Great white shark cage diving - October, 2010

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Although I have swam with many kinds of marine animals such as humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and harbor seals, I knew there would be nothing like being in the water with a great white shark. Great whites might look scary, but they aren't people-eating machines. In fact, more people are killed by falling coconuts than by shark attacks. The sharks might be curious and possibly nibble at the cage, but they typically won't have an appetite for you unless you surf and look like a seal.

The three most popular locations to cage dive with great whites are South Africa, Guadalupe Island, and Neptune Island, Australia. I picked Guadalupe Island because it was closer to our California home and because the visibility is really good. I was with a group of 11 other cage divers. We lived on a boat for six days. For the first few days, we did not see many sharks (in part, because of a storm). But the last day was spectacular.

On the last day, a California Sea Lion was in the water, trying to catch some fish. While I was watching it from the surface cage, a great white came straight up like a missile from the bottom of the ocean. White sharks typically are not as fast or agile as sea lions, so the sharks perform stealth attacks. The sea lion escaped unharmed, but the event made for spectacular viewing. After the attack, the shark circled our cage. It was probably 14 feet long. This was our opportunity to get some pictures at close range.

Great white shark cage diving...a truly unforgettable experience!


Enjoy your travels,
Galen

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Photos

Great white shark 1
Great white shark comes toward cage

Great white shark 2
Shark and seal in water together

Great White Shark 3
Shark passes cage