What's it like to come face to face with a Great White Shark?

 

What's it like to come face to face with a Great White Shark? That is a question I get asked time and time again. With the news media portraying sharks as blood thirsty, mindless killers, just looking to eat us, most people think I have a death wish, diving with sharks. So I thought I should share what it is really like to come face to face with one of the most feared creatures on earth.

Here is a little video that shows how most people think an encounter with a shark will be like.

The reality it is more like the sharks swim by slowly, looking you straight into the eyes and showing absolutely no signs that they want to eat you.

When I first started diving with white sharks, what struck me is the fact that it is not scary at all. I'm by no means the only one that feels that way. In 15 seasons of taking divers to meet these awesome creatures, the most common reaction when coming face to face with a great white shark is just awe. Even divers who saw "Jaws" and joined us expecting a huge adrenaline rush, mostly are just blown away by the experience and don't find it the least bit scary. The scariest part of the expedition is the anticipation of that first meeting.

I remember that after about 3 trips to Guadalupe Island I started thinking "I've seen it" and didn't expect to do this for much longer. Well, at the time I didn't expect to be in the cage and have "Shredder" swim by to check me out. When he looked me straight into the eye, something happened. I realized that this huge shark is focused on me, that he was individually checking everyone out.

Shredder

Thinking back, that is when I fell in love with those sharks. Now as I always say to our divers. I love those sharks, but it is not a mutual feeling. That is perfectly OK. I love them for what they are, awesome predators, not mindless killers, but certainly no harmless pets either.

I don't feel the need to tell everyone that these sharks love me and that I can go hold onto their fins, because they accept me as one of their own. Come to think of it, I'm glad that they don't treat me as one of their own. Even though I'm not a small person, in terms of white shark size, I would be a very, very small shark. White sharks definitely are into having their personal space and don't react kindly to a smaller individual invading that space. I've seen what they do to a smaller shark that is doing this.

I've been diving with sharks for over 15 years and I'm excited every time I'm about to get into the water with them. I find them fascinating and discovered that they are generally very cautious and even shy, not the mindless killers the media makes them out to be at all. Last season I saw 3 white sharks that got scared by a towel that fell overboard and drifted down. 2 of them checked it out and got the heck out of there. One of them kept circling it, approaching it and jerking away, when the towel moved a little. He kept doing that until both he and the towel went out of sight.

I hope that I have given you an idea of what it feels like to come face to face with a great white shark. If you really want to know, there is no substitute for experiencing it for yourself and I hope you'll get that chance. It is an experience you'll never forget. When you do go out, remember that while we don't have to fear these sharks, we definitely have to respect them.

We at Shark Diver promote "Safe and Sane Shark Diving" that respects the sharks and the environment. We hope to see you on one of our expeditions to Guadalupe Island.

Let's go shark diving!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.

This blows my mind!

I've been diving with the great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe for 13 years now. Over time, I've come to marvel at the healing ability of the sharks, the mysteries of their migration, their distinctly different personalities and most of all, and this is what blows my mind, the fact that I can go to Guadalupe and know that I will see, not just any great white shark, but a particular individual great white shark.

Great white sharks are not resident to any given location, like say a clown fish, where you know that if you go to that particular spot, you're going to see that individual fish. The great white sharks that we see at Guadalupe are a highly migratory species that travel thousands of miles and typically return to the island each year. (every other year for adult females)

So here's the way I look at it. Say you live in a town or city, but I don't have your address. If I just come into your town at random and hang out, I may never run into you at all. With these sharks, I look at the great wide ocean and know that I can find "Bite Face," "Jaques" or "Bruce" and have been able to do so, consistently, for 13 years. Others, like our friend on the left, "Quetzalcoatl,"(OK I didn't name him) take a prolonged vacation of 8 years and return. "Where have you been, buddy?"

The fact that these world travelers (I mean, who doesn't want to vacation in Hawaii) return to Guadalupe each season makes this Island a very important place, not just for us shark divers, but for the species itself. I'm happy to say that Mexico has declared the Island a biosphere; roughly the equivalent of a national park in  the U.S.  I want to applaud Mexico for taking that step in protecting the Island and the great white sharks that visit there annually.

The Island itself is a marvel of its own. There are many native species of plants that only exist on Guadalupe Island and it is a nesting ground for many migratory birds like the Albatross.

Guadalupe is over 4000 feet high at it's highest spot and creates its own weather pattern. The island blocks the clouds and we usually have bright sunny skies above us, even if it's cloudy all around us.

The clouds cascading over the mountains create an amazing backdrop for our shark divers and make for some memorable pictures.

Let's go shark diving!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
CEO
Shark Diver


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkoperations@gmail.com

Bo Cumbo Makes a Shark Diving Video - Guadalupe 2012

Bo Cumbo is a newly minted Shark Diver having recently come back from an epic white shark diving week with Shark Diver at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.

Oh, and he also made an amazing shark diving video of his encounters - thanks mate:

 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Marc Montocchio - Underwater Photography Greats!

Not being a underwater photographer has allowed me to enjoy those who have taken the craft in new directions.

I am a fan of innovation.

One of these trail blazers is Marc Montocchio, thanks to Da Shark for the blog introduction this week.

"Born in Durban, South Africa, Marc developed an early love for the sea, swimming in the warm, blue waters of the Indian Ocean. He inherited a passion for fishing from his grandfather, Edouard Montocchio, an avid big game fisherman born in 1906 to a French colonial family on the island of Mauritius."

Marcs work is innovative to say the least and almost impossible to get watch this video. Kudos!

Howard Hall - Simply Amazing

There's the world of underwater film making and then there's Howard Hall. Thanks to Blogfish for the heads up on this simply breath taking clip:

Sperm Whale Encounter from Howard Hall on Vimeo.