Written by Kevin Sabo, diver on March 3 2022 Bahamas Liveaboard Trip
Despite diving for decades and instructing for several years, I had concluded that my body contained a special toxin that acted as a shark repellent for all but the smallest nurse sharks. I was relegated to watching fellow divers interact with these beautiful creatures on social media.
I was most envious of the photos posted by a shark conservation group out of New York City named Shark Angels. It appeared that wherever they dive, they have interacted with some of the most beautiful creatures in the sea. Naturally when I dreamt of diving with Great Hammerhead sharks in the Caribbean, I looked to Jamie Pollack with the Shark Angels. They did not disappoint.
Departing out of West Palm Beach, I joined the Shark Angels on seven day live-a-board on the Dolphin Dream operating off the shores of the Bahamas. We spent the first several days diving on the aptly named Tiger Beach, a shallow bank about 40 miles from Grand Bahama and a very reliable area to find healthy numbers of Tiger Sharks.
On our first day of recreational diving, following a couple much needed dives to check out our equipment and adjust our weights, we dove right into a school of Lemon, Nurse, and Caribbean Reef Sharks. They remained a consistent presence with us throughout our time on Tiger Beach. Once at depth, the able crew of the Dolphin Dream chummed the water to attract Tiger Sharks who were swimming nearby.
To the excitement of everyone, their efforts paid off and we were soon interacting with several large and beautiful female Tigers. Upwards of six different Tigers dove with us over the next several days and one of our Members, Cheryl McCarron, were allowed to feed them. And yes, Cheryl did return with both hands and all ten fingers.
The Tigers we interacted with were predominately female. I’ve since read a study suggesting that pregnant female Tigers migrate to the warm waters off the Bahamas in the end of the calendar year to give birth to their pups. Other times of the year, non-pregnant female remain in the area to avoid harassment by the male Tigers. In any case, it makes these clear warm waters a haven for diving with beautiful Tiger Sharks.
One day after our Tiger dives, as we returned to the boat, we were met by a surprise pod of playful dolphins. Although we could hear them coming by their distinct giggles, they swam by us so quickly few even had the opportunity to ready our cameras. Not to be dissuaded, the Dolphin Dream’s Captain Scott fired up his engines and caught up to the pod just a few minutes after everyone returned from the dive. For the next 30 minutes we all enjoyed free diving with the playful dolphins. They too were beautiful creatures who gifted us with their playful presence for just a short period of time.
After several days on Tiger Beach, we weighed anchor and headed to the Bimini shores in search of Great Hammerheads. The overnight water crossing was pleasantly light, so we were more than thrilled to jump into the clear waters the next morning after breakfast. Following a short period of chumming, we saw the distinctive dark cloud in the water which represented the outline of a huge hammerhead swimming our direction. A few moments she was within our sights.
Over the next couple days, we joyfully dove with several different hammerheads as they swam near our boat and searched for food. The boat staff chummed the water daily and allowed Jamie to feed the hammerheads once they grew comfortable with our divers. Their distinctive design makes these beautiful creatures a fascinating dive as their divergent eyes operate independently to keep the shark fully aware of its surroundings. I found it difficult to keep focused on safety as I stood in the water amazed by design of these animals. They were so beautiful.
Far too soon, the trip was over, and we again weighed anchor and headed for home. The entire trip was truly incredible. The Dolphin Dream was staffed by a competent crew of friendly people, the food was excellent, and all the divers were a joy to travel with. Even the weather cooperated.
Now that I have proven to myself that my body does NOT contain an anti-shark repellent, I can’t wait until my next Shark Angels trip!