Not many people have the nerve to climb into a tiny cage and plop themselves in the middle of the ocean to watch one of the most notorious animals on the planet. For those that are inclined to dive with great white sharks, this is exactly what they do. Great white shark diving tours have become quite popular in recent years, and the waiting lists for these tours can be rather long. If you are planning a great white shark diving tour, then here is what you can expect:
First, if you are planning on diving with the great white shark, you will need to find the best location. South Africa, and Shark Alley in particular, is notorious for being the best place to view great white sharks. If you are wanting to dive with great white sharks closer to home, then San Diego is a popular destination that is usually successful. Great white sharks are often seasonal to be found, so it is important to find out when they are usually around for the dives.
Great white sharks are not the only targets of these expeditions. Thought the expeditions focus on trying to locate the great whites, you may also see hammerheads, makos, bull sharks, tiger sharks, and other various types of shark. You may also see whales, seals, sting rays, and myriad other forms of sea life.
Seeing a great white shark in the wild is nothing like seeing the movie Jaws. For one, they are much bigger in real life. These massive predators are actually incredibly graceful and nimble, and they slice through the water in an almost poetic type of way. They seem like huge cars swimming around in the blue water. When they begin to feed, however, you start to see the reason that the great white shark is one of the most feared sharks in the world.
Great whites generally do not have any interest in human beings. We are largely just too bony and puny for a huge great white. They want beefy, fatty seals and things of that nature. As such, attacks on people by the great white is often a case of mistaken identity. Sometimes a great white shark will give an exploratory bite to see if we are what they want. When they see that we are not, they will often swim away instead. This is called a bump and run attack. Unfortunately, with the huge size and bite strength of a great white, this kind of attack can still be deadly to humans.
In the cage under the water, you literally get to watch the shark in action. The crew on the boat will feed the great whites so that you can see them attack and eat. The violence and power of this is breathtaking. You are said to “feel” the power of the shark from within the cage quite clearly.
Another huge draw for great white shark diving is the fact that you get the incredible knowledge and education of the men on board. These men work with the great whites every single day, and are often extremely knowledgeable. This is one of the many benefits of going on one of these great white shark tours.
The primary thing that one should understand about great white shark diving is that it is an eye opener. You begin to truly understand their role in the ecosystem, and why they deserve their place in the vast oceans of the world. Without them, the ocean would be in trouble from an ecosystem balance point of view. These shark tours are wonderful ways to educate the public on these awesome predators.
