Awesome Guadalupe Trip 2012

After  a fair ride to Guadalupe, we were greeted by a beautiful sunrise and perfect conditions for Shark Diving.  

Calm seas, current and no other boats around and just as we got started with diving, a full breach, with the Shark actually touching the boat on the way down! What a way to start out! The entire day was full of Shark action, with 6 different sharks competing for our attention.

Day 2 of Shark Diving started at 7am with an open rotation.

The lucky few that woke up early were in for a treat. "Jaques", a  16ft. regular at Guadalupe put on a show for the divers. The day continued to bring in a bunch of other Sharks, some coming right up to the cages, including one that investigated the corner of our port cage very, very closely! ..... oh, did I mention that we had another full breach just off our bow?

"Smiles" a Guadalupe regular, smiling for the camera

Since we had such great action during our 7 am rotation on the second day, we started out with everyone wanting in. The Sharks must have decided that Sunday was a good day to sleep in and there was not much going on during the first hour. Having been spoiled the first couple days with continuous great action, only a few divers decided to go in for the later rotations. The ones who did got rewarded. Big time! "Smiles", another regular, that we haven't seen in the past 2 years, showed up and put on a show for the ones in the cages, as well as everyone on deck.

Passing very close to the cages, looking the divers straight into the eyes. Everyone was excited.

The ride home started out a bit rolly, but by dinnertime it was a lot smoother and it continued to be nice for the rest of the way home!

I love my job!

Cheers,

Martin Graf

Dive Operations Manager

Horizon Charters
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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Flying Sharks at Isla Guadalupe?

After a day at sea, we arrived at Guadalupe, ready to see some Great White Sharks. As part of our safety orientation I demonstrated the entering of the cages. As soon as I hit the bottom of the cage,...... White Shaaaaaaark! Bruce, a face I've gotten to know pretty well over the last 10 years, swam by and looked me in straight in the eye. What a way to start the day!

The day continued at an awesome pace. Sharks in every rotation with some very close passes by the cage. "Drogin" a 13ft. Shark, showed us how agile he is  and made an impossible tight turn right in front of the cage. The final tally was at least 13 different Sharks for the day. Then, just as we're getting ready for the roast prime rib dinner, a full breach, just a couple of feet away from the rail. What a way to end the perfect day.

Day 2 of Shark diving started out with a bang. 6:45 am another full breach, right by the boat. "Sharkbait", a little sea lion that has kept us company for the last couple of trips is getting scared and is on his way up the swimstep ladder, headed for the safety of the back deck. I talk him back down into the water, where he starts chasing the sharks, like he did the day before. Between shifts, he jumps back up on the swim platform and takes a break from harassing the Sharks.

Great action all day! Photo Chad Vasconcellos

The action holds steady all day, with fewer sharks than on the first day, but "Johnny" and "Drogin" putting on a show all day long. What an awesome trip! What will our last day at the Island bring?

"Sharkbait" Photo Martin Graf

Day 3 Just as I'm attaching the cages to the swimstep, "Sharkbait" came racing towards me. I was thinking, "What's your hurry?" when a big Shark jumped clear out of the water, just feet away from me. This was getting ridiculous. 3 breaches on one trip!? Who says the sharks only fly in South Africa? Then about 20 minutes later as we were loading the cages, you guessed it, another full breach just feet from the boat. Mind you, we had no chum or bait in the water for any of the breaches. The sharks just jumped for reasons only known to them. Then just in case somebody missed the first 4 breaches, another Shark decided to join his buddies and jumped out of the water about 50 yards behind our vessel.

As we were leaving the Islands, a pod of dolphins rode our bow for a while and just for good measure, one of them jumped higher than our rail and flopped sideways into the water a couple of times. The ride home was smooth as glass, a perfect ending to an awesome trip!

Cheers,

Martin Graf

Dive Operations Manager

Horizoncharters

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.

Shark Diving's New Beacon on the East Coast?

Where can you find Blue Sharks, Hammerheads, Tigers, the occasional Great White less than 30 miles off the East Coast of the USA?

Welcome to shark diving's new beacon on the ocean. A virgin shark haven yet to be developed and explored to its full potential:



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.

Can white shark cage diving get any better?

Sea Lion Pup with Shark Photo by Ken Bill

After a pretty nice crossing, we arrived at Guadalupe this morning and started sharking right away. What can I say? Wow, wow, wow!!! doesn't quite describe it. What a day!

14 different sharks, including 2 new ones, a sea lion pup swimming with a shark, a full breach just about 3 ft. from the boat, up to 6 sharks around the cages at once.

Everyone got tons of great pictures. Easily one of the best days at Guadalupe ever!

Day 3 Today things went back to normal.  We had 4 sharks today, but everyone is still talking about yesterday.

"Thor" swimming by the cages! Photo by Ken Bill

Day 4 Another good day, with 3 sharks showing up and another male, that hasn't been seen before at Guadalupe, making an appearance.

Day 5 The awesome shark action was followed by a really smooth trip home. What a perfect trip!



Cheers,
Martin Graf
Dive Operations Manager
Horizon Charters
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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Great White Shark in Ensenada?

A blue whale. The worlds largest animal!

August 22 -  We had smooth sailing through the night and passed customs in Ensenada. About an hour outside Ensenada we spotted some dolphins and a few blue whales. The largest animal on earth, just a few yards away from the boat.

And then......... Shaaaaaaaaark!

We spotted a shark fin cruising on the surface and didn't know at first, what kind of shark it was. A mako? A Great White? Upon examining the photos, it was a juvenile Great White Shark!Maybe 3-4ft. just a tiny shark, cruising on the surface for a while.

Baby Great White Shark, outside Ensenada

So now we're cruising towards Guadalupe. The Ocean is flat calm, very nice indeed.

August 23 - We had 3 sharks today with some close passes in the afternoon. One of the Sharks we saw has not been seen in 3 years! It's great to have our old friends back.

August 24 - Another great day of Sharking! 6 known sharks along a few unidentified ones. Everyone got to look into a sharks eyes and had him look back. That's probably the experience that hooked me on sharkdiving some 11 years ago. There is no other experience quite like that. If you haven't been there, you just have to come out and see for yourself!

August 25 - Today was great again. It's amazing, how these sharks come by our vessel day after day! The ride home is starting out smooth as well.  Another amazing trip!

Cheers,

Martin Graf

Dive Operations Manager

Horizon Charters
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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Jawesome trip to Guadalupe Island 2012!

Another great trip to report for the 2012 white shark season. Smooth sailing down to Guadalupe Island and 12 different sharks on the first day with visits from Diablo, Thor, The Russian, Bite Face, Harvey, Mau and Chugey along with 2 new, unidentified sharks were among the sharks competing to be photographed by our divers.

The second day was a bit slower, but we had one new shark entertain our divers all day long with some fantastic passes close to the cage.

On our last day we had" Bullseye" show up and put on the best show of the season. He has not been seen since 2009 and was curious to check us out. He was investigating our cages, propellers and divers at extremely close range, this is what we call "Epic" shark diving. Our trip back was a smooth as it gets, with glassy ocean waters and no waves.

Are you on our next trip, we cannot wait to see you!

Cheers,

Martin Graf
Dive Operations
M/V Horizon
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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Commodore Decker aka William Windom R.I.P

If you're a Trek Fan, and who isn't, you'll note the sad passing of one of the franchises most beloved episode characters, Commodore Decker in The Doomsday Machine 1967.

William Windom gave an outstanding Trek performance in his role as the emotionally wrecked Commodore channeling his inner Captain Ahab to kill "The Mechanical Devil" on board the USS Constellation.

It was a role that left William Shatner the consummate and undisputed king of "over-the-top" acting in an unusual acting space, that of second banana.

Television lost a lion yesterday, but thanks to You Tube we'll always have his roar. Enjoy:



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.

Shark Photographer James Dylan - Epic!

In 2011 we were excited to have underwater photographer James Dylan aboard the good ship Horizon for a week of shark adventures at Isla Guadalupe. Famed for white shark encounters that have been thrilling divers for the past decade.

James and his sharks did not disappoint and he cranked our some amazing shark images. Here's his report and his website for a closer look at his white sharks:

"I climbed slowly down the ladder trying to adjust to the extra weight strapped to my waist. I looked around for my designated regulator and drop into the royal blue Pacific. The water was cold as ice, but I didn’t care. The metal enclosure that I stood in rocked back and forth with the waves and I had to grab onto the bars to keep my balance. I scanned the endless ocean for some sign of life besides the school of fish surrounding me. A dark shadow moves in the distance. A massive great white shark materializes out of the depths. My heart stops and I have to remind myself to breathe out of the regulator. This was the one moment I had been waiting for for 17 years and that one moment will forever be seared into my mind. 

Over the next two days I came in contact with between 10 and 15 different white sharks, all with different personalities. On day two, perhaps the most famous shark at Guadalupe showed up. They call him shredder. He is 16 feet long and always loves to show off to the divers watching him. He circled the cage for three hours giving everyone a good look. As he swims past you, he looks at you dead in the eye and you can see his eye snap from diver to diver. Let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing more amazing, thrilling, and terrifying than having a 16 foot great white, swimming mere inches away from you, stare at you; studying you.  Another smaller, unidentified shark, paid us a visit later that day. This one was showing more… aggressive tendencies. He would dive deep and torpedo up from the bottom right at our cage and veer off at the last second.

The whole reason I got into photography was for this very reason.  Shark Diver was able to provide me with the opportunity to capture stunning images which I was able to display at an exhibition last spring.  Several examples from this exhibition are posted above.  For more of my work, please visit my website at www.james-dylan.com.

I had an incredible experience with Shark Diver.  I hope to see you all again very soon."

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.

2012 Isla Guadalupe Shark Week - Best Ever?

Up close and personal - Kinga Phillips (click to see)

Dive Operations Manager Martin Graf is just back in port long enough to file this quick report with a couple of images for divers joining us for the 2012 white shark season.

Sounds like they just lit the fuse on the biggest white shark opener ever!

August 11th: We are boarding the M/V Horizon in San Diego, eager to dive with Great White Sharks at Isla Guadalupe. 

For me this marks the start of the 11th season diving with these magnificent creatures and I wonder who will be there? Did the regulars make it back? I guess we will see.

August 13th: We had a pretty smooth ride down here, the cages are in the water, the divers ready ..... and the Sharks? 

 8:40am: "White Shaaaaaaaaaaark!"  Chugey is here! He's a 15+ ft male that we have seen every year since 2004. It looks like he got into a fight. His face isn't looking too pretty!

Noon:  All I have to say is "WOW!" Unbelievable! We had at least 7 different Sharks this morning! We can't possibly top this! 

Evening: Well, we did top the morning! 11 different Sharks! 3 at the cage at once. Great up and close encounters. A couple actually touched the cage. The Russian, Schmitty and Bite Face are back as well. It looks like Bite Face lost his transmitter (more from Patric later) and now we have prime rib for dinner. That's what I call a perfect day! 

PS Bruce, a 16+ ft male just swam by the boat!

August 14: Who said it couldn't get any better?  12 different Sharks today. Tapikul, Thor, Big, and Flipkin made their first appearance of the season. Phenomenal action all day!

August 15th: We had another good morning, with 5 sharks showing up and now we're packing up to make our way home. 

What an incredible "Shark Week" here's to the start of 2012!

Cheers,

Martin Graf

Dive Operations Manager
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 sharkcrew@gmail.com.

Conservation Messaging - PSA's To Watch

Conservation PSA's are the lifeblood of any movement and one of the leaders of the shark movement is David Diley who produced this great look at Fiji's sharks.

Sadly for the folks in Fiji, the Shark Sanctuary did not pass, a rare set back in an island nation that has, until last month, been a leader in shark conservation efforts.

All things comes to pass and we're sure the fine folks in Fiji (many of them in this video) will be back on the hunt for new shark protections soon, it's in their DNA to be innovative.

In the meantime watch this video and share it. Inspiration can also be a useful tool and this video has it in spades.

Kudos David, thank you for the images, the words, and the beauty and joy of sharks:




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.

Shark Week VW Commercial - Behind The Scenes

Yes, that's Luke Tipple driving the SOVW or as we knew her "Skittles," in the Bahamas a few months ago during the filming of the anchor commercial to Shark Week 2012.

Seen it yet?

From the same team who brought you last years anchor commercial with Gillette, comes a series of very cool design, build, deploy shark commercials that bend the world of underwater exploration.

Luke was not alone in this endeavor. Greg "Moondog Mooney," was in charge of the design and build phase and underwater dive safety and site layout. Scotty Grey basically held the dive operations together with all those extras that productions need,and has been an integral part of every shark production we have completed for the past 5 years. Johnny Friday and his entire team shot this commercial in RED.

Kudos to the Bahamas Film Commission and Donna Mackey who once again smoothed the way for Bahamas film magic and to the Old Bahama Bay Hotel for providing the entire crew great accommodations. 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving, unique film productions with sharks, 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.