Shark Experiences

Scuba Mama · 07-17-2007, 10:10 PM

One of the questions that comes up or more a fear is sharks.

Some people will start out loving them. I was afraid to see or have sharks around me when I started diving. That changed the day I saw a black tip reef shark. It was so cool the way it moved through the water cut through the water. I was hooked, I watched and then swam after the shark. It could really careless that I was there. I did not get close enough to be a problem. From this point I have always loved the shark encounters. There have not been many. I do not do the shark feeds, what a waste (I know some will disagree here). On my 100th dive, my buddy and my self saw a couple of sharks along a reef wall 80feet. We moved in a little to see what was happening. At the top of the wall 60 feet, we saw what was going on a bait ball was forming and there were three sharks feeding. They were using a wolf pack approach to hunt. It was one of the best things underwater I have experienced. It was natural not forced. When the big shark got with in a foot of my buddy and my self, we backed out easy. Once on board I asked my buddy it he shot a picture of the bait ball, with one look I knew he was to excited and forgot to get the picture. But I do have one pictures of the shark that approached us. As you can tell from my stories, divers are not the primary food. If you have a shark encounter, please share.

**dalehall** · 07-19-2007, 03:23 PM

I can't wait for my first sighting. We had two sightings on my last trip the Gulf of Mexico and guess who was Boat Boy on both of those dives??? I missed them both.. Headed back out on the 28th of July.. Maybe I'll see one this time.. I'm actually quite intrested in seeing a bait ball also.. Had a single sighting of one of those (the same dive as one of the sharks.) So, I missed all three opportunities.

I'm sure it will happen one day..

Vegas · 07-19-2007, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba Mama

....snip...If you have a shark encounter, please share.

It's a bottom dweller, but still a shark - does that count?

here's the story....
I am amazed by Rays, I love 'em, I think they are the most amazing creatures!
(not as much FUN as Sea Lions, but SO amazing!) ....
So on my first trip to the ocean (and only one so far) I couldn't stop talking about how I wanted to see a Ray! (I was even asked if I wanted to take a picture with the boat captain - because his name was Ray. LOL)
So on our second dive it happened! I saw not only one ray, but several! I was ecstatic!

Then on dive #3 that day, I thought I saw another ray laying in the sand, but this one looked different... longer body, little dorsal fins, etc....about 5' long. I let myself drift towards it ever so slowly (my instructor was right behind me, - I kept thinking, "if I shouldn't be getting this close to this he's going to tap me, or tug on my fin or something...right???") So I drifted closer and closer. I got to study its face (they have little whisker things on each side of their mouth!), its fins, its back, its tail, up REALLY close, before it got bored with me and swam away.

When I got back on the boat they told me it was a shark.

So now I am entranced with Angel Sharks, as well as rays.

(But on that trip, I fell completely in love with Sea Lions - more than ANYTHING else.)

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