Diving with sharks in The Galapagos, Ecuador
As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself questioning the morals behind travelling more and more. I have always been morally conscious, and have always tried to tread with the lightest foot possible in the countries I visit. With each passing year, however, and with more research and more experience behind me, I often feel that little nagging tug at the back of my brain, the one that says, “Is this really contributing to the country I’m visiting? Is this really moral?”
There are certain things I just do not participate in; riding elephants has become a hot topic for travel bloggers and travellers recently, and I hope that elephant riding soon becomes a thing of the past. Turner wrote a great series of posts on his time at Tiger Temple in Thailand and I hope that that, too, is something that people consider before visiting.
When I travel, I sincerely hope to give back to the cultures I visit. I learn as much as I can about the place, try to interact with the local people as much as I can, and consider each hostel I stay in and each activity I participate in. I’ve always thought, if something feels wrong, it probably is.
I am flying to Cape Town, South Africa next weekend, where I’ll have nearly a week of independent travel before flying to Johannesburg to begin a tour through Botswana with G Adventures. I will end up in Livingstone, Zambia, after a day at Victoria Falls. In all I will be gone for about two and a half weeks. As my 30th birthday is on May 5th, this is my birthday present to myself.
There are a ton of amazing things I want to do in Cape Town, and many people have recommended restaurants and activities. I will be staying with The Backpack; I chose them because of their dedication to responsible tourism and their involvement in community projects. One thing a few people have asked me is this, however: will you be cage diving with great white sharks? It’s a popular thing to do in Cape Town, after all.
It’s one of those things that people put on bucket lists. The adrenaline and the adventure don’t scare me at all; I know that I’ll be perfectly safe, and it would be an incredible rush to be that close to such powerful animals. As a diver, I’ve often been around sharks, though never ones of this magnitude and this, well, terrifying-ness. However, there’s that little nagging tug again… is it morally right?
In my research, I’ve found a few companies with great reputations and ones that seem to genuinely care about the sharks and the ocean’s ecosystem. Despite that, from what I can gather online, every single company chums. To chum means to throw fish carcasses and blood overboard in order to lure the sharks near the boat. The sharks are certainly used to it by now, and without chumming, there is no guarantee that any sharks will be seen. There are many arguments for and against chumming, with some people claiming that it has led to more attacks on humans, and others saying it hasn’t impacted the ecosystem at all.
I’m turning this issue over the blog because I would love to hear your opinion on the matter. I genuinely don’t know what to think. As I said, if something feels wrong, it probably is. But on this, I legitimately don’t know the details, and reading online articles only seem to confuse me further.
What do you think about cage shark diving? Does it really impact the ecosystem? Have you been cage shark diving, and if so, was it worth it?Â
33 comments
Hi Brenna!
I think your right about going with your gut with this. I haven’t been shark diving, and I haven’t really thought about it really, but it doesn’t really sit well with me, and I wouldn’t do it myself. When I think about it, I really only see it as a tourist trap, something for the traveller to experience, while the animal isn’t really thought about. I think there are more worth while things to explore that don’t require you to question their morals.
However, whether you do it or not, it is your decision. People should respect that, because as far as I can see, you do really care about the impact you make!
Keep inspiring!
Sarah
I agree – it just doesn’t sit well with me, and I should probably trust my gut. I definitely think it can be a tourist trap. Thank you for those last lines, though… at the end of the day it is definitely the individual decision!
Thanks for your opinion, Sarah.
Have never been cage diving and never will! Not for any moral reason (had not considered that aspect), but because I’m absolutely petrified of sharks!!!
I’m not scared of sharks… I’m scared of affecting how they act around humans!
I don’t know how I feel about chumming. A little uneasy I suppose but I can’t quite put it into words. In Belize I went on a snorkelling tour where they chummed the water. The owner of the tour company said that the fish, sharks, etc. were so good to him and allowed him to stay in business for 20 years, he viewed them as friends and tried to help them out as best as he could. He didn’t view the feeding as detrimental. Despite being in the industry for so long I don’t know if that makes him an expert on the local ecosystem. I haven’t done much research on the subject on my own but since you mentioned chumming in this post I thought I would chip in with my two cents.
Thanks for chipping in, Danielle, I appreciate it. I guess I can see the logic behind that guy’s argument, but it still feels unnatural to me. I even feel guilty when I feed bread to ducks along the canal in London, so perhaps any activity where they chum isn’t the one for me!
I would love to dive with great whites, but I would never go cage diving. To me it seems like such a fake, manufactured experience that just isn’t sustainable.
I’m actually quite passionate about this topic, and one of the best articles I’ve ever read on it was by Andrew Evans – http://digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/21/why-i-wont-go-shark-cage-diving/
If you’ve got a spare five minutes I highly recommend reading it.
Great, thank you for your opinion, Macca! I will definitely check out the article. I agree with you – it feels like a tourist trap in many regards. I don’t think I will be trying it this time around.
I’ve done cage diving with great whites. Depends what the moral dilemma is… is it drawing sharks further in to land, associating humans with food, or teasing the sharks…. I’m not a shark expert, but I’ll throw a few thoughts in! 🙂
I don’t think there is any concrete evidence to say that chumming has resulted in sharks thinking of humans as food or caused more deaths – there are too many variables for anyone to be able to prove it. But the figures are going up. They’re pretty smart, and as you probably know, most of the time it’s a case of mistaken identity, they bite to see what you are and then spit you out – but if they’ve bitten off a leg or two then you’re very easily screwed.
But, the boats don’t go that far out, maybe 2/3 miles…. and the sharks appear within a few minutes of chumming. There are often 3 or 4 boats out at the same time and they all have sharks around them. We had around 6 different ones come to our boat. So, they could be being brought closer to where humans which is why the cases of mistaken identity are going up… but they can’t have been that far away anyway so I don’t know if it’s solely to do with this, or the fact that there are tons of seals around.
Seals hang out all over the coast line and even in the V&A marina, so there’s bound to be sharks really close to people anyway – chumming or not. Plus, there are probably a lot more surfers and swimmers than there used to be so that could be the reason for the increase.
It does seems mean though to tease the sharks with the chum though. They put a tuna fish head on a rope and swing it across so the shark follows it. They weren’t aggressive or scary at all. But they do bite the cage occasionally and their tail fins smack it sometimes as they pass.
I am really glad that I had the opportunity to get to see them. But, I didn’t stay in the water for long. I actually preferred watching them from above. Alternatively, if you didn’t want to do this, there maybe some companies that do trips to Seal Island for surface only viewing. Sharks are all around there and it’s one of the only places in the world where you can see them breaching, which is amazing! We saw one when we were on our trip, right near to one of the boats, luckily not ours. I think it can be quite dangerous though I would think, as the seals use the boats as cover!
Hope that helps! x
Thank you so much for this, Helen! I’m so glad to get the opinion of someone who has done it. The attacks on humans are not really what I was worried about – as awful as that sounds – it was more the effect on the ecosystem in general. I guess I have a problem with feeding/teasing wild animals. I know that people are attacked every year no matter what else is going on; but as you said, sharks don’t actively go out to eat humans, and it’s rare that a human actually dies from a shark attack. I think I read that more people die every year from coconuts falling on their heads!
At the end of the day, I don’t think I’m comfortable doing it. I’m sure that it was an exhilarating experience, but I think I would prefer to do the second option that you mentioned, surface-only viewing. That seems a lot more up my alley… provided they don’t chum, either! I will have to speak to my hostel and do some more research before signing up for anything.
Once again, thank you so much for your words here, it has really helped put things into perspective for me. x
No worries! I did it before I knew much about it, not that ignorance is a great excuse, but I learned from it.
I wouldn’t go cage diving again, but it you can find a company that does shark viewing trips without the diving/chumming – definitely go for it!
I have my sources on it for you… 🙂
I had the chance when I was in Cape Town last year but turned it down. What’s the point? Even the photos look traumatic for the sharks, I can’t imagine what it’s like to actually be there. I like to live by the old mantra of treating others how you’d like to be treated and if it was the other way round and sharks paid to come and look at me in a cage and make me really angry teasing me with food and enjoying a reaction, I wouldn’t be into it.
Unless you have a desperate desire and it’s something you’ve always dreamed of I wouldn’t even give it a moments thought.
Spend your time more wisely up on Table Mountain 🙂
Ha ha – love this answer, Vicky. Straight up. Yeah, to be honest I think I had made my mind up before I even wrote the post, but it’s nice to see that my suspicions were confirmed by people I trust. That’s a great mantra to have in life, travelling or otherwise.
I can’t wait for Table Mountain, though! Thanks so much for this comment.
I was in South Africa in November and went cage diving and volunteered with a company called Marine Dynamics. They run cage diving and whale watching tours, but are also involved with many Marine Conservation Projects (endangered penguins, cleaning beaches, etc).
I was unaware of the controversy surrounding cage diving until I returned home from South Africa and read an article online. I now realize there are negative aspects- like teasing the sharks with food- however, I still think cage diving allows people to see sharks in a completely different (and positive) light.
When I returned home from my trip, nearly all my friends and family asked me questions like, “how dangerous was it?” or “did the sharks try to attack the cage?”. This was an indicator that many people are still ignorant when it comes to Great Whites.
I am definitely no expert on the subject, and can only speak from my experience, but I hope that cage diving can become an activity that is completely sustainable, eco-friendly, and beneficial for sharks someday.
Enjoy your trip! South Africa is beautiful.
You bring up such a great point here, Ashley… that people are so, so, SO ignorant about sharks. They really are not out to harm us and almost all attacks are cases of mistaken identity (they think humans are seals, etc).
I have decided not to go shark cage diving until it is, as you said, completely sustainable and eco-friendly. I do not judge those who have decided to do it, however. I just hope that everyone chooses to do it with an informed mind. Thanks so much for your comment and your insight here!
Tough one isn’t it.
I love sharks and i’d love to see them super close, and I’m pretty sure you know by now how much I love animals so I’ve also wondered a lot about this issue. I guess it isn’t entirely black or white in this case.
I just wanted to say that no matter what you decide, you’ll do it with a good heart which matters a lot.
I don’t think it’s that negative if it’s done with a good “company”which respects sharks and nature … But… once again I’m not sure myself either!
It is definitely a tough one… I love sharks, too, and I would absolutely love to see them up close. However, as I’ve said in other comments, my heart is telling me it’s not right to see them in this way. I’m going to listen to that gut feeling! Thanks for your comment, Emy. x
I really understand your dilemma, I think I would have the same doubts. I also think there are FAR FAR worse things than chumming being done to the ocean and ecosystems in general. Of course that doesn’t mean you should participate in a less damaging activity, but… In the end, I think you already know whether you should do it or not.. Don’t think about it too much, the answer is in your heart. I’m sure you can feel it right in this moment. I’m curious to find out what your decision will be…
Oh absolutely – chumming is not the worst thing that humans are doing to the ocean. However, as I already consciously avoid any activity that damages any ecosystem, this is something that I grappled with. I can’t stand the thought of teasing animals.
You’re right, the answer has been in my heart since I first started thinking about it… I’m not doing it. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Brenna
Shark cage diving tours are very well marketed to tourists and locals in South Africa. Like you, I have a moral issue with chumming and teasing the sharks. Thanks for blogging about it and creating awareness around this topic. Most travellers don’t even think to ask these questions. The article by Andrew Evans linked to above is a great read. Glad you decided not to do it, and I hope you managed to go on a surface viewing tour.
Thank you for your comment! I’m flying into Cape Town on the 14th, so I hope to find a great tour before then that hopefully allows me to see great whites naturally.
It’s definitely a tough call…trust your heart. I don’t know what I would do in your situation but it sounds like you are leaning towards a no( and if you are that is the right thing to do).
Thanks for your support, Zalie! I am definitely trusting my heart on this one.
Great question to ask Brenna. I think your gut is right.
Last summer I volunteered with the Marine Park Rangers in Thailand, and I learned a lot about marine conservation. I’m not an expert, but certainly this experience helped to educate me about marine conservation.
The rangers look after all the national parks and sea life in Thailand. Even scuba divers feeding fish little bits of food is harmful to the delicate ecosystem.
I understand that people want to dive with sharks, but as you suspected, there are better ways than chumming and cage diving.
Thank you so much for your insight, Richard! I knew I could count on you for wise (and inspiring) words. I don’t like to feed fish when I scuba dive, so I don’t think that this is any different. It may even be worse, perhaps. As you know, I have decided not to partake… though I think I knew that all along. 😉
I’ve never really given this much thought before, but it does strike me that as a diver who already has interacted with sharks and potentially could in the future, that that is your better option. Cage diving is not your only way to sharks so closely, though it is a surer bet. In this case you have another and in my mind better option, it seems to me that diving is the morally superior option and one that you’ve already taken.
Agreed, Kali! I have made up my mind and I am not doing it. I have already gone diving with sharks and I respect them too much to try cage diving, at least until I feel that there is a more shark-friendly option.
[…] just feels wrong. Maybe it’s someone getting teased. Maybe tourists are riding elephants. I felt that way recently about cage shark diving – for some reason, it didn’t sit well with me, so I didn’t do […]
[…] until after I returned home from South Africa that I read a few disconcerting articles (and blog posts), and they opened my eyes to many issues associated with this activity. While there are some points […]
I have never dived with shark either way. Reading the comment. I reckon you didnt choose to dive in a cage. Have you ever dived with shark after that?
I have never cage dived but I have been diving with sharks, i.e. I went to a dive spot and there were sharks there.
Here is a link to a considered article on cage diving.
http://digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/21/why-i-wont-go-shark-cage-diving/#comments
I have been a surfer in South Africa for more than 30 years.
20 years ago shark sightings off beaches in Cape Town were unheard of and there had never been a shark attack south of the Kei River, ever!
1. Recreation fishermen were confined to casting from the shoreline with rod and reel. The advent of cheap inflatable motor boats has ramped up accessibility and has seen more and more recreational fishermen going beyond the immediate shoreline and depleting the ubiquitous species along the coastline. Technological advances in dive gear and and increasein popularity for the sport have also seen a huge increase in spearfishing activity. One only has to troll youtube to observe acts of obscene greed with individuals ‘bagging’ excessive numbers of mature fish, which in a lot of cases are species that take many years to mature.
2. Cage diving has been on a steady increase over the years, its easy money, and more and more blood is put into the sea to ‘chum’ for sharks. A lot of this activity takes place within sight of land, since impatient tourists don’t want to have to suffer too much inconvenience to get their thrills. Great Whites live for many years and only a fool would deny that they have started to associate the presence of humans with food.
Thank you very much for this link and for all of the information! I’m really glad that I didn’t participate in this activity while in South Africa.