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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

10 Common Shark Sightings

Nevin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:06:54 +0000

With close to 450 different species of Sharks that inhabit the oceans, sooner or later a Scuba diver is bound to spot one. To some of us spotting a shark on a dive is a great thrill and to others our worst nightmare. We have compiled a list of some of the more common and interesting shark species to help better identify these intimidating yet magnificent creatures.

Black Tip Reef Shark

One of the more common sightings on a reef dive is the Black-Tip Reef Shark which are found in the shallow coral reefs of tropical waters primarily in the indo-pacific. With a brownish skin color, the tips of the shark’s pectoral fin and dorsal fins are black, with a white underside. It has been recorded at up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in length and over 99 lbs (45 kg) in weight. Black tip reef sharks feed mainly on reef fish and are not known to attack divers.

White Tip Reef Shark

Also a frequent sighted shark, Whitetip reef shark are also found along the indo-pacific coral reefs and sometimes as far east as south Africa and Central America. The Whitetip shark grows up to 1.6m (5.2ft) in length and is easily recognizable by its white-tipped dorsal and caudal fins. Living off a diet of fish, crustaceans and octopus, this species hunts mainly at night and are seldom aggressive towards humans.

Nurse Sharks

Are found in the shallow tropical and sub tropical waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific regions. Nurse Sharks can grow to a length of 4.3 meters (14ft) and is recognizable by its distinctive mouth which is far ahead of its eyes and made for bottom-feeding. Nocturnal by nature these sharks feed on crustaceans, mollusks stingrays and other fish. Nurse sharks typically attack humans only if directly threatened.

Whale shark

These colossal creatures grow to a length of 20m and weigh up to 12,000 Kg feeding off zooplankton, squid and small fish. Found in all temperate and tropical regions, whale sharks are instantly recognizable by its distinct spotted and striped body and wide mouth. Whale sharks are gentle giants and are very popular with divers that enjoy observing and swimming alongside these creatures while feeding. This species, despite its size, does not pose any significant danger to humans.

Blue Shark

All sharks swim very fast, but the blue shark is the fastest. These slender looking blue-skinned sharks can grow up to 12 feet long (4 meters). Inhabiting mainly the tropical and temperate waters of the ocean, the Blue shark is highly migratory. Its diet is mainly composed of squid and small bony fishes. The blue shark is considered to be one of the more dangerous sharks. It has been known to attack humans, which makes it one of species of shark that people most fear, however according to Wikipedia only 4 recorded Blue Shark fatalities have been recorded as of 2008.

Hammerhead Sharks

The most unique species of shark and also one of the more recognizable ones is the Hammerhead shark. Growing to a length of up to 6 m (20ft),it is known for its flat hammer shaped snout. Hammerheads inhabit temperate waters across the world ranging from southern Canada to New Zealand. Known to possess especially well developed electro-receptors for hunting, hammerheads feed on a variety of fish and bottom dwelling creatures. There have been reported cases where Hammerhead sharks have attacked humans which are why they are feared.

Bull Sharks

Often confused with the great white shark, the bull shark is amongst the top three most dangerous sharks roaming in our oceans. The bull shark has a short, wide, rounded snout and plumper bodies. Bull sharks are known for their aggressive behavior and the fact that they can live in both freshwater and saltwater. They can live in rivers, estuaries and some lakes in Central America. In fact, some have been found as far as 3000 km up the Amazon and Mississippi rivers. Bull Sharks feed on a wide variety of creatures including turtles, dolphins, seabirds and even other sharks.

Sand Tiger Sharks

Sand Tiger Sharks are also known as Grey nurse sharks are rather slow moving sharks and not aggressive to humans unless provoked. It grows to a length of 3.2 m (about 10.5 ft) and is identifiable by its grey back and white underside. Found in the coastal waters of tropical and temperate regions, Sand Tiger sharks feed primarily on bony fishes including mackerels, other sharks and rays, squids, crabs and lobsters.

Tiger Sharks

Tiger sharks are perhaps most well known for their aggressive natures and bad reputation as a threat to humans. Second to the Great White, the Tiger Shark is responsible for the second highest number of fatalities related to shark attacks. Growing to a length of 5 meters and reaching a weight of almost 700kg tiger sharks will eat almost anything. They have been known to feed on whales, squid, fish, and turtles and even seabirds.

Great White Sharks

The big daddy of all sharks and also the most feared predator of the seas, the Great White like the Tiger Shark will feed on anything. Averaging about 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) Great Whites diet mainly comprises of seals, dolphins, whale carcasses, seabirds, turtles, squids and other sharks. The Great White Shark is found near the coasts of California, Australia and South Africa. Known to be responsible for almost 10 human fatalities a year, diving with Great Whites must be performed only with highly experienced divers and from the safety of a shark cage. (Also Read: Overcoming The ‘Jaws’ Factor When You Dive)

Photos by:WIlly Volk, StormyDog, richard ling, bryan scott photography, jon hanson, pterantula, Nemo’s great uncle, Thespis377, g-na

For the Best in Scuba Gear and Equipment right from Scuba regulators, Wetsuits, Buoyancy Compensators, Scuba Accessories, underwater camera housings and more visit LeisurePro.com- The Diver’s Emporium

Diving with Gentle Giants-The Whale Shark

Noreen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:25:13 +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. Diving with one of these gentle giants is one of the Top 10 Dives to experience before you die.

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. 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.