Diving With Great White Sharks
Guadalupe, Mexico
I finally got the chance to fulfill my boyhood dream of diving with Great White sharks last week in Guadalupe, Mexico. It was a benefit charter for the Historical Diving Society and we had some very special guests on board, including the legendary underwater photographer, Ernie Brooks. I have been SCUBA diving since 1999, but I only recently got into underwater photography and videography over the last 6 years. If you are a novice or have less than 100 dives, I strongly urge you to focus on your diving. The camera can be a distraction and you have to get used to checking your life support system on a regular basis, stay close to your buddy, communicate with them, AND operate a camera underwater. You need to develop this multitasking over time and I strongly urge safety above all else. That being said, let's dive into this adventure, shall we?
Getting there is a trek in itself. You have to fly to San Diego, and then a 2.5 hour bus ride to Ensenada, where the Nautilus Explorer departs from the marina. As the bus arrives in Ensenada, the boat crew greets us with champagne and blueberries to welcome us aboard. The Nautilus Belle Aimee is an excellent dive boat. It has luxurious accommodations, a very knowledgeable crew and excellent food. There's also a hot tub on the top deck, which is a nice experience after a day of diving in the 72 degree water. As we settle into my cabin for the night, I dream of sharks and bait balls.
The next day is a travel day, as we continue to head towards Isla de Guadalupe. There are plenty of camera tables on the boat, and I spend the afternoon prepping my gear for the next day. I am using my Sony RX100 Mark 4 in an Ikelite housing for both video and stills, and a Sony PXWX70 with the 4K upgrade, plus a couple of GoPros for extra angles and time-lapse shots.
There are a total of 5 shark cages on our boat. 2 surface cages and 3 deep cages. My first dive is in a deep cage suspended at 10 meters. I didn't know what to expect, so my emotions ranged between a bit of anxiety and excitement. Once I saw the first shark come out of the blue and cruise by the cage, I was simply in awe. The sharks simply cruised by, and I was surprised how calming the whole experience was for me. I think that a lot of the fear and anxiety is from exaggerated Hollywood movies, which are far from the reality of sharks and our relationship with them.
Diving in the surface cage is a completely different experience. First of all, the cage is bouncing up and down in the swells, so you really have to watch your head, because it's easy to smash it on the bars, especially when you are focused on framing your shot and getting a good picture. The exciting part is watching the Great Whites go for the bait, which is a Tuna head or chunk. Seeing a Great White annihilate the bait is an awesome sight. They are much more lively and sometimes they swim right up to the cage and turn away at the last second, making for some great opportunities for dynamic shots of the sharks in action.
For next 3 days we are blessed with plenty of sharks, good visibility, great photos and excellent diving. It's also a privilege and an honor to be able to dive with legends in the SCUBA diving world. Ernie Brooks, Dan Orr, Nancy McGee, and many others. In the evenings, we watch presentations on shark biology and receive a visit from local shark researchers, who use our photographs for shark identification. It's an honor and a privilege to be able to contribute to shark research and aid in conservation efforts.
Guadalupe has a raw beauty that you have to visit to appreciate. It's only inhabitants are pinnipeds, the Mexican military, a few fishermen and shark biologists. The Great Whites migrate between Guadalupe and Hawaii, and some of the tagged sharks have been found to migrate as far as the Indian Ocean. We still know very little about these fascinating predators. Seeing them in their element was awe-inspiring and created a much deeper respect for sharks.
I came home with plenty of wonderful stories, made new friends, and a made deeper connection with the ocean. Of course, now comes the process of editing all of the raw footage. Follow me as Dallas Surfers Club on YouTube and you will be able to find my videos there. See you in the water.
-Jacques Star
About the Creator
Jacques Star
Jacques Star is a freelance content creator and producer. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas, and travels worldwide on new and interesting adventures.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.