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Endlessly fascinating cage diving with great white sharks — these guys were bitiing each other today!! I was so wrong in thinking I would be bored with cage diving – divemaster Log – July 10, 2010

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Like the final on firework of 4 of July!  Thats what I heard a guest said when we ended up our last dive. Our two days before has been really nice and active with good great white sharking. Our last day it started a bit slow but it picked up towards the end of the end of the day with 3 male sharks. One was Jonny, the other two I am not sure. This 3 males where really trying out each others to find out who was on the top of the hierarchy. Very active in following each others and parallel swimming and I saw a couple of times the smallest one bolting away from one bigger approaching male and even one male biting after the head of the other male in its size. The smaller male did beautiful passes up at the surface and way above our cages, it just came and came and it just continued to come from all directions that made our heads spin around and hoses getting tangled up with each others. It was a great finish of this trip. Just undoing the cages when we where packing up I looked behind my by the surface Scar or also known Shredder, the most famous shark in Guadalupe made a good bye pass by. Yes he is here this year as well we saw him for first time this year two days ago. It is always a relief when you see him that he still survived an other year.

It is my 4th year I am doing this shark diving in Guadalupe , and I was not really so interested when I was asked to come and work with this. Cages? me I dive free if I will dive not sit and rot in a cage. Today I spend 4-5 hrs every day  I am here, under water watching the great white sharks and it just gets more interesting to study them and try to understand their behavior. I have learned to understand some bits and pieces , but just get more questions of this beautiful fantastic animals. I will be having time off after this trip and hand it over to Jessie “Shark chick” Harper with Peter Schalkwijk and Pedro Cervantes,  great friends and very experienced in this work and as divers. Great to have back on board!  I be back in a few weeks! Big Hug!

Sten

Surface conditions. Cloudy morning bright sun later on in the day temp 26 C 80 F

Under water conditions. Viz has been 120+ ft 40 m

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After communing with these great white sharks for a few days, I am moved to become an ambassador for their continued existence – guest log – Guadalupe Island – August 8, 2010

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Diving with great white sharks is on my bucket list – and nearing ‘middle age’ I acted on the opportunity when my husband was convinced this “mid life crisis” trip was cheaper than a Mercedes SLK and said GO GO GO.  The research pointed to this boat as the ORIGINAL, the safest, the most experienced … essentially THE one. Now I’ve been on live aboards, many of them over last 20 years.  After MANY liveaboards, I was nervous about the quality of the boat, staff, and service.  But even if the boat was horrible, it was only 5 days.  Two weeks after I sealed the deal and booked the trip/airfare – my little brother sent me a link to a “cool, awesome, adventure” – it was the same boat, same trip.  I laughed and told him he was a little late – but better book it because I was going.  This boat is amazing.  Larger rooms than I have experienced in 90% of the liveaboards I’ve experienced. The staff has been incredible – so customer service oriented … well all except Sten who is a bit of a smart aleck, but there has to be one in every crowd.  The highlight of the trip – other than the WHITE SHARKS was Jessie.  The shark chick who started this adventure, created the original shark ID program, invested her time, resources, dedication to putting Guadalupe on the map. She is the most modest world renowned researcher and white shark guru.  Onto the diving – WOW – it is cold!  But it is the most amazing experience to see white sharks cruise past your cage so effortlessly, so powerfully.  They kept coming back and occasionally posing for the many, many photographs.  If you have a deep desire to see white sharks up close and personal – this is THE boat to book, this is THE staff to hang with and share your experience. After communing with these sharks for a few days, I have a deeper respect for them with no fear. I am moved to be involved and become an ambassador for their continued existence.  Thanks for reading  this – and I hope you book it soon before the Mexican government changes the rules and bans this activity.  Dawn Milbut from Tomball/Houston, TX and little bro Patrick Miller from Austin, TX.

I have never dived or even snorkeled.  Don’t let that stop you!  Thanks to the care, encouragement and knowledge of the crew, I have experienced great white sharks up close at Guadalupe Island .  An experience too surreal for words.  And away from the water, the crew has provided super service and the chef has fixed special vegan meals for me. I have only good things to say about this trip!  Worth every penny! Robyn from Bakersfield

I have been very happy with this trip.  The crew was ” Awesome! ”  I was also able to count the number of teeth on the sharks many times.  There’s about 250, FYI, owowowowow.  Scott from Bakersfield.

Before going on this adventure of a lifetime, I was REALLY nervous that I would get all the way out here and not see any white sharks.  Well, I was completely wrong. Every dive so far has exceeded my expectations…sharks circling and coming in closer than ever imagined.  It was UNREAL.  The crew was exceptional and all in all it was the trip of a lifetime.  I cannot believe I was able to experience this trip.  Great whites are amazing creatures that I truly wish everyone could see up close.  I cannot wait to show all my middle school science students all my photos!  Leslie Chadwick from San Diego.

My seventeen year old daughter can not stop talking about what she has seen and how great this trip has been. The crew is fantastic. If you are concerned about the quality of the boat and service, it’s excellent!!!! I would be happy to recommend this adventure to anyone. You have not lived until you have swam with the white sharks of Guadalupe Island!!!!!

Tom and Chelsea Spruance from Delaware

After Day 1 I was so certain that there could be nothing more we could see to top the experiences of those first few dives but Day 2 was nothing short of spectacular. The sharks were more curious and we were all too willing to satisfy that curiosity! The crew has been amazing and definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Amazing experience and 100% one of the most exciting, interesting, eye-opening 4 days of my life so far… Can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us…

-Wade – Montreal, Canada

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Posted in Animals, Destinations, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Guest Blog, Nautilus Explorer, shark | No Comments »

After a hugely successful opening season great white shark trip we are back at the magical island of Guadalupe for round 2. – Captains Log – Aug 7/10

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

One of my favorite things about this white shark season so far, besides for the big white sharks of course, is arriving at the island and having the whole bay to myself, no other boats in my favorite spot, just us, the island, and the sharks…perfect! The 185 nautical mile transit from Ensenada was not what I would consider perfect as far as the weather goes, but it was decent. The beam sea was not particularly large, but the wavelength was short enough to keep the vessel rocking and I admit I did see a couple green-tinged faces peering at me with what I would not call love in their eyes. However most fared quite well, and on our evening arrival in the sheltered bay on the north-east side of Guadalupe the seas magically flattened, the wind disappeared, and the green faces were suddenly pink again. Captain Mike and I always try to arrive in the bay just before dinner so that everyone can enjoy the calm smooth protected waters.  A small group of common dolphins greeted us and performed for the guests peering down from the bow.

The morning weather was beautiful today as we prepared the cages for a bright and early 0630 start for those eager to catch their first glimpse of the most famous shark in the ocean. We didn’t have to wait long, and in fact saw our first shark from the surface as we were lowering the cages in. A 3.5 meter male cruising by, curious about all the commotion, who would end up spending the day with us and being our super-star.

Our as yet unidentified male ended up being our only shark today, but he was all we needed, staying with us all day and coming in close enough for both the photographers and the adrenaline junkies. Besides for all the white shark excitement we were also visited by a Mexican Navy frigate patrolling the island, who boarded us for a routine, albeit very thorough, inspection.

Another amazing day with the white sharks of Guadalupe, looking forward to more in the next couple days.

Goodnight,

Captain Gordon Kipp

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Great White Sharks up close at Guadalupe Island – July 23 – Aug 4

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Photos courtesy of Dive Guide Sten and guest Wolfgang Zwicknagl.

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Taking a chance on an earlier than usual start to Guadalupe great white shark season pays off – dive guide log – August 4, 2010.

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Captain Mike decided to take a chance and start our Guadalupe Island great white shark season earlier than usual this year.  we had always heard the stories from local fishermen and scientists that the white sharks are present at Guadalupe at the end of July.  Sure enough  today is our 4th day with shark diving has been real good, It has been sharks  from morning to evening, not too many individuals . Mostly there has been 4 males in size from 3.5 to 4 m long 10-12 ft. We spotted a small 7-8 footer that just swiftly passed by with no wish to stay with its bigger brothers.

In total I counted 7 different individuals.

It has been sunny , dead calm seas, great viz and we have been totally spoiled of sharks. divers are smiling , It is a dream to bee working in this kind of conditions!

This morning we took a few trips with the skiffs to have a look at the Guadelupe furseasls and a few resting elephant seals as a change of all the sharks. We did not get to see the beaked whales close up , but they are out there, We spotted them with binoculars yesterday.

In the early evening we did our last dive with sharks following up in the end there where only 2 left but they did not leave us, even when we sat up the cages.

We packed and lashed our cages and secured all gear and cameras and wetsuits ready for going back to Ensenada. A great 12 days trip with good company of excellent guests and the team of Nautilus Explorer. The variation with the Channel island, Island opping and end up here in Mexico starting up the new season of Guadalupe.

Lets do that again!!

Surface conditions: Flat water, 28 C in the sun, Sunny

Underwater conditions: Viz 120ft-40 m Temp: 16-18C ca 65F

Dive guide Sten

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Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Destinations, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Guadalupe fur seals, Nautilus Explorer, mexico | No Comments »

4 great white sharks battling for dominance and making eye contact with divers at Guadalupe Island – Captain’s Log – August 2, 2010

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

It has been the perfect way to open our great white shark season at Guadalupe. Sunny skies, warm air, light winds, calm seas and good sharking. Today was our third day for this trip in the cages, The first shark today could be seen near the surface before anyone stepped foot into a cage, as well as number 2 only a short time later.  For around 40 minutes we had two nice sized males, around 12-14 ft, circling the cages and eye-balling us curiously, one obviously the more dominant staying higher up while the smaller kept a respectable distance below. Then suddenly another appeared, and moments later the other divemaster in the cage opposite me signaled me, 4 sharks! I’ve seen 4 sharks at time from the cages before, but I think today was the first time I’ve seen all 4 sharks seemingly battling for dominance and in doing so all 4 behaving extremely bold towards the cages.

They were all making eye-level passes, or approaching the cages from above and below, and keeping everyones head on a swivel.  9 times out of 10 when I feel one approaching from outside my line of vision, he’s gonna be there. It is quite impossible to describe with words the feelings I get during dives like these with so many of these beautifully animals circling, and often making eye contact from a very short distance away. When those blue eyes (yes they have blue eyes!) meet yours and you feel them sizing you up, it sends a jolt of adrenaline through you that just feels primal.

When you see them coming towards you from 100 ft away, in the beautiful clear blue water, with their “joker smile” aimed directly at YOU, it sends a shiver up your spine and you find yourself willing them to keep coming, keep swimming towards me, because you want that amazing rush that only a close encounter with a white shark can provide. After my dives are over and I strip off my wetsuit, I usually need to slump over somewhere with the totally content, drained feeling that one gets from an adrenaline high.

Besides for all the intense excitement, we also had some simply beautiful views as a sealion flashed through the blue water, dancing between the sharks, eyeing the cages and people inside, and parting the polarized schools of fish as it showed off it’s agility. You could almost hear it’s thoughts as it swam circles only a couple meters from the noses of the white sharks, “you can’t touch this!”.

One more day in the cages tomorrow, but already it has been one that I will always remember.

Captain Gordon Kipp

Surface conditions: Skies clear, air temp 25C-28C, winds light, seas calm Diving conditions: Water temp 17C, visibility 100-150ft, mild current

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The great white sharks have returned to Guadalupe Island.. yahhhyyyyyy… diveguide and guest blog – August 1, 2010

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

So after finishing of 6 days diving in the Channel islands our trip has now reached Guadalupe Island. We arrived with grey weather but after a couple of hours the sun burned through and we had a beautiful sunny day and dead calm seas. It was a real treat. The first two hours we only had one sealion passing by, at a time thoughts where thinking are we to early in the season?

Then finally at the surface a 3,5 m male came by and he was a frisky one! Quick turns , steep dives and ascents and just passing inches away from the bars of the cages. Eyeballing  us. He continued staying with us until an other male a bit bigger and better fed took over and dominated the water around  Nautilus Explorer. He was not getting in as close to us as the first one but was giving us a good show until light was out and we finished the day. Again we see the funny behaiviour with a young male Californian sealion playing with the white shark, at one moment it looked like the shark would have a chance but the sealion out manouvered him.

Sun , calm seas and good viz, Good start of the new season! Nice and fun to be back again!

Surface conditions . Sunny , dead still seas 28 C 82F

Underwater conditions. Viz 100-120 ft, could clearly see the anchor chain. Temp 16-17 C 65-67F

Absolutely great dive with big great white sharks around, so close that I am able to kiss them, i love those sharks! I’m shark addicted!

They are beautiful, I never thought they would get so close to us before I came. And I never thought they would show up so quickly, either.

And a beautiful crew too! I love Nautilus Explorer and all the crew members, everybody working perfectly together. Thanks!

Sabine

First of August 2010 – Swiss National Day – we had fantastic dives at Guadalupe Island and saw  Great White Sharks.. One of them was very curious. That was great fun being in the cage! :-) all of us had great fun and the photographers are very happy with the taken pictures and are preparing now thrilling slide shows being showed at home demonstrating how courageous we are. This trip is worth being recommended to everybody, it is incredible to watch this perfect predators! Dani

Erscht Auguscht 2010 – Schwizer Nationalfiertig – moer hond super touchgaeng vor guadalupe ka und bis zu vier wissi hai glichzitig gsaea. Oana vo dena isch mega neugierig gsi und haed useri kaefig mehreri mol agschubst und probiert drizbissa. denn isch amel was los im kaefig! :-) es haed allna spass gmacht und d’fotografa send uebergluecklich mit da gschossna bilder und stellid etz spannendi dia shows zemma zum dahom zoaga, wia muetig moer alli do gsi seand! Ma kas nu allna empfehla, isch wirklich unglaublich zum dena riesiga raeuber zuazulaga! Dani

Mein tausendster Tauchgang und soooo schoen: unser Kapitaen Gordon war als Cage Master fuer uns zustaendig und fuehrte uns direkt in 12 Meter Tiefe zu drei weissen Haien. Einer des Trios war sehr interessiert an uns Vieren im Kaefig. Er kam uns so nah, dass wir ihn haetten beruehren koennen, will heissen: er landete mit seinem Maul im Kaefig. Doch ueberrascht wie wir waren, begnuegten wir uns mit neugierigen Blicken und machten schoene Bilder von diesem unglaublichen Geschoepf. Diese Leichtigkeit und Eleganz, mit der er sich durch das tiefblaue Wasser bewegt, ist ueberwaeltigend. Man kann sich gar nicht satt sehen. Drei Tauchgaenge am Tag vergehen wie im Fluge und wir sind schon gespannt auf morgen…Tag drei in Guadalupe, wir warten!

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Posted in Animals, California Sealions, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Destinations, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Guest Blog, Nautilus Explorer | No Comments »

Bring on Jaws!!! Captain’s Log for Guadalupe Island great white sharks and guest comments on California Channel Islands – July 31, 2010

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

The sky is overcast, but the wind is light and the seas calm, making for a very comfortable and relaxing transit for our first white shark cage diving trip of the season to Guadalupe Island. Being in the water and up close to a white shark is one of my favorite things in the world to do, and as I sit here writing this I have a feeling in my stomach something like I used to get on Christmas eve when I was waiting for Santa Claus to come. Well, something like that anyway. I’m excited, a little anxious, and I can’t wait to open my presents. In this case my “present” being a 15 foot torpedo shaped mass of  muscle and cartilage with a mouth extremely full of teeth.

Not as scary as it sounds. In fact, not scary at all once you’ve experienced it.  Awe-inspiring, humbling, enlightening, adrenaline-inducing, definitely all of those things. But I have never experienced anything resembling fear in my previous two seasons of cage diving at Guadalupe, and I have seen a lot of big sharks very close-up. For some people it’s not the fear of white sharks, but the idea that ‘cage diving’ isn’t really diving at all, and it would be boring to be stuck in a cage. If that’s how you feel, then you have not cage dived with us at Guadalupe Island. I love scuba diving, and I have experienced many beautiful dives with Giant Mantas, whalesharks, schooling hammerheads, sea-lions, humpbacks and beluga whales, but probably my best three dives of all-time have been from inside (or on top of) a cage at Guadalupe. It is that awesome!

Ok, I’m finished preaching. I actually wasn’t intending to when I started this log, I promise. We’ll be arriving at Isla Guadalupe around 0900 tomorrow morning, dropping our anchor in 240 ft of water just over a couple hundred meters from the cliffs on the sheltered side at the north end of the island, and hopefully spending the next four days in the company of that famous white shark ’smile’. I can’t wait to see that first big dorsal fin breaking the surface and hear the shouts from the crew, “Shark!!” Stay tuned for updates from the shark files!

Captain Gordon Kipp

The first two dives  on our last dive day in the California Channel Islands were really good, lots of life in the kelp, we saw a lot of bat rays, maybe 15-20. And one time as I was swimming through the kelp I looked up and saw two birds (cormorants) swimming next to me underwater! It was really nice. Dive 3 was not so good with very low visibility.

Everything is great, except the hot tub makes my beer warm.

Wolfgang

Everything has been perfect! Two beautiful dives this morning at Anacapa Island full of life in an amazing kelp forest. Although the water is cold the hot tub is always there waiting to warm you up. And the crew always trying to bring you more beer in the hot tub!

Peter

The diving was great today the vis could have been better… but the kelp looked like a underwater garden. Also some sea lions were playing at the dive site 40km off shore… quite a swim!

Stefan Pircher.

“The California Channel Islands”, das sind verspielte Seeloewen, 2m grosse Barsche, flinke Fledermausrochen, gut getarnte Engelhaie und die leuchtend orangen Garibaldis im Kelp. Eine Kulisse wie im Maerchenwald, in den diffus die Sonne scheint und sich die Strahlen brechen. Da ist aber auch die Bohrinsel “Eureka”, welche man bei laufendem Betrieb betauchen darf: ein Moloch, der als Fremdkoerper mitten im Pazifik steht und schon 1m unter Wasser komplett bewachsen ist wie ein intaktes Riff mit all seinen kleinen und grossen Bewohnern und uebermuetigen Seeloewen, welche die Plattform fuer sich als perfekten Rueckzugsort vereinnahmt haben. Mit einem Trockentauchanzug und 5mm Handschuhen laesst es sich im durchschnittlich 15 Grad Celsius kuehlen Wasser eine Stunde komfortabel tauchen. Sechs aufregende Tauchtage sind vorbei, jetzt sind wir bereit und aufgewaermt fuer 4 Tage Kaefigtauchen mit dem grossen Weissen…

Christiane Floren

Wenn man in den channel islands taucht, fuehlt man sich in eine andere welt versetzt. atemberaubende kelpwaelder wiegen sich in der brandung, die einen mikrokosmus fuer eine unzaehlige vielfallt von tieren darstellen. ein urlaub, den ich sicher nie vergessen werde.

Alexander Wasenbelz

The diving is amazing and after some days you get used to the cold water too. We have seen everything we wanted sea lions, angel sharks, cow nose stingrays lots more and lots of kelp which is interesting for diving. The sea lions are wonderful, playing around so fast and curious just gorgeous. Now we are pretty exciting for the Great White.

Claudia and Ewald

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Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Destinations, Great White Shark, Guadalupe Island, Guest Blog, Hammerhead shark, Humpback Whale, Whalesharks, hammerhead, kelp, sealions | No Comments »

Great white shark season at Guadalupe started today.

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Following link contains some interesting information.

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life-ecosystems/great-white-shark/

Captain Mike.

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First trip of the season to Santa Barbara – shy bat rays, angel sharks and thousands of sealions – California Channel Islands – divemaster log – July 28, 2010

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Sealions and Angel sharks.

This is the first time we go to Santa Barbara Island this season.

We went in to a small sealion rocery that we had a tip of. Not very deep the deepest I managed get was 16 m 55ft. Water was really clear until you got in to 20 ft or 7 m. This place has a lot of Bat rays in between the sand and the kelp. resting at the bottom, they are really shy and dont like bubbles at all! so best way to approach them is being at the bottom and hold your breath. Funny looking ray and there where many of them. At the sandy bottom around the island we also found several Angel sharks, very camoflaged and a very cool looking shark, Looks a bit like the wobbegong and we often found them being in pair. we went in to the south side of the island to the sealion coloni. hera are tousands of them I beleive! We went in to the shallow , but viz was really low cause of the surge and we turnred out the very dense kelp and got clear water and got harassed by young sealions.

Our last dive site was … not that great.. Bare rock and a million sea urchins and brittle stars… except of the last dive we had a great day here and sun is up and the sky is clear blue.

Surface conditions: 5-10 knots wind calm sea with a little shop on the windy side. Sunny after a grey morning 23C

Underwater conditions: Clear at 25 ft Viz ca 15-18m ca 60 ft A bit of surge on shallow waters. Very mild current 60 f 14-16 C.

Dive guide Sten Sent via satellite.

Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Channel Islands, Destinations, Santa Barbara Island, kelp, sealions, shark | No Comments »

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