Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog » shark diving

Diving With Whale Sharks: An Experience Of A Lifetime

Noreen — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:30:20 +0000

Ask an avid diver about the creatures they long to encounter on one of their dives and I can almost bet my money that seeing or diving with a whale shark is right up their on their list along with manta rays. Ask a diver who has been lucky enough to encounter one and you’ll be met with a speechless diver fumbling for words or a breathless description. Scuba diving with one of these gentle giants is one of the Top 10 Dives to experience before you die.

Whale sharks are filter feeding sharks that grow to an impressive length of about 12.2 m (40 ft) and can weigh upto 13.6 tonnes. Only called a whale due to it’s massive stature, the whale shark is actually a fish and not a mammal and it holds the record for being the largest living fish on the planet.Whale sharks are believed to have originated about 60 million years ago and have an average life span of 70 years.

With white spot much like stars on the back of this massive yet magnificent fish, whale sharks are gentle and people friendly creatures unlike its other shark relatives. An absolute joy to dive or snorkel with they are quite an attraction to divers in dive destinations around the world. A fan of tropical and warm oceans encounter with these gentle giants are common in places around the world like the Philippines, Thailand, off the Seychelles, Christmas Island, South Africa, Mozambique, Belize, Honduras, Mexico and Western Australia. Many dive operators in these regions offer special whale shark diving tours during the seasons sightings are common. The chances of seeing a whale shark in around Phuket in Thailand is very high between February and May every year.

Swimming with a whale shark is an experience of a lifetime and a must do for any diver. So there next time you’re looking for an adventure holiday put diving with the largest fish on the planet on that list and make sure to check it off in this lifetime!

*Image Credits: photos by Marcel_Ekkel on flickr

Swimming with Sharks in Shanghai

Nevin — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:21:50 +0000

Although Shanghai in China is surrounded by the sea, it is a very hard place to find any decent scuba diving. The sea water surrounding the city is full of silt and offers very poor visibility. However there is a solution for residents and visitors to Shanghai to get some world class Shark Diving in crystal clear water, and swim with some 100 odd sharks at the Changfeng Ocean World Aquarium.

Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World, which was opened in April 1994 at the cost of 25 million dollars, is 13 meters under the surface of the Silver Shovel Lake in Changfeng Park. It is China’s first large-scale theme aquarium and the flagship tourist attraction. The aquarium is the only marine life-themed show stadium in China, which is home to thousands of creatures from oceans and rivers all over the world. It showcases a colorful and spectacular underwater world with animal shows such as fishes and sharks dancing together, deep ocean diving, otter, dolphin and Beluga Whale Shows.

The shark diving experience at the Ocean World Aquarium is a guaranteed adrenaline rush. Managed by Big Blue Scuba which runs the diving operations, divers have the opportunity to tour the shark tank which is inhabited by stingrays, turtles, eels, a variety of large fish and, Five different species of Shark , sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, whitetip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks and guitar sharks. The Aquarium is said to have 100-150 sharks several over 10 feet in length .

The Shark Diving program requires divers to register at least two days in advance, and costs around 800 RMB per person ($120), which includes a behind the scenes Aquarium Tour, the Shark feeding show, a single dive in the shark tank with full scuba equipment and instructor provided. The instructor will provide a basic diving skills refresher in a swimming pool to get comfortable following which the dive in the main tank lasts around 20 minutes with the sharks. Divers can also hunt for shark teeth that are found in the substrate of the tank, and can keep them as a souvenir.

So the next time you happen to visit Shanghai, and have the urge to take the plunge and go Scuba Diving, try out the Ocean World Shark Diving experience and you are sure to have and experience of a lifetime.

Mall Diving at the Dubai Aquarium

Nevin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:00:45 +0000

The Dubai Mall is an insanely large shopping mall, located in Dubai UAE, at the base of the Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world, and has several “largest” and “firsts” to its name including a 21 screen multiplex cinema, to an Olympic size ice skating rink inside the mall. But most fascinating of all is the 10-million liter Dubai Aquarium tank, located on the Ground Level of The Dubai Mall, which is the largest suspended aquarium in the world.

The main Aquarium tank, measures 51 meters (167ft) in length, 20 meters (66ft) in depth and 11 meters (36 ft) in height. It houses over 33,000 aquatic animals, comprising over 140 species. Over 400 Sharks and Rays live in this tank, including the largest collection of Sand Tiger Sharks in the world.

The Aquarium offers its visitors various close up encounters with the marine life, ranging from a glass bottomed boat ride, snorkeling with the fish, shark feeding inside the suspended shark cage and best of all scuba diving inside the main aquarium tank for certified scuba divers.

The Dive lasts 20 – 30 minutes, and costs AED 625 ($170) but is worth the chance to experience so many different varieties of sharks and rays all in one location. There are huge pelagic like Batfish, Bigeye Trevally, Clown Fish, Giant Grouper, Unicorn Fish, Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks constantly circling you inside the tank. For those without dive certification, there is a “learn to dive” package for AED 825 ($225) (includes a preliminary lesson) and scuba diving gear rental, DAN diver insurance, and a certificate of participation. There is also a cage snorkeling package costing AED 225 ($61) if you don’t want to undertake full-fledged diving, you can still feel the same thrills in a safe cage setting. You only have to put on snorkeling gear, dive into the secure cage in the aquarium, and watch over 70 different marine species including some 400 sharks and rays at close quarters.

A popular Dubai Scuba Shop offers “Specialty Dives” at the Dubai Mall Aquarium which is a series of 3 dives for PADI certified divers.

Dive 1 is a session with Sand Tiger Sharks, Reef Sharks, Rays, Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, and Silvertip Sharks.
Dive 2 covers information about shark identification as well as an opportunity to learn underwater photography, Includes a 30 minute theory session, and photography tips.
Dive 3 takes place in the shark cage for a shark feeding frenzy photography session. The Aquarium staff feed the sharks while you are given this unique opportunity to take photographs inside the safety of the shark cage.

The Cost of the package is AED 1,875 (approx $510) total for all three dives and can be covered in a single day or spread out over several. All Underwater camera equipment is provided by the Dubai Aquarium.

So the next time you plan a vacation in Dubai, check out the Dubai Mall’s Aquarium and take the plunge with 400 sharks and rays in an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

photos from flickr by roryrory, Doudlers, Cajie, Irvine-

The White Shark Café

Nevin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:35:46 +0000

The White Shark Café is not your typical local barista serving up mocha lattes and cappuccinos. This “café “ located somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between the Mexican Baja Peninsula and Hawaii is a site where a peculiar phenomenon involving Great White Sharks takes place each year.

In 2000 Marine biologists, oceanographers, engineers, computer programmers, came together with NOAA’s Pacific Fisheries Ecosystems Lab, Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Lab, and University of California, Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratory to form TOPP Tagging of Pacific Predators, an ambitious feat to conduct a marine census by tagging marine animals and tracking them via satellite.

Over 150 Pacific Great White sharks were tagged with GPS transmitters along the entire pacific coastline by TOPP, and led to a fascinating yet puzzling discovery regarding the behavior of Pacific Great Whites. The results of the research showed that each year in the winter, Great White Sharks in the Pacific perform a predictable and yet mysterious migration, leaving their favorite seal feeding grounds, near the coastline to travel 2000 Kilometers off the California Coast to a deserted stretch of ocean, an 400 mile-wide area with no distinctive underwater features, hardly any food in terms of prey, and spend up to 6 months at this site diving to incredible depths.

Once at the site known as White Shark Café, the Great Whites will perform repeated dives from 700 to up to 2000 feet and re surface every 16 minutes or so. Scientists are at a loss to explain the reasons as to why the Sharks arrive each year at the same spot and perform this mysterious ritual. Many believe that this is a mating ritual of the Great Whites, where they congregate once a year to mate. However the studies have shown that many juvenile Great Whites also perform the pilgrimage each year which indicates there might other reasons for the existence of the Café. Researchers have proven that there is no coinciding tuna or other large shoals passing by the site, which has hardly any plankton or sea life, which eliminates food as a cause of the migration.

Perhaps future research expeditions to the site will uncover the cause of this mystery of nature aptly nicknamed the White Shark Café.

The Secret Shark Pits – A Must Watch For Ocean Enthusiasts

Noreen — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:00:37 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of stumbling across one of the most interesting TV Documentaries I had seen in a while. National Geographic Channel’s – Secret Shark Pits.

In the waters surrounding Africa’s Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean, local diver and naturalist Hugues Vitry discovered what he calls “the Shark Pits”, a phenomenon and spectacle that no one can explain. The labyrinth of reefs, caverns and caves around the volcanic island feature sunken pits which seem to hold some sort of magnetic attraction to sharks and they congregate in these pits not just by the dozens, but hundreds! What’s more mysterious is the behavior the sharks (mostly grey reef or blacktail sharks) display here is not typical of what would be expected.The display almost not no aggression, which is said to be quite unusual for a species of shark known for its threat display when cornered. And more intriguing, they do not swim constantly, which is all the more bizarre when it is known that grey reef sharks have to keep moving in order to breathe.

The show features two divers- Hugues Vitry and shark scientist, Ryan Johnson into the pits to witness the fascination spectacle that are these shark pits.

Here’s a sneak peek of the first episode that aired on the 6th of September, but catch the next one on Thursday 16 September at 17:00 on Nat Geo Wild (Repeats: Thursday 16 September at 23:00 on Nat Geo Wild and Friday 17 September at 05:00 on Nat Geo Wild).

Halle Berry Dives With Great Whites For New Movie

Nevin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:33:00 +0000

Scuba Divers, if you’ve ever wished to see what Halle Berry would look like in a wetsuit, then your prayers have been answered! In her latest film ‘Dark Tide’, currently in production, Halle plays the role of a Scuba Diving Instructor in an action packed thriller. The Oscar-winning actress known to play some intense and diverse roles such as fighting villains in James Bond, or running with mutants in X-men, Halle has braved some tough acting challenges and in her newest movie, will once again be put to the test with the unique challenge of diving with great white sharks.

Dark Tide is a thriller centered on a diving instructor (Halle Berry) who returns to deep waters after a near-fatal encounter with a Great White shark. Directed by John Stockwell, who brought us surfing and scuba films such as Blue Crush and Into the Blue, Dark Tide attempts to uncover the terrifying emotional challenges and the test of courage to return to diving after having a terrible encounter with a Great White Shark. The film is scheduled for release in 2011.

Halle was spotted recently looking sexy in a bikini and wetsuit, donning her scuba diving equipment before getting into a shark cage aboard a boat while filming for Dark Tide in Seal Island, False Bay, South Africa. Seal Island is populated by 60,000 cape fur seals and is known to have waters teaming with sharks including the Great White which prey on their favorite food, the seals. Halle and the Dark Tide crew will be spending three months in South Africa filming the breathtaking underwater sequences in the heart of white shark country. Halle will actually be attempting cage diving in shark infested waters for the film.

The film has been criticized by shark experts in South Africa who claim that this new movie will only advance the fear of Sharks in general, and in particular, the Great White shark which already has a bad reputation fueled by Hollywood movies such as Jaws. The shark experts of South Africa wish to try to change people’s perceptions of sharks, and feel portraying a near fatal encounter with a great white and fighting off a shark in the movie will only serve to undo the work they have been trying to achieve.

photo from flickr by g-na

Top 5 Shark Diving Destinations in the World

Noreen — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Of all the the creatures on this planet Sharks have earned quite the reputation, good and bad. Some admire this fierce predator of the seas while most have a fear of of the creature that even keeps them out of the waters. For those of you that fall in the second category you may want to read our post on Overcoming The ‘Jaws’ Factor When You Dive cos this post isn’t for the faint hearted. For those of you ready to face your fear or or undertake the seemingly insane pursuit of intentionally taking the plunge in shark infested waters here are the Top 5 Destinations in the World for Diving with Sharks-

1. Gansbaai, South Africa
For what nightmares are made of, there’s no where in the World like South Africa to encounter the so called ‘man-eater’ Great White. 12kms offshore from Gansbaai (160km from Cape Town), there are two islands Dyer Island and Geyser Rock where all the action takes place. The islands covered with seals and jackass penguins are like a ready to eat fast food meal for the sharks who patrol the shallow and narrow channel that runs between the two islands, as if they were at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

Jump in a cage here an all that’ll separate you from the most feared shark in the sea is a few metal bars. It’s a front row seat to watch the dinning frenzy and maybe a closer encounter with a curious great white when it checks out your cage. You’re guaranteed you’re moneys worth and an experience of a lifetime.

2. Nassau, Bahamas
Think cage diving is for wussies? Want a little more thrill and excitement? How about coming face-to-face with tens of reef sharks without the metal protection. Nassau attracts tons of divers every year to witness a swarm of reefies in a feeding frenzy. The difference however is that the sharks are lured by the dive master/operators dressed in chain-mail that feed them while the other divers play spectators down below unnoticed by the hungry sharks.

With no cage or protection the thrill of this high can be described as a powerful dose of prozac. Shark encounters include tens of blacktip or white tip reef sharks circling you feeding on bait and on rare occasion and run in the daddy of all sharks -the great white.

3. Rhode Island, United States
A combination of frigid waters and plenty of sharks makes this one of the top shark diving destinations. Point Judith, three hours offshore of New England may not seem like a great place to dive, especially since the Atlantic’s bone-chilling waters aren’t very inviting. However, the migratory blue sharks have made it their pit stop on a long journey to the coast of South America.

Pulled in by chumming the waters (throwing in bait to lure sharks and fish), the blue sharks are drawn here for the diving which is done from a cage. Their slender bodies and pointed snouts are quite distinguishably different form other shark species. The fearless may opt to go cage-free but this isn’t advisable.

4. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
A must dive site for shark diving enthusiasts, Cocos Island is a unique spot to dive with literally hundreds of hammerhead sharks. Ranked as the 6th Best dive site by the PADI network, it’s a live-aboard only dive destination as it’s situated some 300 miles off the main coast of Costa Rica.

The silhouette view of swirling hammerheads as you gaze up on a dive here is an intense and almost surreal diving experience. The sheer numbers of hammerheads is shocking and makes you wonder if there are any fish left around there. Apart from hammerhead sharks, white tips, bull and whale sharks are frequently spotted in these parts too.

5. Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas), Brazil
A lagoon off the coast of Brazil in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, 260 km (160 mi) northeast of Natal is volcanic formed island. This atoll was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of it’s rich marine and coral life. The warm waters in this area are home to a caucus of brightly colored tropical fishes, coral reefs and it’s predator—the lemon shark.

With a thriving population of lemon sharks here, which pose very little threat to humans it’s possible to dive with a school of about 30 sharks at once making it a tangy experience.

*Photo Credits: photos by manoellemos, Le Grand Portage, underwatertourist, twellsv, AlKok on flickr

Top 3 Extreme Dives in the World

Noreen — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:32:27 +0000

For those of you that think Scuba Diving is much to sedate to even be considered a sport, you have definitely not heard of people taking the plunge at these Extreme dive sites.

A far cry from the usual leisurely diving at tropical islands in the Caribbean or the coral reefs around the World, extreme diving is testing new waters to say the least. With many people looking to the sport for an adrenalin rush, divers are pushing the envelope of diving and challenging themselves with some pretty extreme conditions at the most unusual dive sites. Instead of heading to warmer waters they dive beneath the ice, from high visibility clear pristine waters they venture into murky dark caves and instead of avoiding the most feared creatures of the sea they’re swimming straight for the shark’s mouth.

Here’s our picks for the Top 3 Extreme Dives in the World:

Cave Diving at Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole, Florida

Considered the ‘Mount Everest’ or the ‘Grand Canyon’ of cave diving, the Eagle’s Nest is one of the most intricate and challenging dive sites one can dive. Located on the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area property, near Weeki Wachee, the sinkhole first appears to be a very unimpressive, scummy-looking pond. Hidden below it astounding depths of around 300 feet (91metres), the Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole in Florida has chambers as large as gymnasiums and crystal-clear water. Only for highly experienced cave divers and the technically sound, the descent the Eagle’s nest is similar to that of a chimney and hundreds of feet below it opens up into a large cavern called “the Main Ballroom”, beyond which are longer tunnels and crannies that go even deeper. While cave diving isn’t for everyone, a number of divers have perished attempting to explore this site in particular. The Sinkhole’s challenging caves and and harsh conditions are not to be taken lightly when considering to dive here. [*Above image- Times photo: Maurice Rivenbark]

Ice Diving at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Antarctica Scuba diving? Yes, in extreme temperatures that often drop below -40°C (-40°F), where no insects, plants nor major life exists here above the ground, people do the unthinkable and plunge into it’s icy waters! McMurdo Sound Antarctica is where divers break through the 1.3-3m (4-10ft) thick ice to enter the freezing cold waters, only to be rewarded by stunning visibility of about 300m (990 ft) and a rich marine life like no other anywhere else in the World. For more read: Extreme Diving: Ice Diving in Antarctica (*above image by high hat beaver moustache man on flickr)

Shark Diving in Nassau, the Bahamas

If you think you would pee in your wetsuit if you saw just one shark, then this dive destination is not for you. The warm Caribbean waters of the Bahama’s attracts plenty of sharks. Operators here offer a number of shark adventure dives including cage diving, watching professional shark wranglers hand-feed reef sharks on the ocean floor in front of you and even surface feeding. With dive sites such as ‘Shark Wall’, ‘Shark Arena’, ‘Runway Wall’ and ‘The Runway’ you will encounter dozens Caribbean Reef Sharks. Watching the sharks eat is amazing, but seeing them cruise by at arm’s length is incredible and and experience. Long Island (Southern Bahamas) is another such dive site for shark diving. Cage diving to feed swarms of mako, bull, and reef sharks is what draws adventurous divers here. The Bahamas is also home to the Tiger shark, Great Hammerhead shark, Lemon shark, Silky shark, Nurse shark and the notorious Bull shark all considered among the most dangerous sharks you can encounter.

(*above images by hankplank on flickr)

Dive America’s Aquariums

Nevin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:02:42 +0000

Scuba Diving at an aquarium is one of the most unique diving experiences you can have as a Scuba diver. Firstly you have controlled water temperatures, limitless visibility and hundreds of marine specimens to view all in a single location. Aquarium’s also allow divers the opportunity to feed the fish, and get a behind the scenes tour of the aquariums filtration systems and food preparation areas. What makes aquarium diving even more interesting is the interactions you can have with the non-diving visitors through the viewing glass that is rather amusing. The fact that most aquarium fish are used to having divers in their tanks to feed and clean, means you can really observe the marine life up-close. Here is a list we have compiled of some of the Aquariums across America that allow divers this unique experience.

Underwater Adventures Aquarium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Underwater Adventures Aquarium hosed inside the Mall Of America in Minneapolis provides a program for $195 which includes, aquarium admission, a behind-the-scenes tour, a dive into Fisherman’s Hollow and Shark Cove, snacks and refreshments and a souvenir T-shirt to take home. The Aquarium offers two dives the first in a freshwater tank with local fish such as carps, walleye, sturgeon and Bass; and the second in a marine tank with various kinds of sharks and rays. The Underwater Adventures program does not include rental of Scuba Diving equipment which you need to bring your own or rent locally before you dive. For more information on this check out our article here.

Great Lakes Aquarium, Duluth, Minnesota

The Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minnesota on the banks of Lake Superior, only recently opened its doors to scuba divers with the “Dive-N-Feed Experience,” which allows up to three divers to explore the 90,000-gallon freshwater tank set up to emulate the waters off Lake Superior’s Isle Royale. The three hour experience includes an orientation as well as the chance to hand-feed the fish in the 25 foot deep tank, a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium, a souvenir and refreshments . The species of marine life you get to see on this unique dive are, Steelhead rainbow trout, kamloops rainbow trout, brown trout, coaster brook trout, lake trout, siscowet, Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, American eels, lake sturgeon, walleye, longnose and white suckers. The cost of the Dive-N-Feed experience is $79 for divers that use their own scuba gear, and $99 for those that will rent the Aquariums Scuba diving gear. Divers are required to show proof of scuba certification by carrying their C-card.

National Aquarium in Baltimore

The National Aquarium, Baltimore’s Guest Diver Program is an opportunity for scuba divers to experience the best diving in Maryland by diving in the Aquarium’s most popular exhibits, the Atlantic Coral Reef and Wings in the Water exhibits. The program consists of two 30-minute dives in each of the exhibits and a pre-dive session where the basics of diving in the unfamiliar environment are explained. The Pre-dive also touches upon the role divers can play in reef conservation and is an educative session. The maximum depth that you will get to dive to in these tanks is 13 feet (4m) and sight some remarkable reef life up close such as rays, sharks and over 50 species of fish. The fee for the Guest Diver program is rather steep at $295 for two 30 minute dives, and divers are required to carry along their C-cards with them at the time of registration.

Downtown Aquarium, Denver, Colorado

Looking to scuba dive in downtown Denver? The Denver Aquarium provides divers with three programs “Dive With the Fish,” “Dive With the Sharks,” and “Swim With the Fish”. The Dive and Swim with the fish programs take place in the Aquariums “Under the Sea” tank, while the “Dive with the Sharks” takes place in the “Depths of the Pacific” exhibit. All divers receive a short presentation on the exhibit, fish biology, fish identification and scuba safety, plus listen to a short dive plan briefing. Overall the duration of the dive is around 40 minutes and will set you back $75 per person for “Swim With the Fish”; and $175 for “Dive With the Fish” and “Dive With the Sharks.” Price includes aquarium admission, T-shirt, fish ID booklet, snacks and a dive guide. Reusable underwater cameras are also available for sale.

The Living Seas at Epcot Disneyworld, Orlando Florida.

Certified scuba divers who are visiting Orlando will find the Living Seas at Disneyworld’s Epcot Center is one of the best aquarium exhibits to dive in. Home to a marine tank that measures over 200 feet in diameter and 25 feet in depth. This tank contains a wide variety of Caribbean in a reef environment including sharks, rays and turtles. The folk at the Living Seas claim that you will probably never see as many species of fish in one go if you actually went diving in the Caribbean. The Center’s Divequest tour allows certified divers to take a special three hour program that includes a forty minute dive in this marine tank. The price for this Caribbean dive experience is $140 and includes a behind the scenes tour of the facilities at The Living Seas.

photos by: andrew.deci, Brian Wilson , NASA Videographer,Akibubblet, Joshua G R, Joe Penniston

Dive with the Sharks at the Mall of America

Nevin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:41:45 +0000

Talk about strange places for Scuba diving and unique experiences and one of the first places that come to mind is diving with sharks in icy Minnesota. Somehow that phrase doesn’t sound right, however it’s true. If you are ever in Minneapolis and visit the Mall of America, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium provides you with the opportunity to do just that, Scuba dive with sharks.

The Underwater Adventures Aquarium is a massive aquarium housed inside the Mall of America, that is extremely well known for its well stocked tanks of several species of marine life. The Aquarium offers several Adventures such as sleeping overnight in the shark tank tunnels, feeding sharks and swimming with them, but for certified scuba divers, Underwater Adventures provides a program for $195 which includes, aquarium admission, a behind-the-scenes tour, a dive into Fisherman’s Hollow and Shark Cove, snacks and refreshments and a souvenir T-shirt to take home.

The program starts off with an impressive behind-the-scenes tour of restricted areas of the aquarium, where you get to see the food preparation areas, the quarantine tanks and filtration equipment for the massive marine tanks. You are then given a tour of the tanks where the helpful staff guide you through the tanks you will be diving in.

The first dive is a Freshwater tank known as Fisherman’s hollow which is a massive tank housing local Minnesota lake fish such as Sturgeon, Muskie, carp, sunfish, gar, walleye, Bass, Pike and others. You are provided with weight belts that are heavier than you usually require causing you to become negatively buoyant and sink to the bottom of the tanks. The large Sturgeon in this tank knowing that food is on its way, begin sucking at you constantly trying to find food. This is the reason why you are required to wear a hood, as the frisky Pike, Bass and Sturgeon won’t hesitate to take your ears off. The aquarium staff accompanying you on the dive provide you with worms and other fish feed to provide the hungry fish swarming around you un-afraid.

After snacks and refreshments, you are briefed on your second dive which is in the Shark tank. This tanks houses numerous nurse sharks, white tip sharks, black tip reef sharks, Woebegone sharks, Saw teeth, sand tigers, guitar fish, rays, turtles and various other Tangs, Stingrays, Remora. You won’t ever get to experience so many varieties of sharks in one place anywhere else in the world. The dive is intimidating with the dive masters providing a protective circle around you at all times, to fend off the constantly approaching curious shark. Feeding these huge toothy creatures is definitely an experience of a life-lime. Apparently sharks constantly loose teeth while eating and the aquarium allows you to collect the teeth of the sharks that have fallen to the bottom and keep as a souvenir of your dive. So with one eye looking downward for shark teeth and the other spinning around keeping an eye on the sharks, you finally end your dive.

There are a few things disappointing about the shark diving experience at Underwater Adventures. The rather substantial cost of $195 does not include essential Scuba diving gear such as BCDs, regulators, Scuba masks, wetsuits, dive booties or fins. The Aquarium provides you with Scuba tanks, weight, weight belts and gloves only. With only two dives, it leaves you wanting to do more, and especially disappointing is the fact that you spend both dives at the bottom of the tanks, not really swimming around.

However overall the Mall of America’s Underwater Adventures Shark Dive is definitely a unique experience, and how many people would believe you when you tell them that you dove with sharks up in Minnesota?

Photos by: b-nik, hoyasmeg, pirate johnny, jpellgen