issues during this past session. It is in essence a follow up to the "Common Sense Conservation 2008" briefing book compiled by a coalition of HI environmental organizations earlier this year.

http://www.hi.sierraclub.org/legislative/
Mahalo, Adam Roversi, SOS Advisory Board

Getting your feet wet- First time scuba

By: Amanda W. (Scuba Junkie)
Life of a beginner scuba queen
2/6/08

Being from Iowa, you may not consider scuba diving an option for me. That is, unless you don't know where Iowa is or that we're the land of corn. Not exactly teeming with fantastic vacation dive spots that are flocked with tourists. I want to share my thoughts and experiences as I go through the process of learning to scuba dive. My hope is that fellow novices can learn from my stories, or maybe more advanced divers to gain an understanding of beginners. No matter the reason for your interest in scuba, it has brought you to this point. Some background on myself is that I do not like being in a bathing suit, am not used to being in water, dislike emerging my face in water, and have a fear of drowning. With that said, through the encouragement and passion of a friend, I am preparing to take my first steps toward becoming an Open Water Diver.

I personally had my first experience with snorkeling in April 2007 in Nassau, Bahamas while on vacation. After the first 15 minutes in the water of thinking I was going to drown, I began to relax and focus more on my desire to see the beauty beneath me. I had to practice at breathing through the snorkel underwater, and let me tell you it is a strange feeling to see below and continue breathing. My friend and I had $10 underwater cameras, but the pictures could not do justice for what we could see with our own eyes. I was a bit disappointed in the coral to be honest, but I really had nothing to compare it to. After all, I went for the experience, and the fish didn't disappoint.With Scuba Jay's prompting I began to consider trying scuba, though after almost hyperventilating with just snorkeling I had my reservations. We began with hearing stories and watching videos on YouTube and learning of different types and purposes of diving- wreck/ excavation diving, underwater archeology, underwater ecology, vacation diving, underwater photography, night diving, cave diving, ice diving, rescue diving, search and recovery diving, and for academic or research purposes. For me, I am interested in a few of the aforementioned so I recommend that if you're nervous, find one you can use as a motivator to get your feet wet. I am assured that once you start, you're hooked.

There is a progression to diving certifications and two primary governing bodies NAUI and PADI, though SDI, TDI, WASI, and NASE are also out there.

NAUI:
1. Skin diver
2. Scuba diver
3. Advanced scuba diver
4. Master scuba diver
5. Leadership certifications
·Divemaster
· Skin diving Instructor
· Assistant Instructor
6. NAUI scuba Instructor


PADI:
1. Open water diver
2. Advanced open water diver
3. Rescue diver
4. Master scuba diver OR Divemaster (lead to Course Director)

There are many special certifications you can receive along the way of both NAUI's and PADI's paths. Each level requires varying numbers of dives you must successfully complete, and some coursework as well.




Keywords:
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Kaaihue Brothers

We Snorkel With Turtles ? On Every Tour!! We travel the South Shore of Kauai; the islands best snorkeling year round and best whale watching (December - May)! Poipu, also known as ?Sunny Poipu? or locally as the South Side, is located only about 20 minutes from the airport in Lihue. With virtually no runoffs or streams, the visibility is exceptional and not affected by rainfall. Most of our tour is spent snorkeling with turtles, exotic fish and various sea life. We snorkel at least 2 locations and give you a guided tour through the water, pointing out eels, lobster, octopus, etc.

The surf on the south side is minimal. The large swells that hit our island in the winter months only affect the north and west shores? not the south! Therefore, if you’re planning on snorkeling on your vacation, or just want to join us for exceptional whale watching, be sure to go with Kaaihue Brothers.



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Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii, with it's many islands and well developed tourist infrastructure, has numerous diving opportunities.The best places to dive on Oahu are near the famous landmark of Diamond Head. Other popular areas are along the Waianae Coast (outstanding during summer months), the North Shore (not accessible during winter months because of high surf), and Makapuu's offshore Rabbit Island.

Maui offers a host of good to outstanding diving areas all around its shoreline. The best area on the Big Island of Hawaii is along the Kona Coast where there are excellent places to dive to view beautiful reefs, shallow to deep, with coral, shells, large fish, turtles, lobsters, black coral, and fascinating topography resulting from lava flows.Lanai lies Cathedral Reef, 30 to 100ft deep, with colorful coral, shells and big fish such as the 50lb ulua (Crevalle Jack) and lobsters. Molokai's east and west ends are considered by some divers to be unmatched anywhere in the world.

The diving in Kauai is very similar to what you might experience in Maui. On any given day in the summer, you can get great visibility and have access of up to 26 dive sites, many from shore. However, in winter, the seas on the north side of the island are very rough, and those sites are not divable, limiting your choices to only a few on the south (Poipu) side of the island.


Operators

Kauai
Bubbles Below
Sea Sport Divers
Dive Kauai

Maui
Kapalua DiveTropical Divers
Maui Dive Shop

Oahu
Reef Trekkers

Lanai & Molokini
Extended Horizons
Lahaina Divers

Liveaboards
Kona Aggressor

Weather on all of the Hawaiian Islands is very consistent, with only moderate changes in temperature throughout the year. This is possible due to the year-round warm sea surface temperatures, which keeps the overlying atmosphere warm as well. In practical terms there are only 2 seasons here: the summer months (called Kau in Hawaiian) that extend from May to October and the winter months (Ho'oilo) that run from November to April. The average day-time summer temperature at sea level is 85°F (29.4°C) while the average day-time winter temperature is 78°F (25.6°C). Night-time temperatures are approximately 10°F lower.



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