News
The Sharks of Cat Island (Watch Video)
It had been a long time in the making, but finally we were on our way to dive with the Oceanic Whitetip Sharks of Cat Island in The Bahamas. Thoughts of big sharks in clear blue warm water filled our heads as our small plane took off from Nassau to take us to Cat Island. The sharks only visit this island for a few months each year, with the best chances of seeing them in April or May, and only a handful of dive operators offer trips to see them. This year we got lucky and all the pieces of our trip fell into place – now all we needed was for the sharks to show up!
We stayed at Greenwood Beach Resort, a small 16 room hotel right on one of the most beautiful beaches you could wish for. The resort offers diving and kite-surfing, so if it is calm you can explore below the water and if it is windy you can try your hand at kite-surfing. We only had one full day on island, and so our focus was fully on our shark dive.
For this, Shark Explorers Bahamas were on hand to take us out first thing in the morning on a speed boat to start our search for these iconic sharks. We headed out to deeper water and they started to attract the sharks with chum. With only four divers on board and two members of staff, this was the sort of shark diving that dreams are made of – as long as the sharks turned up, and after two hours of sitting gently bobbing in the sunshine, we started to wonder.
Lili turned to us and said that if we did not get any luck in the next few minutes, they would move to another location that had been successful in the past. She said this was very unusual and that most days saw the shark arrive in minutes rather than hours. As she spoke to us, one of the divers calmly said “Isn’t that one just behind you?” and it turned out he was right in one respect, an Oceanic Whitetip was right by the prop, fin breaking the surface, but there was not one, but two in the water behind the boat.
We awoke from our rocking induced lull into a frenzy of action as we grabbed our diving and photography gear and headed to the back of the boat. The plan was to hang in around 5m of water and let the sharks swim around us until someone needed to change tanks. It was not long before all five divers were in the water and marvelling at the power and elegance of the sharks. Oceanic Whitetips are curious and so will come in very close to check you out. Soon we had 5-7 sharks around us, as we drifted gently towards land into shallower water and it was this, about an hour later, that forced us up onto the boat to restart the process in deep water again.
In addition to the Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, we also had Caribbean Reef Sharks and a tiny Sharpnose Shark – a species we had never seen before. Lady Luck was with us and we spent another long dive with the sharks before it was time to head back to shore.
We relaxed on the terrace as the sun went down and relived our dive, showing images and video clips. The next morning we grabbed the chance to have a quick snorkel on a local reef, to get a flavour of what else Cat Island has to offer, before, all to soon, it was time to pack up and head back to the airport and on to our next Bahamian adventure.
For more information please visit:
www.sharkexplorers.com/dives/bahamas-shark-diving
Images & text by Frogfish Photography
Equipment used:
- Olympus OMD EM-1 MKII
- Nikon D800
- Nauticam Housings
- Inon Strobes
- Paralenz Dive Camera
News
Spooktacular Underwater Adventure: Oyster Diving’s First Halloween Scuba Party at Mercers Lake
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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