Swimming with sharks. Cage dive with great white sharks

In South Africa we were put in a cage and lowered into the ocean with great white sharks. First, a huge bucket of bait was poured overboard to provoke the sharks. They attached the head of a dead fish to a long rope as bait and threw it into the water next to the cage. When a shark appeared, the bait was pulled to the cage and then abruptly pulled out of the water so that the shark was left alone with the divers...

There is a shark warning service on beaches in South Africa. In a prominent place there is a flagpole on which multi-colored flags are hoisted:

Green flag - "Swimming is allowed"
Black flag - "Sharks are not visible due to bad weather, but they can be"
Red flag - "The likelihood that a shark is nearby is very high"
White flag - "Shark is offshore. Everyone should leave the water urgently"

There are a lot of great white sharks off the coast of South Africa. There is even a whole tourism industry dedicated to watching them. We couldn't resist the temptation to look at the sharks and boarded a small boat with a cage at the stern:

Such boats go to open ocean, anchor and wait for the sharks to swim up to the boat:

On the way to the dive site, the travel agency employees filled a bucket of bait, which consisted of sea water, crushed frozen fish and some kind of oily liquid:

As they approached the “place,” they began pouring bait into the ocean:

The cage fits 5 people. You need to stand on the lower red bars and hold onto the upper ones with your hands. Under no circumstances should you stick your arms or legs outside the bars. Floats are attached to the cage and it does not sink:

After we anchored, the cage was lowered into the water on a winch:

10.

The water here is about 13 degrees and you can dive only in wetsuits:

11.

The cage was leaned against the boat with one side and the bait was thrown into the water:

12.

13.

A fish head was used as bait:

While the sharks were away, small fish feasted on it:

15.

Divers and observers waited for the shark to appear:

16.

Its appearance was easy to determine by the behavior of the fish - they suddenly scattered in all directions and a shark appeared from the depths. Usually, she would make a couple of circles around the bait, and then the cutter would lunge at it:

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19.

It only took a few seconds for her to chew through the rope and eat the bait:

20.

When the shark attacked the bait, the “fisherman” sharply pulled the rope and pulled it towards the cage:

21.

Some sharks lost interest and went around or swam to another boat, while some continued to attack the cage:

22.

24.

After several attempts, realizing that they were playing with it, the shark rushed to the bait no longer from the side, where we could notice it, but emerged from the depths:

25.

And still sometimes I missed:

26.

And sometimes she managed:

27.

28.

It was not very pleasant to see this muzzle right next to the boat:

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30.

31.

There were scientists with us on the ship and they recorded each shark special forms:

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32.

It rained all that day and it was “very cool.” When everyone was already seasick and we were ready to go home, it turned out that the steering on our boat was broken. The captain tried to hammer on the engine with a wrench for half an hour, but in the end he admitted all his attempts were futile and called a lifeboat for us.

He told us that she would be there in 20 minutes and continued to feed us with promises for two hours. I really hate it when people can’t say honestly: “We’re broken, when they come for you, we don’t know how they’ll leave, we’ll let you know.” He told us 10 times during this time that they had already left for us, although he knew perfectly well that no one had left yet.

This is especially annoying on some Russian airlines, when you are already sitting on the plane, but not yet flying anywhere - “What are we waiting for? Who are we waiting for? When will we fly”? In this sense, I am very impressed by Western airlines - where the pilot immediately announces: “Guys, we are eighth in line for takeoff, I think we should take off in 20 minutes.”

As a result, we waited for 2 hours, were terribly cold and wet:

33.

The boat was our salvation:

34.

The next day we flew over the ocean on a small Cessna and filmed whales from the air. I was lucky and managed to film not only whales, but also a great white shark:

35.

We are already back in Cape Town. Today we should climb Table Mountain if the weather is good. All the most last news in my

Photo blogger Sergei Dolya says: “In South Africa, we were put in a cage and lowered into the ocean with great white sharks. First, a huge bucket of bait was poured overboard to provoke the sharks. They attached the head of a dead fish to a long rope as bait and threw it into the water next to the cage. When a shark appeared, the bait was pulled to the cage, and then abruptly pulled out of the water so that the shark was left alone with the divers..."

(Total 35 photos)

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3. There is a shark warning service on the beaches in South Africa. In a prominent place there is a flagpole on which multi-colored flags are hoisted:

Green flag - “Swimming is allowed”
Black Flag - “Sharks are not visible due to bad weather, but they may be there.”
Red flag - "The likelihood that a shark is nearby is very high"
White flag - “Shark off the shore. It’s urgent for everyone to leave the water.”

5. There are a lot of great white sharks off the coast of South Africa. There is even a whole tourism industry dedicated to watching them. We couldn't resist the temptation to look at the sharks and boarded a small boat with a cage at the stern:

6. Such boats go out into the open ocean, anchor and wait for the sharks to swim up to the boat:

7. On the way to the dive site, the travel agency employees filled a bucket of bait, which consisted of sea water, crushed frozen fish and some kind of oily liquid

8. As they approached the “place” they began to pour the bait into the ocean

9. The cage fits 5 people. You need to stand on the lower red bars and hold onto the upper ones with your hands. Under no circumstances should you stick your arms or legs outside the bars. Floats are attached to the cage and it does not sink

10. After we anchored, the cage was lowered into the water on a winch

12. The cage was leaned against the boat with one side and the bait was thrown into the water.

14. A fish head was used as bait

15. While the sharks were away, small fish feasted on it

16. Divers and observers waited for the shark to appear

17. Its appearance was easy to determine by the behavior of the fish - they suddenly scattered in all directions and a shark appeared from the depths. Usually, she would make a couple of circles around the bait, and then the cutter would lunge at it.

20. She only had a few seconds to chew through the rope and eat the bait

21. When the shark attacked the bait, the “fisherman” sharply pulled the rope and pulled it towards the cage

22. Some sharks lost interest and went around or swam to another boat, and some continued to attack the cage

25. After several attempts, realizing that they were playing with it, the shark rushed to the bait no longer from the side, where we could notice it, but emerged from the depths:

26. And still sometimes I missed

27. And sometimes I had time

28.31. There were scientists with us on the ship, and they recorded each shark in special forms

This is especially annoying on some Russian airlines, when you are already sitting on the plane, but not yet flying anywhere - “Why are we standing? Waiting for anybody? When will we fly? In this sense, I am very impressed by Western airlines - where the pilot immediately announces: “Guys, we are eighth in line for takeoff, I think we should take off in 20 minutes.”

33. As a result, we waited for 2 hours, were terribly cold and wet

34. The boat was our salvation

35. The next day we flew over the ocean on a small Cessna and filmed whales from the air. I was lucky and managed to film not only whales, but also a great white shark

Diving can safely be classified as an extreme sport, and diving with sharks - even more so, since not everyone dares to dive into the depths of the sea with special equipment, experience water pressure with your whole body, and even see sharks very close, having fallen into their familiar environment a habitat. Is it really an activity for the bravest?

To make diving and swimming underwater safe and give you vivid impressions, you should know how, where and when it is best to dive with sharks. All important information about extreme entertainment, as well as photos are presented in this material.

When planning a foreign vacation that also includes diving with sharks, it is better to check in advance with the diving center that provides this service when it is best to go so that you have the opportunity to try unusual entertainment. The fact is that sharks migrate periodically, so if you don’t take this factor into account, you can simply fly in on vacation and miss the opportunity to do extreme diving.

For example, if you plan to go to the shelf of the Bahamas, then it is better to do this from November to April. At this time, about 40 species of sharks can be found here. In general, check this information directly at the diving center of your choice.

One dive session lasts approximately 45 minutes. During this time, you can explore the underwater landscape, swim next to predators, in some cases feed and even pet them. Don't worry, they are completely safe. Sometimes they themselves are interested in communicating with divers. In general, the features of diving and swimming next to predators depend on the diving location. The instructors will tell you everything in advance.

Rules to remember when diving with sharks:

Whale sharks are considered to be the safest. But there is no need to behave self-confidently when diving and try to provoke animals. Predators after all.
If diving without a cage, remember not to swim too close to the sharks yourself. It is best to listen to an instructor who will tell you how to behave. We advise you to take briefing lessons at diving centers in advance, during which you can learn a lot of useful information.
Great white sharks and hammerhead sharks are the most dangerous. Avoid them.
If you have been advised not to touch these dangerous fish When swimming underwater, do exactly as the instructor said. Taking photographs using flash may have adverse effects.

And here are a few more tips that will help you extract only the most interesting things:

Consider in advance how many dives you plan to do. In many diving centers, the price for several dives is much lower, as a certain system of discounts operates. For example, there are currently discounts on diving lessons at our Baltika Dive Center. You can see current prices on the ““ page.
Group dives are cheaper. If it is not important for you to dive individually, then you can save money.
Booking a diving tour from local operators is also usually cheaper.
If you want to dive more than once, it is better to purchase the equipment necessary for diving in advance so that you do not have to spend money on renting it each time.

Also keep in mind that the cost of diving with sharks varies in different parts of the world. For example, in Cuba, one dive will cost approximately $50, and two dives will cost $90. It turns out that when ordering several diving sessions, the cost is lower.

If we take, for example, scuba diving in the Bahamas, then two dives will cost a little more - about 110 dollars.

Another factor that influences the pricing is whether you want to do underwater photography..

The best places to dive with sharks

You won't be able to enjoy this type of diving everywhere. There are several popular places that attract tourists from all over the world precisely because they offer the opportunity for extreme entertainment..

We offer several of the most best places for this type of diving:

Cocos Islands (Costa Rica). There are a total of 20 stunning dive sites where divers can see whitetip reef sharks, tiger sharks and Galapogos sharks.
Oahu Island (Hawaii). Diving is possible both in a cage and without it. It all depends on the level of training of the diver and his desire to experience the thrill. In total, there are about 40 species of sharks off the coast of Hawaii.
Guadalupe Island (Mexico). Due to the fact that the water here is surprisingly clean, it will be possible to see sharks even from a very impressive distance. Dives are carried out mainly in cages, since dangerous white sharks can be found off the coast of Mexico.
Red Sea (Egypt). Feeding and killing of sharks is prohibited here, so predators do not associate people with food. Diving is quite safe. There are quite a lot of diving centers in Egypt.

Diving with sharks is an extreme activity not for the faint of heart. What types are there, what should NOT be done during a dive and where is it better to go - you will learn about this in our review.

Today you won’t surprise anyone with ordinary diving, and you want something new. And if you also bring a dose of extreme into this matter, then it’s absolutely good. The tourism industry has accepted the challenge, and now a new extreme entertainment - diving with sharks - is becoming more widespread.

Shark cage tour

There are two main types of diving to these predators - cage diving and free diving. The first option is safer. The fact is that in this case the client is lowered to a shallow depth, about 3 meters, in a special metal cage. A kind of zoo in reverse. Dive center employees use bait to force sharks to swim with their mouths open literally at arm's length from the divers. This guarantees them an indescribable feeling.

Lonely big White shark from Guadeloupe would like to meet you

This type is common mainly in more developed countries, where free diving with sharks is prohibited, such as the USA, Australia and South Africa. The biggest advantage of this option is that virtually no preparation is required, and even people with zero diving experience can take part. Here are examples of such tours in.

Free diving with sharks

It is especially interesting to observe the process in places where there are many species of sharks. For example, in Fiji. Nimble small sharks appear there first. Behind them are medium-sized nurse sharks or gray reef sharks. The last to the feast are the three-meter bull sharks and sometimes four-meter tiger sharks.

Fights often break out between predators, so you should not approach them at this time. And it’s not worth it in any other way either. The instructor drives away sharks that swim too close to the divers with a special stick. Sometimes he may also hand feed them for the entertainment of his clients. But these are experienced craftsmen and they know the habits of predators very well. It's too dangerous to feed yourself - you could easily end up without a hand...

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This method has even more dangerous species— free diving with sharks without feeding. In this case, divers usually wait on the boat. When sharks appear, they dive into the water at a signal. The point is for everyone to stick together - predators always like to attack a lone prey, trying to fight it off from the pack. But not everything is so bad: such tours are carried out, as a rule, in those places where the least dangerous species of sharks for humans are found. For any type of diving, and especially this one, the following rules should be observed.

Rules for diving with sharks

The most important thing is calm and endurance. Under no circumstances should you make sudden movements, rush around or try to surface. All this serves as a signal to the predator that there is a prey in front of him, trying to escape, and then the instinct demands to attack immediately.
You must always keep all predators in sight and not turn your back on them. The movements are only smooth, although it is better to freeze altogether - this way you become almost invisible to the sharks.
Dive only when there is good visibility underwater.
Maintain an upright body position. So you look less like ordinary people sea creatures. Vertical is not food.
No fresh wounds. Even if it is just a scratch, you should refuse to dive.
The wetsuit should be dark in color, no bright colors or shiny metal parts - all this is very similar to the local fish.
Do not touch or try to pet the sharks.

Where is the best place to go?

The coasts of Australia, South Africa, Cuba and California are the most popular among those who like to swim with sharks. Well, in general, such entertainment is widespread almost all over the world. Depending on the place, you can meet any common type of these sea predators. So, in and in the Maldives they offer to swim with calm giants - whale sharks feeding on plankton and krill. They don't pay attention to people and you can even touch them. Fiji Islands Pacific Ocean They are very diverse - in one dive you can see up to eight species of sharks. And in Hawaii, the species diversity is even greater - up to 40 species are found there. Great white shark diving is taking place in Mexico. In the Bahamas, an underwater rodeo is organized - sharks fight for bait. From what is closer, you can go to (whale and whitetip sharks), Israel or Sardinia.

Number 57 from the List - touch the nose of a shark

If the art of underwater diving has been mastered at the highest level in general, then you can move on to such a complicated form of this entertainment. Increased attention, precision of movements, risk with caution, a sea of adrenaline and vibrant entertainment - all these are constant components of diving with sharks. Only strong and courageous divers, distinguished by their lightning-fast reaction to changing underwater conditions and not afraid to challenge the most bloodthirsty predators of the seas and oceans, can afford such water recreation.

Main varieties

Diving with sharks provides two standard options: the safest with the use of bait and the more extreme - without bait, when the divers themselves act as the object of attraction for marine predators. Also, diving with sharks can be carried out in metal cages for maximum safety or without protective structures at your own peril and risk. It is worth considering that in some regions free diving with sharks is prohibited, and such extreme dives are only possible in protective cages.

Sharks can be fed in advance by the staff of those diving centers that offer this kind of entertainment, or divers, going on such an extreme walk, take prepared bait with them. Usually the food is laid out on the bottom, and predators come running to the smell of the bait. Feeding by hand is unsafe, because you can easily end up without limbs (and such sad cases are known). In addition, being close to sharks that are engaged in serious battles for food is also not a particularly safe activity for divers. Therefore, a more successful option is to throw a piece of meat into the water from the side of a yacht or boat to attract sharks and dive from the boat only when the predators have had their fill.

Diving with sharks without feeding is carried out at your own peril and risk by those extreme sports enthusiasts who do not mind tickling their nerves with thrills. But still, such extreme activities are most often allowed only in areas where the species of sharks that are safest for humans live. It usually happens like this. When shark fins flash near the boat with divers, the command “Sharks!” is heard. and, if the predators are not large, a dive is carried out. At the same time, both divers and the captain of the vessel should not forget about.

At large quantities For scuba divers, sharks usually behave playfully, but cunning tactics are used. Marine predators try to repel one of the divers from the group. Such a person is guaranteed more vivid impressions, but you should remember the rules of behavior in such cases, so as not to accidentally turn from an actor and spectator of this underwater theater into a banal meal of sharks. Extreme is extreme, but safety under water, as on water, should always come first.

The calmness of a diver going on a date with sharks is one of the basic rules of safe diving. It is important to be cautious, but not fearful. Like any other predators, sharks attack only those who are afraid of them.
Do not use unnecessary body movements to attract the attention of sea predators. When near sharks, you should make smooth, slow movements. It’s even better to watch sea predators while standing still, thereby creating the effect of invisibility for them. It is also important to remember not to turn your back on sharks.
Under no circumstances should you dive under water with fresh cuts or wounds.
You should not touch sharks or try to take a photo with a flash - the consequences can be very sad.
For diving with sharks, it is advisable to use dark wetsuits and as little metal parts as possible in your equipment.
Diving with sharks is not recommended at dusk, when these predators are especially active. When there are differences in depth and in muddy water such entertainment is extremely undesirable.
When underwater hunting in places where encounters with sharks are likely, it is advisable not to drag harpooned prey with you, but to immediately lift it into the boat on the surface.

Best Shark Diving Spots

Most popular destinations for diving with sharks - South Africa, Australia, Cuba, California. Moreover, depending on the place, you can meet various representatives of the bloodthirsty predators of the seas and oceans, ranging from whale sharks to hammerhead sharks. For example, you can swim with whale sharks in the Maldives, Mexico and Vietnam. In the Bahamas you can swim close to harmless lemon sharks, and in the Philippines and Seychelles you can dive with whale sharks, which are considered one of the calmest.

Considered a true paradise for divers. Here, connoisseurs of extreme underwater entertainment are offered the opportunity to admire a kind of “underwater rodeo”, when lightly fed sharks engage in fights with each other. Near the island of Bimini you can meet bull sharks, and near Tiger Beach - tiger sharks. But diving with sharks here, as in South Africa and Australia, is possible only in strong iron cages - free swimming is not allowed. But in Hawaii there are up to 40 species of sharks, and diving with them is possible both in a cage and in free swimming.

Experienced extreme divers claim that diving with sharks among underwater activities gives one of the most vivid impressions and no other dive can compare with these sensations. This is not for the faint of heart, but, as you know, those who do not take risks do not drink champagne, and those who have not experienced all the facets of this hobby are not real divers.