Swimming with Whale sharks in Cancun
Whale sharks are the gentle giants of the oceans. A pelagic species, they tend to migrate where the eating is good (a bit like me!) For them, this means following abundant sources of plankton. There are known spots around the world where they are known to gather seasonally for big feeds. From May to September each year they feast off the coast of Cancun, Mexico and, this year, I was there! I boarded a small 10m boat, with an excited group of seven tourists, north of Cancun and we set off. Lifejackets were insisted upon for all visitors and we soon understood why, it turned out to be an extremely…
Snorkelling with sharks in Bora Bora
On learning the Bora Bora snorkelling trip included stops to swim with sharks, it was a no-brainer; I couldn’t sign-up fast enough. Swimming with sharks is amazing, but swimming with them in their natural habitat, in the Bora Bora lagoon, and then in the open ocean? What could beat that? As the boat left our hotel dock it was clear there was an air of nervous anticipation among the passengers. For the lucky folk who have the chance, swimming with sharks is usually a once in a lifetime opportunity. A look at the faces on the boat told me most people were doing it for the first, and possibly only,…
Top Shark Diving Destinations
Diving with sharks is the ultimate dream for most scuba divers. As the apex predator of the oceans, sharks command a lot of respect and getting up close and personal with them is a truly incredible experience. Shark-diving in the Bahamas Divers are spoilt for shark encounters in the Bahamas. Caribbean Reef Sharks are everywhere (some of them surprisingly large) but there is also a host of other shark species that are fairly common around the islands including hammerheads, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks and silky sharks. Whale sharks in Australia There are a few locations that boast regular visits from Whale Sharks but nowhere seems as reliable as…
The day I became a Shark Photographer
The season was coming to an end and it was time to decide where to go next. As a globe-trotting diving instructor the world, it would seem, was my oyster. I came across a job listing “Underwater Photo / Video Pro needed in the Bahamas” The Bahamas featured in my mind as a string of jewel-like islands strewn across the glittering Caribbean Sea (which I later realised was not true. The Bahamas are actually too far North to be in the Caribbean, they are in the Atlantic.) Still, the Bahamas sounded perfect. Before I knew it I had landed at Nassau airport on New Providence Island (having been allowed in…
The most amazing dive I’ve (n)ever done
Mention Ningaloo Reef to people and their first thought is usually ‘Whale Sharks’ but divers also love the area for a special dive site called ‘Navy Pier’. The Navy Pier When I told friends I was heading to Ningaloo Reed, one friend urged me to make sure that I dived the Navy Pier while I was at Ningaloo. Now the Navy Pier doesn’t sound very excitng, does it? It is true that it is a man-made dive site, rather than a natural spectacle, but nature has a way of taking over beneath the surface. Nothing is ever simple There are several dive operators in Exmouth (the town nearest Ningaloo Reef)…
Cage Diving: How to cuddle a Great White Shark
Do you want to get up close and personal with an apex predator? Or do you think that people who do, like me, are crazy? If you’re keen but cautiously wondering what it involves, or perhaps not so keen, but still curious nonetheless, read on. Magnificent Great White sharks can grow up to 6m in length and are most commonly seen off the West coast of the United States, South Africa and Australia. Cage diving businesses operate in all of these locations (more specifically Guadalupe Island off Baja California, Gaansbai in South Africa and Port Lincoln in South Australia). So if you’re keen for a close encounter with Jaws, head…
