Open Water Shark Dive
Aloha! Today's blog is all about the open water shark swim I went on last year December 8 for my 32nd birthday. It was super early in the morning and was a 2 hour tour. The price is around $130.00 per person and is up in Haleiwa. This was my second time swimming in open water and I had done a cage tour as well which was less exciting to me. The sharks are trained to respond to the boat motor and will swarm to the surface when they hear or feel the vibrations. The reason they do is because fisherman and the cage encounters are encouraged to chum the water in that area so the sharks can learn to associate the motor with food. Of course, the open swim encounter does not deal with chum, the sharks come with the sound of the boat only!
It is a beautiful boat ride out and fairly quick. If you are lucky you get to see other marine life. When the boat reaches the area they slow and get you ready once the boat stops to jump in right away. The initial jump in is the most incredible because the sharks swarm, and do I mean swarm! You can see in the video the initial approach underwater and the bubbles in the video were from the engine. The current out there is so strong that you have to grab onto a thick yellow rope attached to the back of the boat because if you don't, you will surely get separated. I was impressed at the strength of the current out there.
So for the sharks... there are typically two different species you get to experience out there, the sandbar and the Galapagos. The sandbar tend to make people (including me) more nervous because they are smaller in size. This size difference makes them have to act out more aggressively to compete predatorily with the larger sharks. They tend to make quicker movements. This was the only time I became nervous the whole trip. Actually had a sandbar come straight at me once! I got a little seasick as well because it was in the winter but the experience was well worth it and I plan on going many more times in the future. In fact, if you are an adrenaline junkie or just love sharks/ocean/marine life and do not scare easily, then I highly suggest this activity to add to your bucket list!
Our Divemaster.
Heading out. (3 miles offshore)
Jellyfish Sting Souvenir!
Hi, Michelle
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience and nice photos! I didn't know that there is a such place which can see the sharks up close in Haleiwa. I'm a little bit scared, but I want to try it. - Anna Suzuki
Thank you for sharing your experience! Honestly, I am lowkey scared of the ocean because of how there are many parts of it that are unsolved as I think about what could be out there sometimes... Thats why the only time I would probably be near a shark is when I am at the aquarium. But I totally love how you are down for the experience as it looks like you had a great time. I also like to point out that beautiful picture of the shark! The water looks so clear and beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks intense but fun, thanks for sharing. I've swum with sharks only once and they were pretty far away so when i go back home to Hawaii ill definitely check this out.
ReplyDeleteThis is insane! Swimming with sharks has always been a thought in mind when making a bucket list or something. I don't know if i'd really be up to free cage it though. Maybe one day that'll happen for me! I've been in the water surfing and have encountered a shark sighting and that was about as close as I got, gladly.
ReplyDelete