Not just Shark Pictures:
Elasmodiver contains photos of sharks, skates, rays, and chimaera's
from around the world. It began as a simple web based field guide to
help divers find the best places to encounter different species of
sharks and rays but it has slowly evolved into a much larger project
containing information on all aspects of shark diving and
photography. There are now more than a thousand shark pictures
and sections on shark evolution, biology, and conservation. There is
a large library of reviewed shark books, a constantly outdated shark
taxonomy page, a monster list of shark links, and deeper in the site
there are numerous articles and stories about shark encounters.
Elasmodiver is now so difficult to check for updates, that new
information and pictures are listed
on an Elasmodiver Updates Page that
can be accessed here:
If you're
looking for a broader range of marine life pictures the following
links represent a new area that contains pictures on other marine
organisms and on marine habitats. This expansion of Elasmodiver is
in its first stages but will eventually include pages on everything
from sea stars to nudibranches. Creating this portal will take time
and for now it consists of a token offering of fish pictures. Please
return regularly to enjoy the progress.
Encounter: Tiger sharks,
Great hammerhead sharks, Lemon sharks, Bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and
possibly Black tips, nurse sharks, and more. This is probably the most dynamic
shark adventure in existence. Most of the diving is conducted in blue water and
involves copious amounts of chum being poured into the water to form a chum
slick that attracts large sharks for miles around. Once a large Hammerhead or
Tiger shark arrives, divers are invited to enter the water and hang on lines
suspended from the swim step close to the chum. Its possible to get very close
to the sharks and the photographic opportunities are unparalleled. The ever
present Caribbean reef sharks can get quite aggressive towards divers that are
near the bait, but the larger Tigers and Hammerheads tend to be skittish and
avoid close contact. Some encounters are organized on the reef itself and then
lemons and Bulls are also seen.
The sharks are never absent completely but the Tigers and
Hammerheads which are the big ticket species are not always present. I was lucky
to see a couple of Tigers and 4 Hammerheads during an 8 day trip and I have
heard of divers seeing a dozen or more Tigers at a site named Tiger Beach. One
diver recently told me that he was unable to get close to any Tigers in one week
of diving so like many other dives luck is a factor in the overall experience.
Operators: Jim and Anna
Abernethy run dedicated shark trips to the outer reefs of the Bahamas aboard
their liveaboard dive boat the Shearwater. The trips last for around one week
during which they move from one site to the next opportunistically diving with
whatever sharks show up. Jim is an energetic host that delights in getting close
to big animals underwater and Anna is charming and just as enthusiastic as her
husband. Nitrox is available onboard.
Accommodation: The
Shearwater's bunks may not be the most luxurious of sleeping
quarters but in rough seas they are just what you need to avoid being thrown out
of bed during the night. Overall when running at full capacity the boat is a
little cramped especially if most of the divers are photographers but the
underwater opportunities vastly outweigh these minor inconveniences. The food is
excellent and seems to flow continuously from the galley even in the roughest
weather.
Directions:
The Shearwater runs out of Palm Beach, Florida. Generally guests sleep on the
crossing the first night and clear Bahamian immigration the next morning then
continue on to whichever area weather conditions permit.
