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Cage Diving vs. Scuba Diving
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After looking at all the information, it would appear that there are two camps of thought on the topic of cage diving and whether it increases the risks for scuba divers. Scuba divers are continually looking to push the envelope and find a better “high” from their diving trips. Diver go to deeper and deeper depths, exploring underwater caves etc; - therefore it should come as no surprise that some divers want to get up close and personal with sharks too. Not only is it an opportunity to see some virtually prehistoric creatures just feet from your face – it is a time of keen excitement and no small amount of fear.
Some consider these close-up experiences with these creatures, which are natural predators, to be a way of showing others that sharks are not the dreadful killers they have been made to appear by the media. Shark experts who are more experienced, who understand these creatures, realize that they are predators first. To try and “befriend” these animals is a sure fire way to dance with disaster.
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It has become yet another commercial endeavor that can quite literally put people’s lives at risk.
When a diving outfit takes divers out to do a cage diving, they cannot predict the weather conditions or the amount of sharks, likely to be in the vicinity. Lowering a cage into the ocean the diver enters it from the top and is initially at a depth of only a few feet. Fish food (chum) is used to attract the shark and bait them to swim in the area, approaching the cage out of curiosity. When this happens at the same location, on a regular basis, the sharks can become used to the food that is provided. This will have an impact, not just on the safety of the surrounding areas, but on shark’s survival instinct and other marine life.
Enticing sharks with bait can prove not only perilous for the cage divers, but it can have devastating effects on any other divers in the area, which may not be protected by the barrier of a steel cage.
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It may be that some operators are going the extra mile and advertise cage diving as the only way to ensure a safe experience. But, it has not been readily acknowledged that cage diving causes damage to the environment and does nothing to protect the sharks. These creatures are harassed and used as a means to make money, which in the end, can turn around and bite the hand that feeds them.
Scuba diving is a challenge in itself and if done correctly and with respect for the environment you are visiting, can be a rewarding experience. Cage diving and feeding of sharks is best left to professionals and those in Hollywood. Experts who are well aware of how to handle the situation and are not likely to make a habit of it can also be of help.
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Only one question remains: What if it reaches the point where sharks are not intimidated by divers and fails to swim away – hanging around and getting closer until the day it makes you dinner?
Please give us your comments on this subject. Do you think cage diving is good for the environment and sharks?
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