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The Sharks of Cat Island (Watch Video)

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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.greenwoodbeachresort.biz

www.sharkexplorers.com/dives/bahamas-shark-diving

www.bahamas.com


Images & text by Frogfish Photography

Equipment used:

  • Olympus OMD EM-1 MKII
  • Nikon D800
  • Nauticam Housings
  • Inon Strobes
  • Paralenz Dive Camera

Nick and Caroline (Frogfish Photography) are a married couple of conservation driven underwater photo-journalists and authors. Both have honours degrees from Manchester University, in Environmental Biology and Biology respectively, with Nick being a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a former high school science teacher with a DipEd in Teaching Studies. Caroline has an MSc in Animal Behaviour specializing in Caribbean Ecology. They are multiple award-winning photographers and along with 4 published books, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press They are the Underwater Photography and Deputy Editors at Scubaverse and Dive Travel Adventures. Winners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Photo-journalist of the Year for a feature on Shark Diving in The Bahamas, and they have been placed in every year they have entered. Nick and Caroline regularly use their free time to visit schools, both in the UK and on their travels, to discuss the important issues of marine conservation, sharks and plastic pollution. They are ambassadors for Sharks4Kids and founders of SeaStraw. They are Dive Ambassadors for The Islands of The Bahamas and are supported by Mares, Paralenz, Nauticam and Olympus. To find out more visit www.frogfishphotography.com

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Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire

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Dive Friends teaches the Instructor Development Course (IDC) several times a year to students who are eager to share their passion for diving with the world.

Dive Friends is known for the personal approach throughout the course. Their in-house course director will lead the students through every essential step, mentoring them to achieve their fullest potential as a dive instructor.

Applications for the following IDC start dates are now open:

  • 12 April
  • 5 July,
  • 20 September
  • 29 November

Partnership with Casita Palma

If the student opts for the IDC-Deluxe or IDC-Supreme package, their accommodation will be arranged for them at Casita Palma. This small and quiet resort is within walking distance from Dive Friends Bonaire’s main dive shop location and has everything you need to relax after an intense day of IDC training. Breakfast is included, so the student will always be fuelled and ready for their day.

Contact Dive Friends Bonaire’s Course Director Eddy for more information: coursedirector@divefriendsbonaire.com.

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SOMABAY: Scubaverse Trip Review (Watch Video)

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In a video created exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman visits SOMABAY in the Egyptian Red Sea to experience the diving on offer there.

Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.

Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit  www.thebreakers-somabay.com.

Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.

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Experience the Red Sea in May with Bella Eriny Liveaboard! As the weather warms up, there’s no better time to dive into the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. Join us on Bella Eriny, your premier choice for Red Sea liveaboards, this May for an unforgettable underwater adventure. Explore vibrant marine life and stunning coral reefs Enjoy comfortable accommodation in our spacious cabins Savor delicious meals prepared by our onboard chef Benefit from the expertise of our professional dive guides Visit our website for more information and to secure your spot: www.scubatravel.com/BellaEriny or call 01483 411590 More Less

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