Join DiveBuddy.com

Meet new scuba divers, maintain a virtual dive log, participate in our forum, share underwater photos, research dive sites and more. Members login here.

#131
Best Shark Diving in the World: Australia
AquaSportsInc - 10/16/2007 11:20 AM
Category: Travel
Replies: 2

Australia is best known in the diving world for the Great Barrier Reef. But, over the past decades, commercial diving, boating and fishing have eroded much of the reef to a deplorable state. Now the most pristine reef in all of Australia lies in remote Western Australia, which has not currently been overrun by commercial activity. This secluded reef is home to perhaps the most beautiful coral and abundant sea life on the planet. This underwater paradise is called Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo reef skirts the edge of Western Australia, from Shark Bay in the North to the peninsula of Cape Range. Two towns within this area, Coral Bay and Exmouth, provide the origin points for most diving in that area. The reef itself ranges between 650 feet from the coast to about 4 miles from shore. Every March/April the coral spawns on Ningaloo, and it attracts the largest congregation of filter-feeding sharks in the world: the whale shark. At lengths of up to 44 feet, the whale shark is both the largest and most majestic fish in the ocean. Whale sharks are the largest cold-blooded animal in the world, and the species is said to be over 60 million years old. Their mouths are large and very impressive as they can be almost 5 feet wide on a single shark. But even the inexperienced diver has very little to worry about with this wonderful creature. Because they only eat plankton and other small organisms, they pose no real danger to humans, unless they accidentally bump a diver with their large tail fins. They are also very slow swimmers and do not travel faster than about 3 miles per hour. These sharks, in fact, are often interactive with divers and are considered to be quite playful with humans. Select dive specialists can bring divers up close and personal with these gentle giants to experience the best whale shark encounter on the planet.
#556
urbaneve - 10/16/2007 1:39 PM
my very first dive as a certified diver ended up being a shark encounter. there was about 20 of us in the water and the captian dove down and tied off the boat, came up and told us there was a manta and a 300lb jew fish, so while everyone was checking that out, i was chasing a flounder and when i looked up about 10 feet from was a 9 ft bull shark. she circled me about 3 time and went about her business. it was the most awsome thing i hve ever encountered in my life. i am dying to do a shark dive now.
#131
Subscribed
AquaSportsInc - 10/17/2007 10:41 AM
A shark dive is one of the most exhilarting dives. Even if you aren`t a shark fanatic, there`s something really awesome about being in the water with these creatures.