Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

Cat Island is the last safe haven for oceanic whitetip sharks.

Just 200 yards off the southeastern shoreline of Cat Island, the shallow coast descends into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Beneath the surface, the boundary between your field of view and the infiniteness of the ocean varies. But from every direction, the water is like a glassy wall—everything is visible, including the particles in the water and the light rays dancing and decorating the water column. Beyond the border is the haziness and eeriness of the unknown, a dark blue abyss from which deadly predators emerge. This is the type of environment most people would gladly avoid, but in Cat Island, it is the exact location many divers seek out between March and June. It’s the prime habitat for one of the world’s most threatened apex predators: oceanic whitetip sharks.

Cat Island is the last safe haven for globally threatened oceanics. These inquisitive pelagic sharks live in the blue abyss and emerge from the ocean’s depths to scavenge their prey on the surface by following schools of baitfish (tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi) that migrate through The Bahamas.

Sharks Here, Sharks There

“If there is one thing I love about Cat Island, it is the predictability of the sharks,” reported underwater photographer Andy Murch in a 2018 shark diving report. “The oceanic whitetips that inhabit this deepwater region of The Bahamas have become a menace for sport fishermen that are trying to land their fish. As soon as the sharks hear
a fishing boat engine, they race in and steal the struggling tuna before it can be hauled out of the water. Consequently, once we reach our favorite shark spot, all we have to do is chum and rev the engines of the dive boat as if we have a fish on. The oceanic whitetip sharks show up like clockwork.”

Capt. Renald Butler, the owner of Bowleg Fishing Charters, knows the trick very well. For several years, he was the local captain of the dive boat for Epic Diving, an international dive company running seasonal expeditions out of Cat Island. He also dove with the sharks.

“At first, when I started, I was skittish of them,” says Butler, who has been diving in Cat Island since childhood. Oceanics have a reputation of being vicious sharks dating back to
the 1940s when a U.S. Navy ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Oceanics are believed to have ravaged hundreds of sailors left marooned in the sea, earning it a reputation as one of the “deadliest mass shark attacks in history.”

Gentle Giants?

The International Shark Attack File (ISAF) maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History ranks the oceanic sixth in their global database of shark attacks for the number of unprovoked fatalities. There are only three verified incidents in ISAF’s history between 1580 to the present. It ranks 16th for non-fatal unprovoked attacks with seven. Butler says he saw another side to oceanics while diving with them at Cat Island. “They are not the vicious sharks’ people make them out to be. I dove with them and have seen people rub them down like you are petting a dog.”

To bring the oceanics to the boat, Butler also makes the engines sound like they got a catch. “The sharks love that,” he says. “Once they hear the sound of that engine, they are
coming up to the top to see what’s going on. We wait until we see the sharks and then we jump into the water. This water could be eighty to ninety feet or thousands of feet deep. With the boat and sound of the engine, I’ve brought them into fifteen feet of water.”

Overfished

Oceanics are one of the most threatened species. Their global populations shrank from long-line fishing, outlawed in The Bahamas in 1993. Today, The Bahamas is a pillar of shark conservation. The entire country is a shark sanctuary by law and permanently protects more than 40 shark species in approximately 243,244 square miles (630 square kilometers) of the country’s waters.

“The sharks are really important in the localized area where they are, but they are also affected by threats that can be global,” says Catherine Kilduff, senior attorney at the U.S. Center for Biodiversity. “For example, changes in ocean conditions due to climate change can affect sharks locally. The biggest impact of having sharks locally is that
they can keep local ecosystems healthier. If you are going to maintain healthy dive locations, you want to protect the sharks there.”

Diving With Oceanic White Tips

Diving with oceanic whitetip sharks is different from most other shark species in The Bahamas because it is an open-ocean drift dive, best tried, according to some experts, with previous shark diving experience and specialized training. “You need extremely good buoyancy skills to dive with oceanics,” says Murch, who is also chief executive officer and expedition leader at Big Fish Expeditions. “You are not able to drop down on the sand and compose yourself. If you drop down in Cat Island, you just keep going. There are potentially aggressive sharks which require a level of composure and experience so you can read the sharks.”

Only a handful of local and international companies lead shark dives off Cat Island,
including the Dive Shop at Greenwood Beach Resort and Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center on North Bimini. Big Fish Expeditions and Epic Diving bring divers to The Bahamas seasonally.

The country’s other most famous shark dives take place year-round in shallow water. Divers spend most of their time on the sandy seabed, passively interacting with the sharks. They kneel in a stationary circle as sharks gracefully cruise by to secure tasty fish heads dished out by professional shark feeders.

Deep Blue

On a Cat Island shark dive, you might see land above the water, but not the seabed below. “There is no real bottom,” says Watson. “You are diving in one of the deepest parts of The Bahamas.” Cat Island sits on a continental shelf and has more than 20 miles of wall diving that starts around 40 feet deep at its shallowest spot and drops off to approximately 3,000 feet.

In addition to the uniqueness of the ocean, Cat Island is no ordinary island. It is more remote and underdeveloped than the other popular shark diving islands of Bimini, Grand
Bahama and Nassau.

“The diving is more advanced and the location is more advanced,” says Watson. “There is no Hilton hotel on Cat Island. Cruise ships don’t go there. It’s a little wilder, and the sharks and the fish around Cat Island are more indicative of that Out Island experience.”

Even though diving with oceanics is very different than other shark dives, divers have had sightings of many other species while in search of oceanics, including blue marlins, mahi-mahi, and tuna as well as hammerheads, tiger sharks, blue sharks, silky sharks, reef sharks, dusky sharks, and blacktips.

By Noelle Nicolls, Southern Boating May 2019

Reflecting on Sharks in the Northeast

Sharks in the Northeast

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

That famous quote, uttered by Chief Brody (Roy Schneider) to Capt. Quint (Robert Shaw) in the 1975 movie thriller Jaws serves as a catch-all phrase for being under-gunned. Last summer along the northeast coast, however, it seemed more appropriate than ever in several instances when great white sharks plucked distressed stripers and tuna from the ends of anglers’ lines.

From the Cape Cod surf on out to the Hudson Canyon waters that straddle New York and New Jersey, there were more reports of hooked trophies gobbled by sharks last summer than at any time in recent memory. Such reports numbered in the dozens from surf casters, and one offshore angler claimed a 400-pound tuna was taken in a single bite. Another reported feeling two “bumps” before his line, with an estimated 200- pound bluefin battling at the end suddenly went slack in the vicinity of the Coimbra wreck. Five minutes later, a huge great white appeared parallel to the port side, 50 yards of fishing line trailing from its mouth. The highly experienced offshore skipper estimated the shark’s length at 18 feet.

The summer of 2018 also witnessed several shark attacks involving swimmers. Two confirmed incidents came from Long Island, New York, and two more occurred in Massachusetts. The Long Island attacks were attributed to sand tiger sharks, less dangerous than larger great whites, but that didn’t quiet any nerves.

All this begs the question: Are we seeing more and larger sharks invade northeast waters or simply hearing more about such incidents due to 24/7 news coverage?

“We’ve seen subtle increases in the great white population since they became a protected species in the late 1990s,” says Dr. Gregory B. Skomal, a fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and a leading shark expert. “There’s anecdotal evidence for a growing population; spotter planes are seeing them, anglers are reporting encounters, and we’ve tagged over 150 off the coast of Massachusetts alone. I’m not surprised they’re showing up amongst Long Island’s tuna fleet or even in close to shore.”

Skomal points out that a large great white is a massive animal. “An eighteen-footer would certainly have no problem eating a tuna in a bite or two,” he says. “A fish that’s bleeding and making the right kind of sounds as the fight goes on is a natural target. If a great white gets the chance, he’s going to grab a relatively easy meal. As for actual increases in shark attacks, last summer was a hot one. That means more people in the water, so a greater chance of shark encounters. But I don’t think the numbers were out of line.”

Is an increase in the seal population attracting more sharks to our coastline? “Absolutely,” says Skomal, at “least along the shores of Cape Cod. Sharks are amazingly adaptable creatures. They’ll feed on whatever is available. We also have more bunker [fish] these days, too, so that may be another part of the equation.”

Either way, experts agree most sharks leave northeast waters by late December if not sooner, so we should all be safe until next spring. Then again, the research group Ocearch, together with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, tracked a 16-foot, 3,500-pound great white shark they named Mary Lee for 40,000 miles over five years starting in 2012. In 2013, it left the Northeast for southern waters as expected but then returned to New Jersey and Long Island for the last week of January.

Makes you think twice about that polar bear swim.

By Tom Schlichter, Southern Boating January 2019

Five Big Sharks in The Bahamas

You may hear that The Bahamas is the shark capital of the world, and if you think it’s a marketing gimmick, then think again.

Sharks in The Bahamas are well protected. It’s the only country in the world to declare the entire marine habitat a shark sanctuary.

There are 40 species of sharks within the 243,000 square miles of the country’s territorial waters. The country was a global leader in 1993 when it banned the harmful practice of long-line fishing, and it continues to be recognized internationally for its trendsetting conservation efforts. The result is a healthy shark population unrivaled anywhere else in the world. For boaters and divers, it has all the ingredients for unique and spectacular underwater encounters.

There are five big sharks in The Bahamas that stand out for how they congregate in such large numbers in Bahamian waters. Similar to the African safari scene, The Bahamas has a shark safari circuit with its own “Big Five” list. On the African continent, the Big Five were originally classified based on how dangerous and difficult they were to hunt on foot: the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. Today, they represent safari royalty, for they are the most sought-after wild animals to spot on the African safari circuit. Personal preference is the ultimate determinant of safari satisfaction, but it is still a treat to spot the Big Five.

Sharks in The Bahamas

In The Bahamas, it’s no different. The Big Five sharks in The Bahamas consist of five apex predators that congregate in unique habitats across the archipelago. For encounters with these majestic underwater creatures, you’ll need to visit specific islands: Bimini for hammerheads, Cat Island for oceanic whitetips, West End Grand Bahama for tiger sharks, Nassau for Caribbean reef sharks, and Nassau or Andros for silky sharks. Anyone who has the chance to interact with the Big Five on a shark safari in The Bahamas is in for a stunning and exhilarating underwater experience. If you conquer these experiences, you’ll most likely encounter the honorary members—lemon and bull sharks.

Caribbean Reef Sharks

Caribbean reef sharks are the entry level species when it comes to the Big Five. You can find them on shallow coral reefs, around underwater wrecks and during shark feedings with shark wranglers. Nassau shark dives primarily focus on these predators, the staple of the dive circuit. Runway Wall, also known as the “Shark Arena,” is one of the most popular locations for divers to meet these shy sharks for the first time.

Oceanic White Tips

Cat Island has the largest aggregation of oceanic whitetip sharks in the world. These vulnerable sharks have seen their global populations decimated over the years as a result of long-line fishing. In the protected waters of The Bahamas, they thrive. The Cat Island dive is a three-dimensional experience. Unlike stationary shark dives that take place on the sand bottom, divers drift in some of the deepest waters in the ocean on this shark encounter. The sharks are baited, but not fed. The bait crate is suspended in about 30 feet of water. The actual ocean floor might be over 3,000 feet below. Sharks are attracted to the scent of the bait.

Hammerheads

The endangered great hammerhead shark is the largest of all hammerhead species. From December to April, the warm waters of Bimini draw these big-headed, oddly shaped predators all the way from the cold waters of California to their winter home in the Bimini islands. They congregate around half a mile off the coast on the leeward side. By human standards, the water is cold and wetsuits are necessary. Some divers spend up to 90 minutes on the bottom since the shallow dive takes place between 15-25 feet. Feedings can attract the notorious bull shark, which is a bonus to the Big Five.

Tiger Sharks

West End, Grand Bahama, is the most northern point in the entire Bahama chain of islands. 27 miles off offshore, in 30 feet of water, there is a sandy bottom floor known as Tiger Beach. This is one of the most spectacular shark dives in The Bahamas, and the main attraction is enormous tigers, some 16 feet in length. Unlike other dive sites where you might only see a handful of sharks, Tiger Beach is packed with them. As underwater shark photographer Andy Murch says, “They’re big; they are not shy.” Lemon sharks, which are a bonus to the Big Five, make regular showings at Tiger Beach. This is the best year-round spot to see them. The close encounter with these predators makes for amazing underwater photography.

Silky Sharks

This deepwater species has also suffered major population declines internationally due to long-line fishing. It’s possible to spot silky sharks around Andros Island year-round, but the best place to see them is the Lost Blue Hole in Nassau. In June, hundreds of these sharks gather not more than 9-10 miles offshore for a breeding ritual that looks like a choreographed dance in an underwater rotunda. Dive inside the blue hole, and watch the show around 170 feet down.

By Noelle Nichols, Southern Boating November 2018

Diving with Sharks in Bimini Sharklab

Diving with sharks helps researchers in Bimini

BIMINI LIES JUST 50 MILES off the south Florida coast, so it is a popular destination for boaters, as well as a welcome stop on the way to the central Bahamas. The two major islands— North and South Bimini—are at the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank with shoal waters to the east and the deep Straits of Florida to the west, where the Gulf Stream runs close offshore. This ideal combination makes Bimini one of the world’s greatest sportfishing locations.

The same geographic circumstances foster a prime habitat for many shark and ray species. In turn, they drew Dr. Samuel H. Gruber to the area to establish the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, known as Sharklab (biminisharklab.com).

“Doc” is a renowned expert on these species and has had a long career studying their biology and behavior. After receiving graduate degrees from the University of Miami and doing post-doctoral work in Germany, he led a number of research programs both in the laboratory and in the field. In 1990, following many years of commanding research vessel cruises, he created his own field station. And now, you can go diving with sharks to learn more about the creatures.

Many of its activities involve the temporary capture, biological assessment, tagging, and release of sharks in both shallow and deepwater environments. Modern tagging technologies are helping researchers track the movements and interaction of sharks throughout the Atlantic basin, with Sharklab making important contributions to these efforts. The most advanced of these sensors broadcast position data to a satellite, which allows scientists to monitor the subject in real time. In 2012, Sharklab helped apply these tags to a group of tiger sharks, each of which measured more than 10 feet long.

As part of its outreach, Sharklab offers tours of the facility, including the captive shark pens, along with an introduction to its research. Tours are timed to coincide with low tide and are subject to weather and research constraints, so advance arrangements are required and donations are accepted.

Contact the lab on VHF 88A, at (242) 347-4538 or tours@biminisharklab.com. The lab is just 1.4 miles south of the South Bimini Ferry Dock and less than a mile from Bimini Sands Resort & Marina—easily walkable if you are so inclined or just hail a cab on VHF 68.

If you want to go diving with sharks in Bimini, and get a unique and in-depth introduction to Sharklab’s work, consider booking a five-day Research Experience. Price includes round-trip charter air from Miami, accommodations, and meals. You will learn to handle captured sharks, snorkel mangrove nurseries and coral reefs, shadow a Ph.D. for a day, and interact with staff and students virtually 24/7.

For more information, go to biminisharklab.com.

By Rex Noel, Southern Boating Magazine July 2017