of blood and fish detritus into a slick several miles
long, but no sharks came. Fortunately Ron and Valerie
Taylor were aboard to regale us with stories from
the really early years of white sharking when they
worked with Peter Gimbel and Stan Waterman on
Blue Water, White Death.
So little was known about
white sharks at the time that whatever they tried was
new, experimental and potentially very risky. Their
friend Rodney Fox was aboard, too; as the world’s
most famous great white shark attack survivor, his
contributions to their collective wisdom might have
made everyone a little bit wary of close interactions.
Yet, they persevered, and after pursuing white sharks
all around the globe, they released a film that grossed
second only to
Love Story
in ticket sales in 1971.
Fast track forward a few decades, and shark diving is
now almost commonplace. South Australia outlawed
the great white shark fishery, and the populations
have boomed again, making expeditions to the South
Neptunes extraordinarily productive. For North
Americans, Guadalupe is the big draw, offering a chance
to see white sharks predictably in exceptionally clear
water. South Africa, too, is well known for white shark
encounters; tourists from Cape Town make the trek to
Gansbaai for just a couple of days to go out on dayboats
and chum for great whites. Now there is a white-
shark photography subspecialty dedicated to shooting
breaching great whites. You can even book a helicopter
tour from Cape Town that includes the flight and the
boat — a great white shark experience all in a single day
Clearly, those early years of
Carcharodon carcharias
mystery that derived from lack of experiential access has
been displaced by mass media overload.
Despite all the shark shows and movies we’ve all seen
by now, nothing replaces being in a cage and seeing
a great white shark for the first time. You’ll marvel
at the size and grace of the fish and at their sheer
beauty. You’ll notice how carefully they control their
energy expenditures in pursuit of prey (or bait) and
how devastatingly efficient they are when they truly
connect. The experience is something Shark Week
can never replace. In a world dominated by streaming
video, universal web access, movies and television, I
hope we and our children make time to live the real
adventures. Virtual reality is no substitute for real time
underwater — for being where these animals truly
live. For short moments in time we can connect to the
world in a way no plasma screen allows.
AD
WHAT’S NEW ON
ALERTDIVER.COM
Sustainable Futures
Crystal clarity and a multitude of
sharks are two of the many reasons
divers love the Bahamas (“Big. Blue.
Bahamas.,” Page 72). Watch “Shark
Populations Enrich Ecosystem,
Economy in The Bahamas” by The
Pew Charitable Trusts to learn how
the Bahamas’ model is helping forge
a sustainable future. Then explore a
gallery of Bahamas images by
Stephen Frink.
New Frontiers
After you’ve read about Bill
Stone’s explorations in and out
of this world (DAN Member
Profile, Page 22), watch his
TED talk in which he shares
his vision for expanding the
possibilities of exploring the
final frontier.
Conservation for the
Common Good
National Marine Sanctuaries fulfill
an important role in preserving our
marine resources (“Our National
Marine Sanctuaries,” Page 64). Watch
“
Ocean Frontiers: An Ocean Blueprint
for Florida Keys” by Green Fire
Productions. It tells the story behind
the establishment of the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary — from
the heated clash between conflicting
interests to the separation of incom-
patible uses to the foundation of a
conservation area and the formation of
common ground.
Polar Exploration
After you’ve taken the plunge
into polar ice diving (Advanced
Diving, Page 40), see more
of the challenges, the striking
beauty and the unique marine
life of these frigid environments
in a bonus photo gallery from
Michael Lang.
www.alertdiver.com
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STEPHEN FRINK
STEVE ROSENBERG
COURTESY MICHAEL LANG
WES SKILES