Date: September 25 to October 1,2010

Where: Tiger Beach, Bahamas

Join Steven “Creech” Anderson and Jim Abernethy for a Tiger Shark Trip to Tiger Beach and the outer reefs along the Little Bahamas Banks. The cost of the trip is 2805.00 USD and includes diving for Tiger, Great Hammerhead, Lemon and Caribbean Reef Sharks for 5 days. We will spend 7 nights aboard the M/V Shear Water with all food, beverages, tanks, weights and  air fills included. Nitrox is available for $100.00 if you want it, but you wont need it. It is not a cruise ship but an adventure vessel. The boat will depart and return to West Palm Beach, Florida where there are hassle free flights available in and out. The airport is 20 minutes to the boat. This trip is planned for underwater photographers and experienced divers who have an interest in sharks and close - up action. There will be no cage and you will be underwater with several large sharks that are baited to provide the safest interaction you might ever experience. This trip provides some of the most exciting, extreme, and rewarding diving you might ever do. I can guarantee that you will return with a new appreciation of sharks and if you are a photographer you will return with great images.

We will spend some time taking images of Tiger Sharks and Lemon sharks topside with cameras trying to get bite shots as the sharks chase after bait on the surface, as well as a chance to swim with dolphins.

Tiger Beach is located about 25 miles north of Grand Bahamas Island is near the western side of the Little Bahamas Banks. The M/V Shear Water is owned and operated by Jim Abernethy. Jim and his professional crew have been diving the Bahamain waters for the past 15 years and taking divers on these adventures for almost as many years. Jim and his crew are some of the most skilled and experienced shark operators in the world and have an excellent record for getting divers close up with sharks.  All food and drink is provided along with snacks throughout the day. If you are serious in participating  please contact Steven Anderson – (615)335-1494 or thecreech@cs.com.

Not included :

*Liquor – No alcoholic beverages provided other than wine with dinner

*Additional fees for Bahamas taxes – $ 110.00 US per person, payable by cash or credit card.

* A fuel surcharge will be added and determined at the time of the trip

*Crew gratuities – 15% of charter price is standard

There are over 700 islands and Cays, which make up the Bahamas.
We traveled from West Palm Beach by boat through the warm and crystal clear waters of the Gulf Stream with none of those islands or cays in sight. By daybreak we cleared customs in the Bahamas and our Tiger and Hammerhead Shark Expedition was underway.

We were aboard the Shearwater, a 65’ live aboard vessel, outfitted for diving and not so much luxury. The vessel is outfitted to accommodate 10 guests. Our leader is Jim Abernethy, a shark expert, explorer of the ocean and true conservationist. Jim has been diving around the world for 25 years, exploring the unknown world of sharks and other marine life. A group of 10 divers from different parts of the world, including myself, were guests of Jim’s at the location he considers home, “Tiger Beach”. Tiger Beach is located about 20 miles north of the West End of Grand Bahamas. It is not really a beach but a shallow sand bar. Tiger Beach is home to a few different species of sharks which include Lemon Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Reef Sharks and occasionally Great Hammerhead Sharks.

Day 2. After 6 1/2 hours crossing the Gulf Stream during the night, we cleared customs and ventured off to release 30 small Sea Turtles given to the Expedition for safe release by a local marine research facility. One by one the turtles were set free into the warm waters of the Bahamas, to hopefully survive and become part of the underwater world in which we enjoy as divers.

As we snorkeled, we were able to capture their release with our cameras, this experience was interesting and while watching the turtles swim away, I wondered if I would ever see them again. After the turtles were released we boarded the M/V Shearwater and enjoyed lunch, prepared for an extensive briefing about diving with sharks and the encounters we might experience throughout the week.

Jim is very thorough with the briefing and explains that his goal is to safely get each diver as close to his friends the sharks and getting the prizewinning shot. Each diver carries a 4’ PVC pipe for keeping sharks from coming too close and if you are a photographer your camera may serve as a tool of protection as well. The pipe is meant for helping them steer around your body. Some of the larger Tiger Sharks have even been known to take a diver’s camera and carry it off, until figuring out that the metal does not taste the same as fish. All divers are requested to point and make sure that the divers to the left and right acknowledge the Tigers when they are present. Some of them are a bit sneaky.  The Tiger Sharks seem to mysteriously appear from any and all angles and are just as curious as we are. The briefing took nearly 2 hours and was a good lesson on sharks.

Our first dive with sharks would be done in two groups. Diving at separate times allows for a more controlled dive. The first reef we dove was a favorite reef of Jim’s and the Shear Water crew called Ginormous. We soon figure out the reason for the name of the reef. As we descended upon the reef the yellowtails swarmed our presence and were mostly interested in the crates filled with fish scraps and carcasses. We encountered three species of sharks, 25 Reef, 1 Lemon and 3 Tiger Sharks by the end of the dive. The water was warm, clear and calm. The diving continued until dusk and the action we encountered was a warm up for the days to follow. After all of us returned to the boat, the M/V Shear Water traveled to a safe anchorage at the next days location “Tiger Beach”. Dinner was served and an early night was in order for the next days diving. There was lots of anticipation and excitement for the next days adventure.

Day 3, the coffee brewed early as the sun broke the horizon. The water was completely flat, the conditions were perfect and a few Lemon Sharks circled the stern investigating the slick created by the crates, which floated in the water throughout the night. The number of Lemon Sharks escalated and suddenly a large Tiger Shark appeared. The distinguished markings on the shark’s tail indicated the Shark was “Emma”. Emma is a 14’ Tiger, weighing approximately 4000 pounds. She circled the stern and made her presence known. Emma is as docile as your loving pet at home and a super model for the underwater photographer.

We entered the water and positioned ourselves on the bottom in 15’ of water in runway fashion. Although very curious, Emma was interested as to who her new guests were and she was sure to keep her distance. Lemon Sharks were everywhere and resembled fighter jets landing on a carrier.

Nose to the ground they followed the scents in the sand created by the crates. Eventually 6 more Tigers and a Reef Shark made their appearance then the real show began. We enjoyed the runway viewing and everyone was very cognizant of the shark’s presence. Flashes and the sound of shutters continued all day.  It was easy to tell who the boss was at Tiger Beach. It was Emma! The conditions were similar to those of a swimming pool. Most of us spent 90% of the day in the water enjoying the sharks and their behavior.

Dinner came quickly and we prepared for a night dive with Lemon Sharks. The flight patterns did not change from daytime to nighttime, soon Lemon Sharks of all sizes surrounded us and they were still very interested in the crates and not us as divers. Lights from the Shear Water illuminated the water and with the aid of personal lights we were able to observe the activity during the darkness underwater at Tiger Beach.

Day 4, the weather and water conditions were not as inviting as the day before but we were there for diving and diving we did. The first dive site of the day was a site called Crystal Tiger. Here we enjoyed diving with several Tiger Sharks and lots of Lemon Sharks before the weather worsened and the visibility dropped to unfavorable conditions. We moved to another location called Shark Tooth Ridge. The seas were still rough but we descended to 30’ and encountered several Reef Sharks and Lemon Sharks. After experiencing a thermo cline and dirty green water we ascended to 15’ from the surface and many of the sharks followed us to this depth, including a couple of small Tiger Sharks.

The conditions worsened and we made our way to Breaching Tiger Splashing Dragon. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to surface shots of Tiger Sharks chasing bait on a line. A few Tigers found interest in participating in the activity, before the darkness appeared. Dinner was served and another early night was in order

Day 5, the morning presented yet more bad weather and all 10 divers voted to dive during the morning in hopes of seeing more Tiger sharks as we kept our anchorage at Breaching Tiger Splashing Dragon. Minutes passed underwater and our hopes were fulfilled. A large female wild Tiger Shark approached and was very curious as to the contents of the crates and of us. She did many swim bys and even flybys between us, over us and behind us. We had a lot of food in the water, four more Tiger Sharks appeared and the action intensified. The action was great, the Tiger Sharks seemed fearless and they were determined to put on the show we had come for. These Tiger Sharks seemed to be wild ones and not accustom to divers and available food without hunting.

Eventually the visibility worsened due to the activity which was high voltage to watch and we returned to the M/V Shear Water, the weather continued to worsen and a unanimous decision was made to make an early return to Palm Beach and dive the protected reefs off West Palm Beach. The seas were rough and rain battered our vessel as we traveled back across the Gulf Stream, but after 6 ½ hours we were in sight of land and the seas much calmer. We spent the evening on the M/V Shear Water and would not clear customs until day break the next day.

Our final day came early and we cleared customs quickly as to not miss optimum diving time. Our first dive of the morning would be under the Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster State Park. The Blue Heron Bridge is North America’s muck diving capital. Eagle Rays passed, Frogfish and many more unusual creatures that are normally found here with a good eye. As the tide changed it was time that we venture out to the reefs of Palm Beach, Florida.

Our second dive after lunch was Breaker’s Reef. Breaker’s Reef is currently being threatened by dredging for beach sand for expensive beachfront homes and resorts. Marine biologists claim that the construction has no effect but long time abuse by dredging does have an effect on the reefs. Diving on the Breakers Reef was spectacular. Sponges and lots of soft corals of all colors filter the reef. The reef was teaming with lots life and healthy coral. We enjoyed the first site so much that we decided to remain at the same location for our 3rd dive of the day and we dove the “Turtle Mound” as well as Breakers Reef.

As the sun set, we completed our last day of diving as well as the Tiger Shark Expedition, the M/V Shear Water circled to pick us up.

As I reflect back on our expedition, I have a new understanding regarding the world of sharks and the need for protection of sharks that have always been regarded as killers. We must protect them, they are important to the life cycle and food chain of the ocean.  The expedition to Tiger Beach was exciting and I suggest every diver make a visit there. I was able to get as humanly close to these amazing creatures without incident. Never was there a threat, observing and interacting with the sharks as we did brought a humbling sense to my mind. Many divers know Tiger Beach, but if you as a diver don’t make it there you might not have the understanding of these apex predators, the life they live and their importance to the environment and our every day life. A week at the beach was so much more than the adventure I had hoped for!

A special thanks to Jim Abernethy and all of his staff at Scuba Adventures in West Palm Beach, Florida for the incredible experience.

In testimony before a Senate Subcommitte, James Barry of the MOnteray Bay Aquarium Research Institute comments, “Acidification is changing the chamistry of the oceans at a scale and magnitude greater than thought to occur on Earch for many millions of years and is expected to cause changes in the growth and survival of a wide variety of marine organisms, potentially leading to massive shifts in ocean ecosytems.”

The report also notes, “Despite the potential for socioeconomic impacts to occur in coral reef systems, aquaculture, fisheries, and other sectors, there is not currently enough information to assess these impacts, much less develop plans to mitigate or adapt to them.”  In response, the US government has voted to fund research in this area and is developing the National Ocean Acidification Program.

What’s new!

Recent feedback for our readers has been that our posts of underwater photographers and their work are overwhelming favorites. With this in mind, we have approached two photographers to see if they can share their work!  Graham Casden of Ocean First Divers and Chris Kovaz of Divers Only have both provided us with recent photographs of their undersea journeys! Chris comes back for the second time.

Interview and Photos from Graham Casden:

http://divingindepth.com/interview-graham-casden

http://divingindepth.com/graham-casden/

Interview and Photos from Chris Kovaz:

http://divingindepth.com/interview-chris-kovaz/

http://divingindepth.com/chris-kovaz-february-2010/

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To Find a Listing of current diving events:

http://divingindepth.com/events/

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For our diving forum, you can go to:

http://www.thedivingforum.com

If you want to become a new member, you will need to contact us at the DivingInDepth.com as we have closed this forum to new members due to spam issues.

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For our work board, go to:

http://www.diverwork.com

The DivingInDepth Staff

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DivingInDepth.com has gathered, over the years, material that has been archived on the site . To make the information more available online, we now have a number of sites:

- http://worlddiving.info - A guide to the world’s best diving destinations

- http://wreckdiveguide.com - a guide to wrecks, particularly on the East Coast and Great Lakes of the United States

- http://divinggearguide.com - a guide to diving gear for the recreational and professional divers

- http://floridadiving.info - A guide to Florida’s caves and springs - Florida offers a world class cave diving destination

- http://OceanFish.info - a guide to ocean fish

- You can visit our new shopping site at: http://www.scubaselection.com

Most recent photos at DivingInDepth.com:

chris-kovaz-scuba-diving-photos-february-2010/

Chris, is a diving prodigy from Florida, but has traveled extensively all over the world. His love of underwater photography gradually developed after his father, Blaise, helped get him certified as a diver at the age of 12.  After receiving a 2-mega-pixel camera and an Ikelite housing from Blaise, his career had finally begun. He became much more accomplished after completing his first class with Stephen Frink in 2005. After the improvements made in that short week, Chris knew photography was his future.  Chris currently shoots a Canon 1Ds MarkII with a Sea Cam housing. Chris has been diving in extravagant places such as, Belize, the Bahamas, Utila, Roatan, the Galapagos, Fiji, and the Florida Keys.
Question: How long have you been involved in diving?
Chris: I have been diving since I was 11 so 15 years now.

Question: What equipment do you prefer when you dive?

Chris: I typically use full in Scubapro dive gear.  I shoot Cannon Cameras and lens.  Then I use a Seamcam housing system

Question: What are you favorite diving sites or countries you have visited?

Chris: My favorite sites I can’t recall off the top of my head but places have been the Red Sea and Fiji.

Question: What do think are the best diving sites in Florida? Any personal preference?

Chris: In Florida I Love Key largo Snappers Ledge and City of Washington. These are are the top 2 sites in my opinion.

Question: What events is Divers Only involved in now?

Chris: Right now we are getting ready for the trade show season and coming out with Underwater planet our own publication.

If you thinking diving is not very popular in Colorado, think again. As Graham told me, “There are more certified divers per capita in Colorado than any other state.”

Graham also graciously agreed to be a photographer for DivingInDepth.com. To see his pictures you can go here:

www.divingindepth.com/graham-casden/

Question: What diving activities are you curently most excited about?

Graham: In 2005, I developed the idea for Ocean First Divers- a 21st century dive operation that combines the excitement and adventure of scuba diving with marine biology education and ocean conservation. When customers emerged from our training program, the idea is that they will be capable divers who have a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the marine environment.

Question: I have heard that Horsetooth Reservoir and Turquoise Lake are two popular divingt spots in Colorado? What are you favorite places to dive there?

Graham: I have no personal experience diving at Horsetooth Reservoir or Turquoise Lake. Aurora Reservoir is probably the most popular dive site in the area and it also has a sunken plane that serves as a decent wreck dive.

Question: Any upcomming events for the diving community in Colorado?

Graham: Ocean First Divers is involved in a number of ongoing events. A popular one is our monthly socials, put on in conjunction with “The Dive Club” ( refer to http://www.meetup.com/The-Dive-Club/ ). These events are free to the public and catered by a variety of different local restaurants. We can accommodate about 60-70 people comfortably and every month we have a different guest speaker.

Question: Who do you have lined up to speak?

Graham: Next month CU Professor Mel Cundiff is doing a presentation on Echinoderms and in April Dr. Alex Antoniou is coming from the Shark Research institute to discuss different diving and tagging expeditions to Sorocco and Guadalupe islands. We are also working with PADI on some online content that is still in developmental stages, combining scuba certification with different disciplines, as well as working with them to further develop a wetsuit reclamation program.

If you thinking diving is not very popular in Colorado, think again.  As Graham told me, “There are more certified divers per capita in Colorado than any other state.”

Graham graciously agreed to be a photographer for DivingInDepth.com and spent time with us on a short interview.

Contact: www.oceanfirstdivers.com

The pictures …

Chris, is currently Digital Media Director for DiversOnly.com. You can hear him weekly on Divers Only Radio.  He is an active diving photographer whose photos first appeared on DivingInDepth’s website several years back. He graciously agreed to appear on our site again!

Chris has been diving 15 years, since the age of eleven. His certifications in rescue diving, nitrox, wreck diving and underwater photography.  His diving mask is custom and is fitted with prescription lenses.

His equipment:  a Canon 1DS Mark II with a Sea Cam housing. He  uses Ikelite 150 and ion z240 strobes.

Next trip: Chris is going to Soccoro  islands in January of 2011.

Contact:

email Chris chrisk@diversonly.com.

the pictures …

Whats new!

DivingInDepth.com has gathered, over the years, material that has been archived on the site. To make the information more available online, our site has launched five new sites to focus on our varied material:

- http://worlddiving.info - A guide to the world’s best diving destinations
- http://wreckdiveguide.com - a guide to wrecks, particularly on the East Coast and Great Lakes of the United States
- http://divinggearguide.com - a guide to diving gear for the recreational and professional divers
- http://floridadiving.info - A guide to Florida’s caves and springs - Florida offers a world class cave diving destination
- http://OceanFish.info -  a guide to ocean fish

Also …

Tony Liddicoat, a diver of 44 years and counting has just published his book “Five Bells” Job Done.  Tony has agreed to be interviewed and share some of his photographs with us. You can see his photograph’s here:

http://divingindepth.com/tony-liddicoat

For DivingInDepth.com members, you can ask for a discounted addition of this book autographed by Tony at Fivebells@live.com.

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Q4 TRAVEL DESTINATION: Scuba Diving in Africa - Top Five Destinations

Africa being a large continent, it offers all kinds of diving experiences to right from the novice divers to the most experienced scuba divers.

Apart from the Red Sea, which offers diving experiences unique to it, most of the diving experiences that Africa offers are in the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean which lies in the east coast of Africa. African countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar are all rich in diving experiences. Cape Town, which is the tip of the African Continent, offers good diving experience because of the combination of the Indian Ocean currents and the currents of the Atlantic.

The whole of Africa is inundated with good dive sites, and for all those who look for that extra something there are still a fairly large number of dive sites which deliver what is expected. Experienced divers are starting to frequent Sodwana Bay, Mnemba Island and Inhambane which give the opportunity to dive and swim along with some of the large marine animals such as Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and different varieties of sharks

http://divingindepth.com/scuba-diving-in-africa/

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ARTICLE:  “Five Bells” Job Done by Tony Liddicoat

For an avid diver, this book is a must read.  Tony Liddicoat has been diving for over 44 years, and, as one of the book’s typists commented, “I don’t know how you’re still alive.” Tony pursued commercial, military, and recreational diving and his diving career has taken him all over the world. In 1981 he was named British “Diver of the Year”. The book includes chapters devoted to his time diving as a wreck excavator in Kenya, his military assignments in Germany and the Falkland Islands, as an Army diving instructor in Belize, and commercially and recreationally diving throughout Europe. I particularly enjoyed the wealth of pictures he has in his book, like the picture of He and Jacques Cousteau talking aboard the Calypso, the pictures of his time excavating wrecks in Mombasa Kenya, or his cover photo of him on Soldier Magazine in November of 1988.

Click here to read on… http://divingindepth.com/five-bells-job-done

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To Find a Listing of current diving events:

http://divingindepth.com/events/

DEMA 2009 is upon us .. Nov 4-7th in Orlando, Florida

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For our diving forum, you can to to:

http://www.thedivingforum.com

If you want to become a new member, you will need to contact us at the divingindepth.com as we have closed this forum to new members due to spam issues.

***************************************************

For our work board, go to:

http://www.diverwork.com

The DivingInDepth Staff

***************************************************

You can visit our new shopping site at: http://www.scubaselection.com

For an avid diver, this book is a must read. Tony Liddicoat has been diving for over 44 years, and, as one of the book’s typists commented, “I don’t know how you’re still alive.” Tony pursued commercial, military, and recreational diving and his diving career has taken him all over the world. In 1981 he was named British “Diver of the Year”. The book includes chapters devoted to his time diving as a wreck excavator in Kenya, his military assignments in Germany and the Falkland Islands, as an Army diving instructor in Belize, and commercial and recreational diving throughout Europe. I particularly enjoyed the wealth of pictures he has in his book, like the picture of He and Jacques Cousteau talking aboard the Calypso, the pictures of his time excavating wrecks in Mombasa Kenya, or his cover photo of him on Soldier Magazine in November of 1988.

Picture of the recovery of a Wessex Mark V helicopter which sank off Portland Bill, UK in 1974

If you are interested in commercial diving, he provides a detailed description of what this is like. He was involved inspecting over a hundred British rail bridges, the construction and anchoring of pipeline in Holyhead, North Wales, repairing a reactor transfer tunnel for the Winfrith Nuclear Reactor in Dorset, and the replacement of the lock gate sill in Penzance, Cornwall. He also discusses his rescue of a diver in Belize while his stint as a diving instructor at he Army’s Adventure Training Centre a few miles from Belize City.

After reading the book, DivingInDepth.com has had the chance to interview Tony Liddicoat.

DivingInDepth: What was the most exciting event in your diving career?

Tony: The most exciting event in my diving career is probably the rescue of Dick Alba, the American diver in Belize. I descended into the black wild water in Belize at night in the face of Hurricane George, when he was unconscious, I had no mask and only a small hand held torch, but I saw that he regained consciousness at 30 metres, and he became ‘alive’ again. This was a big thrill for me as I value life above all else. There have been other special occasions and sights, but that dive holds special memories for me.

Artist impression of the "Lazy Shot" system used to rescue Dick Alba

DivingInDepth: What are you most proud of during your 44 years plus of diving?

Tony: I am proud of all the novices and trained divers I have enhanced over the years at varying locations around the world. So many of them are not so emotional or gushing in their thanks but the deep sincerity when they shake your hand and say a simple ‘thank you’ - means so much, it is very humbling.

DivingInDepth: When were you in most danger in your diving career?

Tony: Difficult to answer, people’s opinion of danger varies. My life has included much work with explosives, fast currents and black water. The room for error in these situations is minute. Perhaps looking back, some of the fast water work I did recovering armoured vehicles was amongst the most dangerous but the job that silently gave me the shivers was diving in the contaminated ponds of a nuclear reactor.

DivingInDepth: Do you have a favorite diving destination?

Tony: In my later years having dived every ocean there is so much beauty under the waves that it often just took my breath away. I used to be very fond of the diving at the drop-off to the south of ‘Half Moon Cay’ on Lighthouse Reef in the Caribbean off of Belize.  The Blue Hole is also situated there - another of my favourites. In my later years I am excited by the wrecks to be found in the English Channel off of Folkestone. Every dive is different, as every wreck has a different story to tell from a different age. The last dive I did there , we recovered Gold, Silver and Diamonds during the dive. A first such dive for me.

DivingInDepth: Now that the book is published, what are you up to now?

Tony: Next month I have been asked to be a part of a small team and go and search for one of 2 wrecks belonging to the fleet of Vasco De Gama, which sank in the Arabian sea, with a priceless cargo of jewels on board, this also gives me a buzz.

How to Order the book:

Tony Liddicoat has self published this book,(ISBN 978-0-9561399-0-0) the RRP is £12 + P & P (US that is $19.61 plus shipping and handling). You can view the web site for other reviews at www.tonyliddicoat.com. The best way to buy it would be at : Fivebells@live.com. If requested, signed and stamped copies are available at that address, [with Tony's commercial stamp] You can use PayPal.