I was surrounded by bull sharks!

I just got back from my 4th annual trip to Fiji, diving with the “BAD” (Beqa Adventure Divers’) bull sharks of the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. It is an unbelievable experience to be surrounded by lots of these awesome predators.

We saw a shark or two

What really fascinates me is not the sheer number of sharks though. The really interesting part is that I’m starting to recognize some individual sharks, not only by distinctive marks on them, but by their behavior.

Doing a lap, showing everyone that she got a tuna head.

Anyone thinking that “a bull shark is a bull shark” should come to this place and see for themselves. These sharks have very different “personalities”, some very mellow and cautious, others not so much. Of course you need to do more than just one or 2 dives to notice these differences. The first few dives your are simply going to be blown away by the sheer number of sharks and and by how close they’ll get to you.

Up close and personal!

Common wisdom holds that when it comes to sharks, size matters. The big shark always wins over a smaller shark. What I found is that this is not always the case. Some sharks think they are a lot bigger than they really are and compete with the bigger sharks for the tuna heads on offer. “Top Sail” for example is not one of the bigger sharks, but is very adept at getting more than her fair share of tuna heads.

Top sail getting a tuna head.

Another thing that totally surprised me is how cautious these sharks are, even when food is offered to them. Some sharks will not approach the feeder who’s holding a tuna head and some sharks will only take a tuna head from a specific feeder. I would have thought that these bull sharks would pretty much go for any tuna head that is offered to them.

If all the bull sharks are not enough for you, just when you think the dive is over, there is the safety stop. Far from a boring hanging on to a line, waiting for the 3 minutes to pass, you are face to face wit a bunch of hungry white- and black-tip sharks, being fed by one of the divemasters.

I’m still very partial to “my” white sharks at Guadalupe, but I’m getting more and more taken by the bull sharks of the SRMR and can’t wait for next year.

Sam face to face with a hungry white tip shark.

Thanks to all the guys at “BAD”, (Beqa Adventure Divers) for your hospitality and another unforgettable trip. You are simply the best! Vinaka vakalevu!

Blacktip shark at the safety stop

In the coming weeks we’ll be posting a special offer for next year’s Fiji trip. My descriptions and pictures don’t do these sharks justice. You’ll have to come and experience them yourself.

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.

15

Jun 2016

By Shark DiverShark reef marine reserve, swimming with sharksComments Off

I was surrounded by bull sharks!

I just got back from my 4th annual trip to Fiji, diving with the “BAD” (Beqa Adventure Divers’) bull sharks of the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. It is an unbelievable experience to be surrounded by lots of these awesome predators.

We saw a shark or two

What really fascinates me is not the sheer number of sharks though. The really interesting part is that I’m starting to recognize some individual sharks, not only by distinctive marks on them, but by their behavior.

Doing a lap, showing everyone that she got a tuna head.

Anyone thinking that “a bull shark is a bull shark” should come to this place and see for themselves. These sharks have very different “personalities”, some very mellow and cautious, others not so much. Of course you need to do more than just one or 2 dives to notice these differences. The first few dives your are simply going to be blown away by the sheer number of sharks and and by how close they’ll get to you.

Up close and personal!

Common wisdom holds that when it comes to sharks, size matters. The big shark always wins over a smaller shark. What I found is that this is not always the case. Some sharks think they are a lot bigger than they really are and compete with the bigger sharks for the tuna heads on offer. “Top Sail” for example is not one of the bigger sharks, but is very adept at getting more than her fair share of tuna heads.

Top sail getting a tuna head.

Another thing that totally surprised me is how cautious these sharks are, even when food is offered to them. Some sharks will not approach the feeder who’s holding a tuna head and some sharks will only take a tuna head from a specific feeder. I would have thought that these bull sharks would pretty much go for any tuna head that is offered to them.

If all the bull sharks are not enough for you, just when you think the dive is over, there is the safety stop. Far from a boring hanging on to a line, waiting for the 3 minutes to pass, you are face to face wit a bunch of hungry white- and black-tip sharks, being fed by one of the divemasters.

I’m still very partial to “my” white sharks at Guadalupe, but I’m getting more and more taken by the bull sharks of the SRMR and can’t wait for next year.

Sam face to face with a hungry white tip shark.

Thanks to all the guys at “BAD”, (Beqa Adventure Divers) for your hospitality and another unforgettable trip. You are simply the best! Vinaka vakalevu!

Blacktip shark at the safety stop

In the coming weeks we’ll be posting a special offer for next year’s Fiji trip. My descriptions and pictures don’t do these sharks justice. You’ll have to come and experience them yourself.

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.

15

Jun 2016

By Shark DiverShark reef marine reserve, swimming with sharksComments Off

How do you choose the right shark diving operation?

Shark diving has gained in popularity over the last decade or so. With the increasing number of operations that offer interactions with sharks, we have also seen a growing trend for some operators to use irresponsible and in some cases down right stupid and dangerous diving practices.

So how can a diver find an operation that is using responsible and sustainable practices? How does he/she know if an operation is participating in conservation efforts, education and research?

Now there is a way to do exactly that. Rick McPherson, a marine biologist and conservationist has created a website, www.sustainablesharkdiving.com that is rating shark diving operations on various criteria, helping divers in choosing who to go with. It is sort of like a trip advisor for the shark diving industry.

We at Shark Diver are proud to provide our divers with a “Safe and Sane” shark diving experience and support research and conservation through our collaboration with the Marine Conservation Science Institute. We are excited about Rick’s new website and hope that anyone interested in shark diving will use it when choosing their next dive operation.

Here is the press release, announcing www.sustainablesharkdiving.com

San Francisco, CA
Sustainable Shark Dive Tourism Website Now Live: Best Practices and Trip Reviews
Sustainable Shark Diving (www.sustainablesharkdiving.com), a new website that provides tools and “Trip Advisor-like reviews of shark dive tourism operations around the world is now live. The website, previewed at the 2015 DEMA Show in Florida to overwhelming interest and support, has opened and now offers shark divers an opportunity to learn about best practices while helping to promote more sustainable environmental and safety within the industry.

The popularity and growth of shark dive tourism over the past decade is undeniable. Divers increasingly want to see sharks and are willing to pay well to have close encounters with these charismatic species. For a critically threatened group such as sharks, this is good news. “Over 100 million sharks die each year due to interactions with fisheries, “ reports Rick MacPherson, marine biologist, conservationist, and founder of the new online tool Sustainable Shark Diving “I believe a living shark showcased for tourism over its lifetime is better than a dead shark used once for its fins and meat,” says MacPherson. “I created sustainablesharkdiving.com as a free, open access portal for tourists and dive operators to help underscore the value of healthy shark populations to tourism as well as highlight best practices and lessons learned from shark dive operations around the world.” Dr Austin Gallagher, Postdoctoral Researcher at Carleton University and principal author of a ground-breaking 2015 global study of the shark diving industry, agrees, “The value of shark diving tourism to local economies and cultures has emerged as one of the leading arguments for the conservation of sharks around the world.”
The shark dive tourism industry has already taken note of the value of this new online tool. Jorge Loria, owner of Phantom Divers, a bull shark diving operation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, believes this tool will help create a higher standard for the growing shark diving industry, “Diving with a sustainable business that is safe and educational results in a benefit to both divers and sharks because the more we know about sharks the better we can protect them.” Mike Neumann, owner of Beqa Adventure Divers in Fiji agrees: “This will be a game changer and a huge step towards propelling the shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model.”

Sustainable Shark Diving fills an industry need by providing a free, one-stop source for best safety and environmental practices and guidelines that have been established around the world for the viewing of sharks (and their flat cousins the rays). “Sustainable Shark Diving offers visitors a compilation of shark diving best practices and guidelines,” explains MacPherson. “You can search by shark species or by region. Whether you want to dive with white sharks, whale sharks, oceanic whitetip, bull, nurse, or any species, you will find the most currently accepted sustainability guidelines for that type of experience.”

Importantly, Sustainable Shark Diving features a Trip Advisor-like review section that allows divers to rate their experience with any shark dive operation against a set of sustainability criteria that includes safety, environmental performance, staff interactions, and overall educational/conservation value. “This tool has enormous potential to begin pushing the entire global industry closer to sustainability and accountability”, says Dr Gallagher. “By allowing the tourists themselves – the lifeblood of this and any tourism industry – to rank the performance, safety, and environmental ethics of operators around the world, the industry as a whole becomes more transparent and we can promote the good and hopefully phase out the bad.”

ABOUT RICK MACPHERSON, FOUNDER
Rick MacPherson is a marine ecologist and conservationist with three decades of experience in solving environmental challenges. He has a particular focus and interest in the intersection of conservation and marine tourism. As a PADI certified diver for over 35 years, he has witnessed the decline of coral reefs and shark populations during his lifetime. In response, MacPherson has become a passionate advocate and thought leader on the role of sustainable tourism as a lever for ocean conservation. Achievements have included development of the world’s first standards for scuba diving, snorkeling, and boating; designer of the Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Marine Tours for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and founder of the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative–the longest-running sustainable tourism project in the Americas. With a belief and expertise in collaborative solutions, MacPherson has brokered partnerships across governments, corporations, NGOs, private sector, and local communities to arrive at pragmatic solutions to complex environmental problems. He is Founder and Principal of Pelagia Consulting, a San Francisco-based ocean science and conservation think tank, where he serves as senior advisor to international NGOs and charitable foundations. In 2013, MacPherson was awarded the Oris/Scuba Diving Magazine Sea Hero of the Year Award in recognition of his achievements in ocean conservation.

CONTACT

Rick MacPherson, Founder Sustainable Shark Diving rickmacpherson@me.com +1 (510) 295-5538

Let’s go (sustainable) 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.

22

Apr 2016

By Shark Diverswimming with sharksComments Off

How do you choose the right shark diving operation?

Shark diving has gained in popularity over the last decade or so. With the increasing number of operations that offer interactions with sharks, we have also seen a growing trend for some operators to use irresponsible and in some cases down right stupid and dangerous diving practices.

So how can a diver find an operation that is using responsible and sustainable practices? How does he/she know if an operation is participating in conservation efforts, education and research?

Now there is a way to do exactly that. Rick McPherson, a marine biologist and conservationist has created a website, www.sustainablesharkdiving.com that is rating shark diving operations on various criteria, helping divers in choosing who to go with. It is sort of like a trip advisor for the shark diving industry.

We at Shark Diver are proud to provide our divers with a “Safe and Sane” shark diving experience and support research and conservation through our collaboration with the Marine Conservation Science Institute. We are excited about Rick’s new website and hope that anyone interested in shark diving will use it when choosing their next dive operation.

Here is the press release, announcing www.sustainablesharkdiving.com

San Francisco, CA
Sustainable Shark Dive Tourism Website Now Live: Best Practices and Trip Reviews
Sustainable Shark Diving (www.sustainablesharkdiving.com), a new website that provides tools and “Trip Advisor-like reviews of shark dive tourism operations around the world is now live. The website, previewed at the 2015 DEMA Show in Florida to overwhelming interest and support, has opened and now offers shark divers an opportunity to learn about best practices while helping to promote more sustainable environmental and safety within the industry.

The popularity and growth of shark dive tourism over the past decade is undeniable. Divers increasingly want to see sharks and are willing to pay well to have close encounters with these charismatic species. For a critically threatened group such as sharks, this is good news. “Over 100 million sharks die each year due to interactions with fisheries, “ reports Rick MacPherson, marine biologist, conservationist, and founder of the new online tool Sustainable Shark Diving “I believe a living shark showcased for tourism over its lifetime is better than a dead shark used once for its fins and meat,” says MacPherson. “I created sustainablesharkdiving.com as a free, open access portal for tourists and dive operators to help underscore the value of healthy shark populations to tourism as well as highlight best practices and lessons learned from shark dive operations around the world.” Dr Austin Gallagher, Postdoctoral Researcher at Carleton University and principal author of a ground-breaking 2015 global study of the shark diving industry, agrees, “The value of shark diving tourism to local economies and cultures has emerged as one of the leading arguments for the conservation of sharks around the world.”
The shark dive tourism industry has already taken note of the value of this new online tool. Jorge Loria, owner of Phantom Divers, a bull shark diving operation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, believes this tool will help create a higher standard for the growing shark diving industry, “Diving with a sustainable business that is safe and educational results in a benefit to both divers and sharks because the more we know about sharks the better we can protect them.” Mike Neumann, owner of Beqa Adventure Divers in Fiji agrees: “This will be a game changer and a huge step towards propelling the shark diving industry towards a more long term sustainable model.”

Sustainable Shark Diving fills an industry need by providing a free, one-stop source for best safety and environmental practices and guidelines that have been established around the world for the viewing of sharks (and their flat cousins the rays). “Sustainable Shark Diving offers visitors a compilation of shark diving best practices and guidelines,” explains MacPherson. “You can search by shark species or by region. Whether you want to dive with white sharks, whale sharks, oceanic whitetip, bull, nurse, or any species, you will find the most currently accepted sustainability guidelines for that type of experience.”

Importantly, Sustainable Shark Diving features a Trip Advisor-like review section that allows divers to rate their experience with any shark dive operation against a set of sustainability criteria that includes safety, environmental performance, staff interactions, and overall educational/conservation value. “This tool has enormous potential to begin pushing the entire global industry closer to sustainability and accountability”, says Dr Gallagher. “By allowing the tourists themselves – the lifeblood of this and any tourism industry – to rank the performance, safety, and environmental ethics of operators around the world, the industry as a whole becomes more transparent and we can promote the good and hopefully phase out the bad.”

ABOUT RICK MACPHERSON, FOUNDER
Rick MacPherson is a marine ecologist and conservationist with three decades of experience in solving environmental challenges. He has a particular focus and interest in the intersection of conservation and marine tourism. As a PADI certified diver for over 35 years, he has witnessed the decline of coral reefs and shark populations during his lifetime. In response, MacPherson has become a passionate advocate and thought leader on the role of sustainable tourism as a lever for ocean conservation. Achievements have included development of the world’s first standards for scuba diving, snorkeling, and boating; designer of the Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Marine Tours for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and founder of the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative–the longest-running sustainable tourism project in the Americas. With a belief and expertise in collaborative solutions, MacPherson has brokered partnerships across governments, corporations, NGOs, private sector, and local communities to arrive at pragmatic solutions to complex environmental problems. He is Founder and Principal of Pelagia Consulting, a San Francisco-based ocean science and conservation think tank, where he serves as senior advisor to international NGOs and charitable foundations. In 2013, MacPherson was awarded the Oris/Scuba Diving Magazine Sea Hero of the Year Award in recognition of his achievements in ocean conservation.

CONTACT

Rick MacPherson, Founder Sustainable Shark Diving rickmacpherson@me.com +1 (510) 295-5538

Let’s go (sustainable) 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.

22

Apr 2016

By Shark Diverswimming with sharksComments Off

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.

31

Mar 2016

By Shark Divermindless killer, swimming with sharksComments Off

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.

31

Mar 2016

By Shark Divermindless killer, swimming with sharksComments Off

What is sustainable shark diving?

We in the shark conservation field have been saying for years that a shark is worth more alive than dead. We have been citing various examples of how a live shark can bring a lot more money to an area through tourism than it would being sold one time for it’s meat or fins.

There are a lot of conservationists who are advocating activities like shark diving to accomplish that goal, while others are pointing to the problems those operations can create. The problem is, how do we know if the outfit we plan on going with is taking conservation serious? How do we know who to go with?

Diving safely, inside a cage at Guadalupe Island

Well, now there is a way, or to be more precise, there will be a way. Rick McPherson, a well respected conservationist is creating a website sustainablesharkdiving.com that is going to be sort of a trip advisor for shark diving.

This is how Rick describes it himself “SustainableSharkDiving.com was created as a free, online tool for the rapidly growing shark dive tourism community to make more informed choices about the businesses shark divers choose to support, recognize those businesses employing sustainable best practices, and encourage businesses that may need to improve their environmental performance to ensure the safety of both their clients and sharks. This is an experiment to see if consumer voices can help build a stronger, safer, more sustainable industry.

This website will give the customers the ability to rate the dive operations, not just on their service, but also on their practices. Categories for the ratings include: are they following good practices in their interactions with the sharks, are they educating their customers, are they supporting the local community etc.?

Rick still need some funds to complete the website. He has a gofund me page, where you can support his efforts. Please send him a few dollars. He is not asking for much and the website can really make a difference and be a valuable tool for those divers interested in supporting sustainable shark diving.

Please click on the following link to make a donation: https://www.gofundme.com/sharkdiving

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.

15

Feb 2016

By Shark Diverconservation shark diving, swimming with sharksComments Off

Wanna dive with Bull Sharks?

Bull Shark Diving Fiji

Bull Sharks in Fiji are calling you in May of 2016.

Experience what many call the world’s best shark dive. We are diving with big, really big bull sharks. The sharks at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve are up to 12 ft. long.

Beqa Adventure Divers will take us out to shark reef, where we will be diving with as many as 70 bull sharks at a time, with the occasional tiger shark showing up for a visit. If that is not enough, during our safety stop we will be surrounded by scores of black- and white-tip reef-sharks, making for the perfect end to an unforgettable dive. On our non shark diving days, we’ll go out and explore the soft corals and wrecks of Beqa Lagoon. Discover what over a decade of conservation efforts have resulted in!

This May, Shark Diver‘s CEO Martin Graf is personally going to lead you on this shark lover’s dream vacation!

We will be staying at the luxurious Pearl South Pacific Resort in Pacific Harbor, where we’ll feast on a delicious breakfast buffet each day, to prepare us for the exciting shark diving that lies ahead.

Price: $1800 per person/ double occupancy

Price includes:

7 nights in a brand new Garden View room at The Pearl South Pacific Resort (double occupancy)
Breakfast buffet daily
4 days of 2-tank Bull Shark Diving
1 day of 2-tank Soft Coral Diving
Round-trip transfers from Nadi Airport to The Pearl South Pacific Resort
All taxes (tip for dive crew and hotel staff not included)

Our dates are:

May 2016, 6-15, 13-22, 20-29, 27- June 6 and June 3-12 (sold out) The trip dates are from the US. We are crossing the date line on our way to Fiji. When we leave on Friday night, we arrive in Fiji on Sunday morning. On our way back, we leave Fiji on Sunday night and arrive in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

Above dates don’t work for you? Call us and we can customize a trip for you.

Come join us on this incredible adventure!

Call 619.887.4275 or email staff@sharkdiver.com to book or get more information.

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.

08

Feb 2016

By Shark Diverbest shark dive, swimming with sharksComments Off

Breaching great white sharks at Guadalupe Island

Grind TV has a nice article about our breaching great white sharks at Guadalupe Island.
It’s nice to see that the media has caught on to the fact that great white sharks are not only breaching in South Africa. Thank you Pete Thomas for a nice article and for mentioning Shark Diver.

Pete Thomas writes:Gerardo del Villar posted video clip to Facebook and YouTube this past week, and linked to a Spanish-language blog post about the island’s white sharks, which rarely breach, and for reasons that are unclear.

Del Villar suggested that Guadalupe’s breaching sharks could be trying to establish dominance in the presence of other sharks, or to remove parasites.

However, Shark Diver’s Martin Graf, whose company pioneered shark diving at Guadalupe Island, said that often it’s the smaller sharks that breach. The larger sharks are the dominant predators.
Said Graf: “There’s no rhyme or reason to it. Usually they breach without any chum or hang-baits in the water. Early morning and dusk seem to be their preferred times, but it can happen anytime.”

Read the entire article at http://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/rare-great-white-shark-breach-videotaped-at-guadalupe-island/#hofozHm4i3bbfwm6.99

You can join us and dive with these amazing sharks. We only have a few spaces left for this season, but are already booking for 2017

Call us at 619.887.4275 or email staff@sharkdiver.com for more info.

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.

02

Feb 2016

By Shark Diverbreaching sharks, swimming with sharksComments Off

How not to dive with sharks!

We at Shark Diver believe in “Safe and Sane” shark diving. The example in the video below is how NOT to dive with sharks.

Ataque provocado de un tiburón. OJO IMÁGENES FUERTES que pueden herir la sensibilidad del espectador.El ser humano es lo más estúpido que he descubierto en mi vida.
Posted by Buceo Recreativo on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

For years we have warned about how stupid and dangerous it is to ride, hug and harass sharks in the Ocean. So here you see first hand what can happen, when you don’t respect the sharks. They are not mindless killers, but neither are they pets that just want to be hugged. If you love sharks like I do, you respect them for what they are and are not trying to make them into something they are not.

Diving with Great Whites from the safety of a cage.

We at Shark Diver offer “Safe and Sane” diving expeditions, where you get to see sharks up close and personal, without any touching or harassing of the sharks.

Up close and personal. No touching needed.

I always say “I absolutely love sharks, but it is not a mutual feeling”. The sharks don’t love me, it’s not in their nature and that is absolutely fine with me.

Let’s go shark diving and see what these magnificent creatures are all about. No touching, no hugging, just enjoying the awesome feeling of being in their presence.

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.

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Jan 2016

By Shark Diverstupid diver, swimming with sharksComments Off