Shark Feeding techniques

SHARK FEEDING TECHNIQUES

Great Hammerhead feeding on a line A shark Wrangler Shark Feeder using a pole

READ THIS DISCLAIMER: Feeding sharks is an inherently dangerous activity which should not be undertaken without sufficient professional training. Even after such training it is possible to be seriously injured or die as a result of shark feeding activities. The information contained within Elasmodiver is not intended as a replacement for training by a qualified agency and is presented merely as an introduction to the styles of shark feeds that take place and the ethics and politics surrounding the sport.

Shark feeding techniques vary from operation to operation. Often the style of the feed is dictated by the species of sharks in attendance. Other factors include the experience level of the feeder and whether it is an organized feed for the public or an impromptu feed to obtain specific footage or information.

Chumming for Sharks instead of Shark Feeding

There is no doubt that feeding sharks changes their behavior. Repeatedly feeding sharks can cause them to become expectant of a handout whenever humans are around. This sometimes leads to sharks harassing divers that have no food and no desire to interact with them. Perhaps some sharks lose their ability to hunt naturally but it is unlikely that such highly evolved predators would become this conditioned unless they were fed consistently and in sufficient quantities that they never needed to hunt on their own. Even well fed sharks held in captivity occasionally go on hunting sprees, picking off their smaller tank mates between feeds.

The fact remains that if we are able to attract sharks without feeding them then the sharks are far less likely to become conditioned. The best way to do this is to pour some kind of chum into the water that will attract the sharks without actually satisfying their appetites.

Chum (or burley) may consist of all manner of food stuffs but generally the main ingredient is fish blood and/or ground up fish scraps. It is slowly ladled (or allowed to drip) into the water spreading the flavor of dying of dead fish far and wide. This excites the sharks and causes them to follow the scent towards the boat but once there they find no reward and after a few exploratory passes they continue on their journey.

Lowering Bait Crates

Another way to attract sharks without filling their stomachs is to lower milk crates or other sturdy containers into the water that are filled with fish parts. The bobbing action of the boat tends to stir up the scraps allowing very small quantities to escape downstream. One advantage of using this method is that the sharks have a specific target on which to concentrate their attention (compared to the chum slick created by the ladling method). This means that photographers or divers can either avoid the crates and swim outside the sharks field of interest or alternatively hold onto the ropes suspending the crates (especially handy in a strong current) so that they are well positioned to get the shot. Of course the closer they choose to put themselves to the crates the more dangerous their predicament becomes.

Shark Wrangling

This method of bringing sharks towards the boat involves tossing out fish with a line tied through the gills or eye sockets. This will result in attendant sharks chasing the fish directly towards the boat until the fish is pulled out of the water at the last minute. It may seem like a way of teasing the sharks but in their natural environment they would also not always manage to strike the prey that they go after.

Although wrangling limits the amount of food that the sharks receive, they invariably manage to take the bait sooner or later so this is definitely a form of shark feeding.

Photographers have two ways to take advantage of shark wrangling. They can get quite interesting surface shots from the deck of the boat or they can use a pole cam (a camera suspended just below the water) to get very close feeding shots. The benefit being that there is little danger for the photographer. A rather more precarious way to utilize shark wrangling is to hang from the swim step where the bait will pass by on its way out of the water. This is not the smartest place to be considering how fast the shark is likely to traveling in its pursuit of the bait.

The Chumsicle Feed

Pioneered by Walkers Key in the Bahamas, the chumsicle consists of a giant popsicle made of frozen fish scraps. This is lowered into the water once the divers have settled onto the seabed out of harms way. The sharks then attack the block of food as they would a bait ball or large floating carcass. The action around the chumsicle can be quite intense especially if many reef sharks are in attendance. They will compete fiercely for the food and rip away chunks as fast as possible before it is completely consumed by their fellow sharks.

Generally the divers are completely ignored and once the sharks have devoured the food they disperse or hang around on the periphery. Comically the divers often then rush in to perform their own 'feeding frenzy' competing for sharks teeth that usually get dislodged during the feed.

Although the chumsicle shark feed can present a good spectacle for divers and photographers, visibility often becomes poor once the frenzy heats up and lots of scraps are floating around. Also snappers and other local fish that are used to the feeds will congregate in such numbers that a clear shot of the sharks often becomes impossible.

Pole Feeding and Hand Feeding Sharks

There are endless ways to hand feed sharks. Most feeders wear some form of chain mail to avoid bites. This can range from simple gauntlets, to full sleeves, to complete chain mail or even Kevlar suits. I have seen divers hand feeding sharks without gloves and I have even been to official shark feeds where the gloveless feeder is only expecting nurse sharks to show up but wearing some kind of protection is generally accepted.

Some feeders prefer to attach the fish scraps onto the end of a pole to add some distance between themselves and the sharks. This is obviously a prudent thing to do but it means that the shark has to chomp down on a steal rod to get the food. This isn't ideal for the shark or for the photographer looking for a more natural looking feeding shot. Experienced feeders will sometimes hold the bait between their gloved fingers and lead the shark forward (right over the photographers lens) letting go at the last minute and withdrawing their arm from the photographers field of view. This can result in some extremely dramatic images.

In organized hand feeding dives the spectators are prepped beforehand on correct etiquette. Generally they are asked to kneel in a line or large semi circle around the feeder. This can result in some thrilling close passes as the sharks converge on the feeder.

Freestyle Shark Feeds

Get a bunch of shark crazy photographers aboard a boat, give them a bucket of fish, and wait to see what happens. On some dive boats where experienced divers are looking for close encounters there may be lots of different shark encounters going on at once. Looking around on one recent dive in the Bahamas I could see two photographers patiently waiting on the sand next to some fallen bait while a third photographer was manically waving a fish around. Turning back to the boat I spotted a diver literally sitting on a suspended bait crate and to top it off their was a videographer hanging onto the swim step while a topside diver pulled a roped fish over his head. Six or seven Lemon Sharks were busy vacuuming up whatever was offered while a Tiger Shark nervously skirted the edges of the party mostly out of sight. Nobody died. In fact, looking at each diver individually no one was really even in that much danger other than the 'human polecam' up on the swim step.

Spear Fishing while Feeding Sharks.

Probably the most dangerous addition to any feed is a spear gun. The struggling vibrations emanating from dying or wounded fish on the end of a spear will cause any sharks present to become a lot more agitated. And, agitated sharks are unpredictable. Also, think about the impact that spearing fish has on the environment. Commercial fishermen are going to kill fish regardless of whether the leftovers will be used to supply a shark feed so whenever possible try to use the bi products of normal fishing activities rather than adding to the carnage.