Great White Shark Econuters

How it Started:

Our great white sharks trips to Guadalupe Island are an opportunity for anyone, divers and non-divers alike, to experience cage diving with these magnificent apex predators. You will get the full luxury liveaboard dive experience on the Nautilus Explorer from virtually unlimited dive times to air conditioned staterooms with private ensuite bathrooms to a sparkling clear hot tub, hot showers in the privacy of your stateroom whenever you want to the exceptional service levels that we are famous for right down to an extensive wine list and selection of microbrew and single malt scotches. We promise that this is an experience that you will never forget! Our first white shark expedition was in September, 2005 when Doc Anes of San Diego Shark Diving chartered the Nautilus Explorer to voyage down to Guadalupe Island. The Nautilus was custom built for just this sort of adventure and the experience was incredible and vastly exceeded our expectations. We anticipated long slicks of smelly blood and chum and with an occassional white shark showing up to bash against the cages before taking off into the blue again. Instead, a constant stream of animals appeared from the time the first cage went in the water until sunset. We sometimes even had 2 or 3 sharks off the back of the boat at one time and the longest that we went without seeing any sharks was 30 minutes. The sharks didn't bash the cages or attempt to bite the divers although these really, REALLY big sharks often examined our divers from extremely close up (something that is definitely a "life experience"). The photography opportunities were amazing and we experienced a real shift in perspective as it became clear that the white sharks are a highly intelligent, graceful, beautiful and curious species with each animal displaying it's own unique personality. Some of the white sharks would hang out with us for an entire morning while other animals (notably "Shredder", "Bruce", and "Chica") would come by to visit every day that we were on site. We are also amazed to find that it took less than 40kg of bait and "scent" (a delightful medley of chum, blood, sardines and tuna oil au jour) each day to bring the great white sharks in to the back of the Nautilus Explorer.

The Experience:

Diving with the great white sharks of Guadalupe Island is an extraordinary experience. Shark sightings are reliable and fairly predictable. When the surface conditions are calm (which is most of the time) the animals will start coming by sometime after dawn with a steady stream of visitors for most of the day. We see the most animals in the morning and then again shortly before sunset. We have noticed that visits are few and far between when it gets windy and there are whitecaps on the surface. Luckily our anchorage at Guadalupe Island is very protected with a total of only 7 windy and gusty days during our 2006 shark season. The water is always very "blue" and the visibility is usually at least 100 feet. This is not a place where you will find yourself banging around in a rocking cage peering out into the green water!! The conditions are almost always superb.

Divers use surface supplied air (hookah) rather than scuba which means you do not have to be an experienced scuba diver to get in the water with these great white sharks. Cage time will be virtually unlimited for most of your trip with the boat record currently at 31.5 hours in the water over 3 days! Non-divers and even supervised kids are welcome to join us - 5 year old Charlie Lever and 7 year old Emily Lever lobbied long and hard to get in the water with great white sharks and ended up having 3 fabulous days of diving with them in September 2007. Guests are accomodated in (4) cages with a maximum of 3 observers per cage. (2) of the cages are attached to the waterlevel swim platform at the stern of the Nautilus and are exceptionally easy to enter and exit. And the (2) 360&deg view cages trail from overside booms 15 feet off each side of the ship. Our cages were designed by a naval architect and built at a proper shipyard with your safety in mind. They are really comfortable and especially well suited for photography with wraparound viewing ports allowing an unobstructed view without annoying corner posts.


Itinerary:

DAY 1 - Arrive either San Diego, California or Tijuana, Mexico to being your adventure with great white sharks! We will have a hospitality suite available in both cities and available after 1pm. "Meet and greet" wiht one of our staffmembers in the late afternoon and transfer to the ship in Ensenada by chartered highway coach. The trip itinerary and transfer should be seamless - the driving time from San Diego to Tijuana is 1 hour and then it's another 75 minutes of driving time to our berth in Ensenada. Evening departure and overnight run to Guadalupe Island. The Nautilus Explorer is a heavy, steel, stabalized ship and the downhill run in open ocean should be quite comfortable.

DAY 2 - At sea. Welcome aboard safety briefing. Presentation on Guadalupe grea white sharks. Afternoon video and cocktail hour. Arrival at our sheltered anchorage at Guadalupe Island just before dinner time. We will put our shark cages in the water tonight and start the chum slick which will then be maintained for the next 3 days.

DAY 3 - Cages open for diving at 0630. Shoreline expeditions via inflatable at 0715 and 1500 to check out the local populations of elephant seals, Guadalupe fur seals, California sealions and even the odd feral cat! We will wrap the diving at sunset and finish the day with a crab feast on the hot-tub deck under the Mexican sky.

DAY 4 - Cages open for diving from 0630 until sunset. As Captain Mike always says "you can't see the sharks if you are not in the water". This isn't strictly true as the surface action with the white sharks can be almost as thrilling as being in the cages. Plus we will also have an underwater "shark cam" setup and constantly playing on the 42" plasma screen in the main salon.

DAY 5 - Our last dive day unfortunately. So sad. This is your last chance to beat the record of 31.5 hours of cage time over 3 dive days!! The diving will wrap at 5pm today and then it will be time to steam back to Ensenada. The seas will likely be an ocean swell of 6 feet or so which is relatively comfortable in a heavy, smooth riding ship like the Nautilus Explorer. Or course sometimes it will also be flat calm.

DAY 6 - Morning slideshow of the trip's highlights with copies for everyone to take home. Pre-breakfast, breakfast, snack and lunch (nobody ever goes hungry on the Nautilus Explorer!) arriving in Ensenada at approximately 1:30pm for port clearance and coach transfers back to Tijuana and San Diego.


What's Included:

On the Nautilus Explorer you get virtually unlimited diving on these trips (the boat record is 31.5 hours of cage time over 3 dive days), cozy staterooms with side-by-side beds, private heads with showers, and central air conditioning that delivers three air changes every hour. Lower deck cabins have their own portholes, while the larger hot tub deck executive suites have large windows and outside doors. We feature very high service levels from our friendly and enthusiastic staff, imaginative and fresh 4-star cuisine (our guests are pretty unanimous in raving about the food we serve) and a spotlessly clean ship maintained to the highest standards (Lloyds Register). Baked goods are always fresh from our ovens, there is always a snack basket, fruit bowl and bakery basket left out for nibbling on as wel as pop, non-alcoholic beverages and sterilized, chlorinated water. Not included with your trip fees are gift shop purchases, bar charges (we have a FANTASTIC ship's bar onboard with 36 different kinds of beer, 11 single malt scotches, more than 50 different wines to choose from, etc), crew gratuities (typically USD200 - 300 per person) and a cash port fee of USD65 payable at the end of your trip.

Price: 2,850.00 USD

To reserve your place: Deposit of 25% and the rest 90 days before departure.

WHALE SHARK ENCOUNTERS

Contoy Island, México july 10th to 12th

Cost 1 day: 165.00 USD
Cost 2 days: 320.00 USD
Cost 3 days: 460.00 USD

The whale shark is the largest living shark and biggest fish in our oceans. Whale sharks are found in warm tropical waters where the water temp is often around 27oc. The northern penninsula of Yucatan, Mexico attracts the sharks on a yearly basis from the months of june through to september for a plankton feeding fest.

The waters located at 45mins from north Cancun are very rich in plantkton whale sharks, manta rays and dolphin. In the summer months this is one of the best places in the world to view and snorkel with the gentle giants.

The whale shark is a filter feeder. It swims with its mouth open ‘sucking' in the food from the surface or just below. This fact makes snorkeling the ideal activity to watch these animals in their true beauty.

The sharks can reach lengths up to 35ft and weigh as much as 12 tons, they have a pattern of lines and spots in their skin that enables them to blend wth their surroundings. In the summer months we can view up to 30 whale sharks on a daily basis, they are there to eat!

Every year from may is possible to see these wonderful species that let the lovers of the seas enjoy this natural show. When the sharks whales come out to feed themselves of plankton these really big fishes scare and contrast with their peaceful attitude. This make us feel a unique sensation of the beauties and mysteries that the ocean world gives.

What the price includes?
Snorkeling with the whale sharks going out from Cancún, lunch and snorkel equipment.

What is not inlcude?
Air and land transportation, hotel, meals and tips.

Can we help you with your hotel reservations?
Yes. At the moment you decide in booking the trip with us we can arrange some hotel reservations as well.

What do I have to do to book my trip?
Pay 50% percent of the package to reserve your place and the other 50% before june 15th.

Is it sure that we wll see whale sharks?
We have 98% of posibilities to find the Whale Sharks, However we can not guarantee you this fact, that is why we always suggest to to book at least two days.

Where are we going?
Our tour takes you around 5-10 miles north of Isla Contoy. Boat time is around 1hr.

How many sharks will we see?
On a good day 10, on an excellent day up to 20.

What else can we see?
Manta rays and dolphins are common in July and August. In the lagoon side of Isla Contoy lots of turtles. Sorry folks, no bull tiger or hammerhead sharks!

Do I have to be a certificated scuba diver?
It is only snorkeling so, no, you dont´ have to be a certificated scuba diver.

How long is the tour?
The tour starts at 8am leaving Dreams Hotel in Cancun returning between 2-3pm

How long do we get to be with the sharks?
Around three hours is the norm, this is enough or several swims per person (2 only plus guide). Then around midday the sharks go deeper due to the afternoon sun.

How deep is the water? What about temp and visibility?
The snorkeling area is aprox 70ft deep, the visibility is between 20-30ft due to the plankton and water temp is around 81f in july and up to 84f in august.

What do we bring?
Bring long sleeve t shirts, towel, camera, sunscreen, skin for snorkeling, wet suit and a hat

Food and drinks?
We provide sandwiches, fresh fruit (grapes, apples & bananas), juices, plenty of cold water & sodas. It'll be a great day!

Seasickness?
We advise to take a Dramamine or equivalent 45min before departure just in case. The boat is very good through the waves and the summer months are the calmest seas.

Children?
Kids under 8 years old will find it hard to snorkel with the sharks. When the shark is eating it is almost motionless and sometimes it's a little hard to keep up.

Tiger Shark and Great Hammerhead Shark Diving

Shark Encounter Expedition
December 5-12
Tiger Shark and Great Hammerhead Shark Diving

Tiger Beach Bahamas.

Tiger Beach was discovered in the late '80's by Captain Scott Smith. The area was referred to him by salvage divers who had found at least two different wrecks. These old wrecks are both within a half mile of each other in five to ten feet of water. There used to be cannons lying on the reef, but they are gone now. In certain spots you can still find cannon balls and lead shot.

This area has a shallow reef bar located a quarter of mile from the deep water drop off. Lying inshore from the reef bar are more bars, some with sand that look like a beach. These bars are some of the shallowest bars around and make a comfortable place to anchor at night. The reef bar is made for some excellent shallow snorkeling and diving. The south tip has some large ledges where Loggerhead turtles sleep under.

This half square mile area has been known for years as the Dry Bar. Recently it was renamed to Tiger Beach because it is a convenient and pretty place to feed Tiger Sharks.

Tiger Sharks

Tiger Sharks are known as one of the many man-eaters, mostly in the Pacific Ocean. Our experience shows that the Pacific Tigers may be more aggressive than Atlantic Tigers. Mostly our Bahama Tiger seems to be very cautious and a slow feeder. They seem to be the most aggressive while feeding on the surface. They feed themselves on the surface with birds, carcases and trash, in the shallow water they do it with turtles, rays and lobsters.

Tiger sharks are readily available in the shallow waters of the Little Bahama Bank. Tiger sharks, elusives and usually solitary species, are nocturnal. They come inshore at night to feed, and retreat offshore during the day. Reaching lengths in excess of 24-feet, most individuals encountered by divers range between 8 and 12-feet in length.

Great Hammerhead

Great hammerheads are less frequent and require more patience. They appear mostly in the fall and winter, November thru March when we run our exclusive shark trips to feed these large top predators. Great hammerhead sharks, recognized by their hammer-shaped head and tall, pointed dorsal fin, can reach lengths of 20-feet, but most individuals encountered by divers are between 10 and 14-feet in length. Feeding primarily at dusk, great hammerheads are considered a fierce predator.

Conditions

Shark dives occur at depths from 15 to 40-feet, often there is a slight current running. Due to the nature of the activity, and the geographic diving conditions it is recommended to be an experienced and certified Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent) with both drift and deep diving. Prior to any diving with sharks, you will get a safety briefing regarding to dive and basic shark behavior, as well as emergency procedures.

It is important to remember that sharks are wild animals in complete control of the encounters. Although The Dream Team manages a high success rate, we cannot guarantee shark encounters. Shark expeditions require patience and flexibility. Weather can also change the destination of the M/V . Dolphin Dream.

The platform for your Great Hammerhead and Tiger shark expeditions is the M/V Dolphin Dream, a 8-foot expedition trawler vessel with full amenities and safety equipment including camera facilities.

Price: 2950.00 USD per person.

Includes: Six days of diving, meals, soft drinks, tanks and weights.

Not included: Transport land and air, nitrox, alcoholic beverages, equipment and unspecified.

To reserve your place:
Deposit of 500.00 dollars.
Rest must be given 90 days before our departure date.

The nearest airport is the International Airport in Florida, via Miami.