Shark Diving International-Cage Breach "Accident" 2007

[Scubalaslo]

A few months ago in early September 2007 a strange rumor and post appeared on the Internet. It was posted by Dean Karr on MySpace (the entire post has since been removed).

Mr.Karr claims to be a longtime client of SDI aka GWA. He reported that a great white shark got stuck and killed in a cage at Isla Guadalupe that fall. He then went on to account how these same sharks were "attacking the cages with fierce abandon".

Great White Adventures aka Shark Diving International denied the rumor.We posted the response from James Moskito the Vice President of the company who assured the entire world that Great White Adventures aka Shark Diving International had a "100% safety record".

Not four months after Dean Karr reported his somewhat unbelievable story an actual video appears in the Internet. This video was shot on or around November 3-4.2007. The cages and crew in this video are from Shark Diving International aka Great White Adventures.

In this video a 15 foot GWS rips the entire front of the shark cage off spilling at least one diver into the ocean:



The entire event is being billed as an "accident" by all parties.

Here's what SDI's website says about their cage design on their website:

"Top Equipment – When it comes to diving with white sharks, cage design is obviously not an area where you want to cut corners, so to speak. Ours spacious cages are state of the art, designed by us and manufactured to our exact specifications, sparing no expense. We oversee every aspect of their construction from start to finish. A cage will not go into the water until it passes with our seal of approval. With our wealth of experience behind us, we know what designs work and more importantly, what doesn’t work. We understand the needs of our divers so each cage is designed for maximum ease of entry and exit. For our photographers and videographers, extensive effort has produced an optimum design for acquiring those Pulitzer Prize winning images while maintaining safety, structural integrity, and protective capabilities. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we are flattered more and more with each passing season as we notice cages remarkably similar to our unique designs on other boats.It’s not just our cages that must pass our stringent standards. All of our equipment, from our regulators which are disassembled, cleaned and tuned every season to our high pressure hoses, cables, and fasteners, etc. are thoroughly inspected throughout the year."

 

[kelp princess]

i know the kind people over at SDI, and they do run a top notch operation.
James Moskito (you spell it with a "k" not a "q") in particular, is very knowledgeable and knows what he is doing.

the guadalupe "incident" is a perfect example of what happens when you chum big hunks of tuna near any cage - you are bound to get an invigorated and activated shark!

the good news is that the shark only rammed the side of the cage, which collapsed, but the divers (people) were okay.

i myself work as a cage instructor on shark trips to the farrallons with incredible adventures, so you have to understand that there is always inherent risk, and as a participant you have to be willing to accept that, as the operators try to manage against it. i think one accident in over 6-9 years is a pretty good record for those guys.

cheers,

kp

 

[cdavis]

Building on Kelp Princess's comment, feeding sharks is a lousy idea IMHO. It creates long term changes in their behavior that are unpredictable and potentially dangerous. The behavior of sharks near feeding stations in the Bahamas is Radically different from normal. Somebody is going to get bit, maybe somebody who has nothing to do with seeing them being fed, and I've a strong suspicion that somebody was almost me.

Connor

 

[Scubalaslo]

Hi Kelp Princess,

Thanks for the kind words about SDI aka GWA. It's nice to see those within the industry looking out for their own. Naturally you want to rally around a seemingly "one shot event" like this and stand up for these guys.

Does this video link change your thoughts at all?

http://www.hollywoodivers.com/images/gwforweb.mov

What you are looking at is Shark Diving International aka Great White Adventures in 2005/6 with yet another cage breach, at the same dive site, with the same shark cages.

This time, if you watch the video a few times, you can see what looks like blood coming from the gills of the shark. There are more videos and blog posts from these guys going back to 2003. It's out there if you look.

Why even bring this up?

You might think that Great White Adventures aka Shark Diving International would either change the way they conduct operations at this site (not leaving hang baits in front of the cages), or at least take down the claims of 100% safety from their websites after this video appeared on the web.

They may be nice guys, but when you take the sheer number of cage breach events linked directly to them one has to ask some hard questions. Like,"why did that cage fail so badly in the first video, and not in this one"?

Or how about, "What really defines an "accident with a wild animal".

As an industry member are you o.k with the idea of Great White Sharks getting stuck in shark cages as just part of the entire industry?

Shark diving has done more to educate the public towards sharks in general than any other sport on the planet. Shark diving is a good thing. The point here is that videos like these actually set back the entire industry, and the positive perception of sharks by the public for years to come.

 

[kelp princess]

hi scubalaslo,

you bring up good points. and yes cage diving has created an enormous amount of lift in terms of shark awareness and public understanding of these magnifcent creatures.
but there still needs to be more research and more accurate information pushed out to the public

as for it being an "industry" i think there are many different camps and approaches on running cage diving operations, and i wouldn't say there is an industry set of standards or benchmarks that are unanimously accepted and adopted by all.

for me personally, i don't subscribe to chumming because it disrupts the sharks natural behavior and because it creates an association with boats/humans and food, which is not something we want to emphasize.

at the farrallons we are NOT allowed to chum, it's illegal and against all sancturary regulations, which i actually think is best.

and yes it is certainly and absolutley every operators' responsibility to ensure a safe and sturdy cage for the divers who will rely on its protection :duh

maybe that first encounter (which is actually the 2nd video you list) compromised the cage's construction so much that the next vigorous hit caused it to crumble - who knows?

all i know is that the sturdy Incredible Adventures cage that I sit in the whole time anyone is ever in the water, was mfg and tested by DOER Marine. DOER Marine was founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle in 1992 as Deep Ocean Exploration and Research. their mission is to design and develop practical and effective technologies to provide working access to the deep ocean and other challenging environments, so that makes me feel pretty secure, knowing they are mfg submersibles and other welded equipment that cannot be breached - but you always have to be alert.

i'd be curious to see what kind of response you'd get if you pointed your questions directly to SDI/GWA...

kp

 

[Scubalaslo]

Hi Kelp Princess,

Thanks for the response. I agree with the Farallones approach (no bait) and applaud what you guys are doing out there. I also agree with Isla de Guadalupe (baiting).

Baiting sharks should not lead in anyway to cage breaches like these. Operations that bait sharks in any form must hold themselves to a higher standard at all times. Any industry, no matter how fractured, should hold some basic self imposed standards.

Cage breaches (at a bare minimum) should be one of them.

The pay off to safe shark diving (with bait) is a greater understanding of these animals with long term observation at close range by the divers. Hopefully these divers go home and express their observations in a positive light to others, thus changing the way the world see sharks.

Calling a cage breach event an "accident" absolves the operation of any wrong doing and serves to reinforce the negative image of the bloodthirsty shark. One cage breach event might be construed as an accident. In this case we have two stunning breach videos in less than two years (there might be more to come). The company in question Shark Diving International aka Great White Adventures is still calling their operation 100% safe.

Here's a quick rundown of quotes from the SDI website as of today November 26, even after these two videos (shot in 2006 and 2007) were made public:

"Dive with Shark Diving International for the best and safest shark diving in the WORLD!"

"Conservation – SDI strongly supports environmental responsibility on all our shark diving eco-tours. As ambassadors between the general public and the world of sharks, we strive to dispel the myths and misinformation that’s often associated with these amazing animals. In return, we endeavor to provide our customers with a fun, exciting, educational and safe (for both human and shark) experience. We believe that responsible eco-tourism will help provide a positive step towards protecting these fascinating and often maligned creatures."

"Fact: SDI is the single most experienced white shark dive operator in all of North America with more days in the water with white sharks than all the other operators combined."

Shark Diving International will no doubt come out and say that these were all "accidents" .They will run numbers saying they have done so many safe dive trips over the years with only a certain number of cage breaches, giving the public a perception that these events come with shark diving.

Their own website tells an ongoing story of how they want the public to view them. It does not match with the video currently on You-Tube and elsewhere:



UnderwaterTimes.com :: View topic - Video: Great White Shark Lodged in Cage with a Diver

 

[Dive_Girl]

I am not an industry professional, as those of you who have posted here appear to be, I am just a consumer. However, I can tell you that I've been on a number of trips with James from Great White Adventures/SDI and I have always observed only the utmost respect and safety for sharks and customers. Their focus seems to be on how to bring awareness and education to none professional divers like myself. Moreover, like Kelp Princess pointed out, they've been in business for 8 or 9 years and if that's all you can dig up on them then I think that's a pretty good track record if you ask me.

h

 

[Scubalaslo]

Hi Dive Girl,

Thanks for the post. This post is not about "digging up" anything. These videos and blog posts are available all over the net.

There's a disconnect here when you say that two cage breaches in two years (those caught on tape) are essentially fine by you. That's an interesting track record and eco tour statement.

The fact these guys care about sharks is not in doubt. You would assume that to be the case if they are working with sharks on a daily basis.

It is the cage breaches themselves and those videos (watch them again) along the assumption that if you work with sharks this just goes with the territory. It should never "just go with the territory".

For Shark Diving International aka Great White Adventures or any cage diving company worldwide-what would be an unacceptable cage breach/track rate for you?

Is three in nine years acceptable? Four, six, ten?

If this was any other eco tour operation dealing with any other major predators, such as Bears, Wolves, or Lions. And video surfaced with those animals getting caught, stuck, pinned, and delayed by the operators mere presence in the area-the outrage would be loud and immediate. Why is it that sharks almost always get a pass and it's billed as an "accident"?

In the end it's the public that will demand (or not) change within an industry. When you watch these videos again, separate yourself from the operation, and get into the sharks world.

 

[Dive_Girl]

There's a disconnect here when you say that two cage breaches in two years (those caught on tape) are essentially fine by you. That's an interesting track record and eco tour statement.
Again, I am in no way a professional in the field so there is no reason for you to attack what is simply my opinion. Myopinion in this situation is, the shark in both instances appear to be unhurt and the divers in both instances appear to but unhurt. That sounds pretty good to me.

The fact these guys care about sharks is not in doubt. You would assume that to be the case if they are working with sharks on a daily basis.
I have been diving with many operators over the years and these guys are among the best I’ve seen. I wanted to share from my own personal experience with this operator that I feel these guys appear very involved in the preservation of sharks, research, education and awareness.

It is the cage breaches themselves and those videos (watch them again) along the assumption that if you work with sharks this just goes with the territory. It should never "just go with the territory".
Who’s making that “assumption”? Are you assuming someone is making that assumption?

For Shark Diving International aka Great White Adventures or any cage diving company worldwide-what would be an unacceptable cage breach/track rate for you?
You know, I could be wrong, but I feel as though you are attacking me personally. However, to answer your question let me put it this way. I am a diver who enjoys diving with sharks among other things. I not only take risks every time I enter the water I multiply those risks by diving with predators and I am aware of the risks I take, as is every diver out there is. My feeling (again this is my personal opinion) is that as long as the shark is unhurt then I personally see this as a minor incident. Like Kelp Princess eluded too, they might evenhavemanufactured the cage to break away at a certain pressure point. I have no idea but it sounds possible.

Is three in nine years acceptable? Four, six, ten?
Of course the ideal failure rate in any given scenario would be none. However, any manufacturer will tell you that there is and will always be some sort of failure rate. The trick here is to avoid the big bad ones and predict the unavoidable ones by creating a risk management outline and contingency plan.

If this was any other eco tour operation dealing with any other major predators, such as Bears, Wolves, or Lions. And video surfaced with those animals getting caught, stuck, pinned, and delayed by the operators mere presence in the area-the outrage would be loud and immediate. Why is it that sharks almost always get a pass and it's billed as an "accident"?
As far as what’s horrible in the shark world, I personally like to focus on the finning issue.

In the end it's the public that will demand (or not) change within an industry. When you watch these videos again, separate yourself from the operation, and get into the sharks world.
You do realize that Disney World in Japan still serves shark fin soup don’t you? It’s just not on the menu anymore, but you can order it nonetheless. I hope you are just as venomous and passionate when dealing with the real monsters in the world as you are when dealing with a cage breach.

 

[Scubalaslo]

Thanks for the post back. Fair enough.

 

[Mafnet]

Well to be honest with all of you this behavior is quite obvious. Like parrots, sharks are naturally cage animals. in order to keep the average shark calm they must be continually confined to a cage, where as if they aren't surrounded by walls they suffer high anxiety.
lol
intense video though