Shark diving in Isla Guadalupe, Mexico (Part 1)
Peering through the bars of the cage, you look around through the pressing darkness and have your senses on high alert for any movement. No, this is not a prison break, if that’s what you are thinking.
As you continue to scan your surroundings, there is a tap on your shoulder as your partner tries to point something out to you. Peering through the bubbles released by your oxygen regulator, you see a large dark shape coming at you through the water, towards
the bait.
As the shark gets closer, you can see the enormous head, massive body, and razor sharp teeth of the famous Great White Shark. With scenes from the movie
Jaws flashing through your head, you watch as the 15 foot monster takes a bite out of the bait, with an incredible bite force that makes you thankful that there is a steel cage to protect you.
Although, diving and snorkelling is a common recreational sport, very few divers have the courage to go shark diving. In shark diving, a group of divers descend in a purpose-built shark cage and are able to interact with one of the most feared animals today.
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico is a great new location that with unspoiled marine life, as well as a Great White Shark population. With a population of only about 15 people, the island is ideal for its oceanic experiences, warm weather, and beautiful Caribbean scenery.
Shark diving originated in Australia during the 1970s by diver and Great White victim, Rodney Fox after teaming up with, diver and photographer, George Askew.
People became very curious about the new activity in which they could mingle with the gentle giants. Isla Guadalupe has become a Bio-Sphere reserve, where shark fishing is prohibited, and the White Sharks inhabiting the area are quite gentle, being hand-fed,
and have no recorded incidents of attacking humans.
Shark diving is believed to conserve the species, as it generates commercial value to their lives and allows the curious to learn more about these notorious giants.
Aside from Great White shark diving, as described above, there are three other branches of shark tourism. In open, cage-less dives, enthusiasts can swim with Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, and other less dangerous, yet potentially treacherous, sharks. This is
known as pelagic diving.
Another form of diving is to dive with Sand Tiger, Ragged Tooth, and Grey Nurse sharks in coral reefs, where they assemble at certain times of the year. Another form of open diving is to swim with Basking and Whale sharks, who are enormous, yet harmless,
plankton eaters.
Shark tourism founders, Rodney Fox and George Askew, along with famous divers Ron and Val Taylor, also practiced another dangerous and highly uncommon form of shark diving. They swam with Great White sharks, except without cages. This highly dangerous diving
was done in 1992, and was a huge milestone in diving.
Apart from Great White diving, Isla Guadalupe also offers a deep dive experience, in which vessels take the divers out to the Cayman Trench, and allow two people to go down in a submarine, with a pilot, over 2,000 feet below the surface. The Cayman Trench
is the deepest point in the Caribbean Sea, with a depth of 25,216 feet. The
Shark Diver is the only company in the world that offers this experience.
Divers have the opportunity to see the rare Six Gill shark, also known as the cow shark, which reaches lengths of over 18 feet. The sharks generally live at a depth of around 2000 feet, but have been recorded as deep as 6,150 feet. They generally come towards
the surface at night to feed, and go back to the depths again by first light.
These are only a few diving activities that are popular among aquatic enthusiasts. Shark diving is a thrilling experience and can change how people see these massive fish. Sharks have gained a notorious reputation due to mistakes and Hollywood films.
Sharks are not known to attack humans except by mistake. Surfers are most commonly attacked, since the body lying on a surfboard looks like a seal to a hungry shark.
Shark diving is a great way to conserve sharks and raise awareness to keep them from extinction since Great White sharks are currently listed as an endangered species by the ICUN Red List of Threatened Species, from overfishing these animals for their valuable
fins.
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