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SK Ph: 306-651-7277 "We deliver to Martensville, Warman, and surrounding area."
Where in the World? Shark Diving in the Bahamas
Submitted by Dean Johnston
I think I first began
questioning the idea when
I peered over the side of
the boat into the clear blue
waters of the Bahamas
and saw the large group of
shadows slowly circling
the ladder. On the one hand,
I was already fully geared
up in my wetsuit and scuba
equipment,
underwater
camera at the ready. On
the other, there really were
a lot of sharks down there,
all of which seemed to be
rather ominously awaiting
my arrival. Of course,
logically I knew that was
the whole point. This was,
after all, the famous Bimini
shark feed, a popular daily
ritual involving a number
of divers, a perfectly
suited rock wall theatre
about 20 metres below the
surface, large ropes full of
tasty chum ready to be sent
down, and a couple dozen
sharks gleefully looking
forward to a delicious
afternoon
snack. We
had all been vigorously
assured that it would
involve mostly reef sharks
and that it had been “quite
some time since there had
been any problems” so
we should feel perfectly
safe although, just to be
on the safe side, they
would strongly suggest
we remain motionless on
the ocean floor, follow the
guide’s instructions at all
times and, whatever else we
did, not move our hands or
feet around in any way that
might make them resemble
food. Nonetheless, these
meagre assurances didn’t
make it any easier to jump
in.
Now, since I am currently
typing this with thankfully
intact
hands,
you’ve
probably already guessed
that it all worked out fine.
Actually, it turned out to be
one of our most memorable
diving experiences and,
while the shark feed
was certainly one of the
highlights, it was just
one of more than twenty
dives we experienced on
our seven-day live-aboard
scuba diving trip with
Blackbeard’s Cruises. We
set sail out of Miami, spent
a night crossing the Florida
Strait, then visited the
Berry and Bimini Islands
of the Bahamas before
returning to the mainland,
satisfyingly
tired
and
uncomfortably pruned.
We were joined by twentyone other divers and six
crew members on a 65-
foot sailboat which, even if
math isn’t your strong suit,
tells you there wasn’t a lot
of spare room. Nonetheless,
the boat, the system and the
crew were all pretty efficient
at helping 29 strangers coexist in perpetual motion.
The weather could have
been better, as it stayed
fairly cool and windy most
of the week, although
we were lucky enough
not to have any serious
seasickness
problems
despite experiencing our fair
share of rolling seas. There
was one morning when I
failed to keep my breakfast
down, although I’m pretty
sure that had as much to do
with an excess of rum the
previous night as it did with
seasickness.
Our only respite from the
relentless rise and fall of
the sea came during a pair
of overnight shore docks
and the occasional stop at
a sheltered beach where we
could actually pretend to be
in the Caribbean for an hour
or two. Far more of our time
was spent grimacing and
cursing while we rapidly
stripped, then shimmied
back into our damp, cold
wetsuits as the bitter wind
cut right through us while my
nipples did their best to cut
ABOVE: Our floating home.
through three millimetres of
neoprene. Petty complaints
aside, however, it was an
incredible and eminently
memorable week. The
diving was absolutely
spectacular,
featuring
several varieties of sharks,
plus eagle rays, sea turtles,
giant groupers, barracuda,
fantastic coral, and the
usual fascinating schools of
smaller fish. Very few dive
locations, before or since,
have been able to compare
in either variety or volume.
All in all, between all the
great people, the
fantastic crew, the
stellar diving and
the
incomparable
Bahamian scenery,
this was definitely an
amazing experience
that I hope to repeat
at some point in the
future.
to hang out there, and b) to
enjoy heated discussions
on the meaning of the word
“compleat”.
2.
You may have
to share a six foot square
room with another couple,
but you will still have two
hooks so it will be okay to
bring both your hats.
3.
Desolate
and
deserted Gun Caye is
allegedly used as an illegal
drug drop, not to mention
home to three rather
unfriendly goats.
4.
Lesson learned:
never leave a toilet bowl
full on a violently rocking
boat.
5.
The End of the