2012 Isla Guadalupe White Shark Trip Reports

Aug 26 -31, 2012 Isla Guadalupe Trip Report 

Mark Denstedt is a return Shark Diver and now part of our shark diving clan. We plan on getting him face to face with Tigers in the Bahamas next;)

The sharp slap of small ocean swells against the hull of the Horizon crack the night air. The loud rumble of the engines begin to slow into a deep throated purr. The inky black of night slowly gives in to the small slivers of sunlight. And suddenly there it is!

From out of the gloom, the dark silhouette of Isla Guadalupe fades into view from it's shroud of mist.

It's around 5:30am and I'm standing in my favorite spot aboard the Horizon at this time, the bow. I can never get enough of the stunning sunrises out here away from the din of civilization. There before me is the shape of Isla Guadalupe, my second time out here with Sharkdiver and the Horizon. And it's every bit as awe inspiring as it was the first time. Even now I have goosebumps thinking about it.

As the boat secures itself and both crew and aspiring shark divers begin to stir,and  from out of no where it hits you! There it is!! The reason you've travelled across 200 miles of ocean and it's the most beautiful thing you've experienced so far. The smell of Chef Mark's cooking!

Ok, ok, maybe that's not the reason for doing this but it's a damn close second if you ask me.

Obviously the real reason is seeing Great White Sharks doing what they do up close and personal. And boy did we get that on this trip. Day 1 there was a total of 14 white sharks spotted and identified by the end of the dive rotations for the day. At one point there 6 within viewing range of the cages. Already this trip has easily surpassed my first time out in 2010. In between rotations we had a full White Shark breach about 3 feet off the port side directly in front of one heck of a startled diver struggling to pull on his wet suit! We had a couple of the local seals come out and play around the cages for the entire day with the smaller of the two very curious about the cages and us. So curious in fact that he wound up pretty much in the cage! He poked me several times from behind with his nose startling me each and every time. He did the same thing to Richard a few times on his dives. Maybe it was because we're Canadian.

The second and third days were more quiet as far as the shark spotting went but the seals were back entertaining us and a couple of dolphins cruised by for a couple of minutes on Day 2. And we did see another 4 White Sharks.

Day 3 no seals but another 3 White Sharks were spotted with one being a rather large female. When she cruised our cage several times she was breath taking in her mass and girth. Myself, Trent and Matt just looked at each other wide eyed shaking our heads in wonder from the confines of our cage. And there was yet another full White Shark breach this time about 200 yards away but every bit as amazing as the first!

All in all I think we saw somewhere in the range of 20 sharks over the 3 days, I'm sure Martin has the exact number spotted. In any case this being my second trip out here it definitely one upped the last trip! I'm still unable to convey with words just how incredible it is to see a White Shark swimming less than six inches away from you, or the feeling I get when one makes eye contact with it's big beautiful blue eyes. It's at once a little frightening, a lot of exciting and a lot of goosebump raising. I don't know that I'll ever not be completely overwhelmed by the experience. It's kind of humbling and man, that burst of adrenaline you get when a Great White Shark seems to just materialize from out of no where is nothing short of incredible! I can not recommend this trip and Shark Diver enough. Yes there are other companies that do this trip, but at the same time there isn't. There is only Shark Diver.

Once again I extend my thanks to Patric, the crew of the Horizon; Martin,Carey,Dan,Mark,Carolyn,Nick,Kyle and Stephan, and most importantly the incredible group of divers that allowed me to share in their experiences out there. Once again I've made some new friends from this trip.

Last nite after one last dinner with Jay, Leo and my fellow Team Canada friends I walked back out to H&M Landing to watch the Horizon leave for the start of a new adventure with a new batch of divers. A couple of tears filled my eyes and a lump caught in my throat as I watched her head out. I was sad that once again my journey has come to an end but excited for the people aboard getting to experience the beauty and excitement of everything this trip has to offer.

Farewell Horizon, see you again in a couple of years,

Mark Denstedt

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.

Isla Guadalupe White Shark Cage Diving 2012 - Trip Report

From the Sat phone on the M/V Horizon this week a quick update from Captain Spencer on the M/V Horizon:

Moooove on over epic 2011 season and bow down to 2012 White Shark season!

16 passengers and a crew full of shark men (and women) set off on a 5 day journey of a life time and got a life time worth of White Sharks in just 8 hours!

As the sun sets over the hunched back of Guadalupe Island the prime rib is exiting the oven bound for a hot date with some happy folks.

A saxophone is caressing the air played by a passenger on the top deck. Others exchange experiences over a ice cold beer in lounge chairs on the back deck. After our arrival here at 4AM people began to stir in their cabins. Cages were in the water as the sun peaked up out of the big blue Pacific.

After breakfast everyone had a rotation in the cage to shake off the cob webs; it was game time. Enter Carcharodon carcharias (Great White Shark). For the next eight hours it was breath taking. Over twelve different sharks made an appearance on day one of the 2012 shark season.

At times they came within inches of the cages.

Here's my left side and then my right side, as if the sharks were putting on a show for our viewing pleasure. We saw so many sharks today my voice is shot from yelling WHITE SHARK so much. The afternoon it was even crazier. There were times when people would come out of the water saying they were seeing 3-4 sharks at a time!!!

What an epic day aboard the good ship Horizon.

As I walk through the laptop filled salon, divers share their epic day with photos. Pictures and movies of sharks up close, sharks in the back ground of divers, and of course smiling the whole time. No words can explain what just happened here at this magical island in the middle of the Pacific ocean.

I can't wait to see what day two has to offer.

Cheers,

Captain Spencer Salmon
M/V Horizon 2012

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.

Isla Guadalupe 2012 and Shark Diver Jim Miller

Here at Shark Diver we have a fan base that translates into return divers year after year, we call them "The Hard Core Shark Divers."

And none is more hard core than Jim Miller who penned this trip report for us at the start of the 2012 white shark season at Isla Guadalupe.

Thanks Jim, see you in a few weeks:

Sunday, July 29^th, 2012

An open letter to potential shark divers from a two time shark diver (third trip coming up in September 2012).

When I landed back home in Boston with all the stories, pictures, and video, I asked myself, do I really need to go back? The answer comes quickly and easily. Absolutely, yes! I relive one of the most intense experiences of my life every night as I sleep, and I’ve done it twice! How many people can say that they’ve been close enough to touch a Great White Shark? That they’ve been in the water with one of the world’s most perfect predators? What possible reason could I have for going back? 

I am not an adrenaline junkie nor do I have a death wish. Honestly, there are a lot of reasons. First and foremost is my new found love for the animal. I had an intense fear based on an experience from childhood. I wanted to beat it and it only took me 40 years to muster the courage. Being in such close proximity to these enormous, powerful, and graceful creatures is just unbelievable. There are no words to properly describe the experience. The only way to understand is to be there. You can watch Shark Week all you want, but frankly, it’s the difference between a riding a skateboard and driving a Lamborghini Diablo.

We all work hard and deserve to take time away from the chaos of daily existence.  I had been considering shark diving for several years, my fear getting the better of me every time. In 2010, I resolved to at least take the first steps to making the trip a reality. I decided to contact Patric Douglas, CEO of Shark Divers, with my concerns. Truthfully, I figured that being the CEO, he would either blow me off or just tell me what I wanted to hear in order to make the sale. 

I could not have been more wrong. 

During our first exchange, I spent approximately 45 minutes on the phone with this guy who I had never spoken with before. Within the first five minutes of the conversation, we were on a first name basis and it felt like I had known Patric for years. However, I am still a skeptic, and that mandates that I do my due diligence, salesmen be damned. My search turned up several stories from happy shark divers. My decision was made, but still, I decided that I would reserve judgment until the trip had concluded. My conclusion is that Patric Douglas is not a salesman. He is someone who cares deeply about the environment and the preservation of the wildlife that lives in it. The same can be said for the crew M/V Horizon.  

When I first boarded the Horizon back in August 2010 for my first trip, I was treated like royalty, which is a bit much for me to take. Honestly, I was more than a little wound up and scared. In other words, I was as ready for this trip as I would ever be. Being from Boston means being a bit more intense, so when someone tried to take my luggage out my hands, I thought I was going to have to get mean. I just was not used to being treated so well! It wouldn’t have mattered much, because Mark would have kicked my butt anyway, just sayin’. I said to him, “I can carry my own luggage, buddy”. He responded with “this is your vacation”. 

With that, it began and I let him have my suitcase. This brings me to Captain Spencer Salmon, who never ceases to crack me up. Captain Spencer is all business, but one would be hard pressed to see him being anything other than relaxed. He is a very unique character to say the least. Then there’s dive master Martin Graf, who briefs and instructs the divers on policy, procedures and dive safety. Martin provides a wealth of knowledge on Guadalupe White Sharks and all dive related information one would need to have a great trip. He knows the sharks by name and in some instances, does not need to be in the water to identify them. Martin is an important resource for the divers and a critical part of the Horizon crew. I can’t forget Captain Kyle, who I believe is a New York Giants fan… Can’t be perfect I guess, but still, another reason for me to be a repeat customer…  I just can’t say enough nice things about the crew. They are a huge part of the reason why I want to go back. 

Oh, and did I mention Chef Mark? How could I possibly forget Mark?   

The man who keeps us well fed and fueled up for diving! Chef Mark prepared the best steak I ever had. You read correctly. The best steak I ever had was on the MV Horizon. I don’t know what magic he used to prepare that steak; I just hope he uses it again in September! 

Yet another reason for returning has to do with the people you will meet and the friends that you will make during this adventure. I’ve made some pretty good friends on both trips that I am still in touch with. In fact, I know of two people that I dove with last year who will be returning this year. On my 2011 trip, after a hard day of diving, I can remember sitting down with my friends, Julie, Sean, James, Jack, Pierre, and Janice and talking about the day’s adventure over cocktails. 

If you are the type of person who has a hard time changing gears from work to vacation, you’ll be happy to know that it’s pretty easy to do on this trip. There is so much to take in, that it’s almost over-whelming. I can remember Captain Spencer cutting the engines on the way to Guadalupe and informing everyone over the P.A. system that there was a pod of Blue Whales just yards away from the ship. You almost expect a “Jurassic Park”-like experience.  You have to have your camera ready at all times. For example, during my first trip, we had a white shark perform a full breach, just feet away from the ship. No one saw that coming… And no one captured that on film, but I will remember it forever.

So with that said, I am 49 days away from my third trip with Sharkdiver.com and the MV Horizon to Isla Guadalupe and I am going crazy… The anticipation is tangible. I’ve watched the film I’ve taken from my previous trips countless times. There is nothing that I can do to appease the ache. I have an intense longing to be back in the water with Shredder, Bruce, and the rest of the Guadalupe White Sharks. As far as I am concerned, this is no longer just a vacation for me. I have found a cause that I love and can get behind in such a way that affords me the opportunity to actually have a positive impact. This is an opportunity to make a difference. 

After this experience, you will have no choice but to talk about the adventure with people close to you about the plight of sharks as a species. Your words will travel. The act of you telling your stories will spread awareness. Not to mention that you will have the time of your life. So I’m carefully planning what gear I’ll be taking with me this year so that I can better communicate what I

experience. 

Tonight, I’ll be dreaming of September 15^th, 2012 and the start of another adventure that I will never forget. 

Shark Diver, 

Jim Miller

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.

Great White Sharks and Martin Graf at Isla Guadalupe

Liquid Predation - Martin Graf 2011

For the past decade on the back deck of the M/V Horizon has stood dive operations manager and shark fin-actic, Martin Graf.

Martin is "Isla Guadalupe" and also one of the planets top shark operations managers. You don't get to a decade of day-to-day white shark operations if you're not that good at what you do.

Martin is that good.

This image was shot during the 2011 white shark season at Isla Guadalupe and when we looked for its pedigree we were not surprised to discover that it was one of Martins.

Every once in a while he actually gets some quality cage time in between taking care of divers and gear and the daily grind of 420 round trip miles to the island and back.

When Martin does get cage time magic ensues.

Nice shot mate, we'll see you for season eleven this August!

Oceans Documentary - Filming Whites Guadalupe