Diver hand feeds world's most dangerous shark

Sharks are the most feared creatures in the ocean. Most people fear that even swimming in waters where sharks are known to inhabit, will result in them being attacked. This is definitely not true. For some, swimming nose to nose with them is a dream and huge bucket list item. For most scuba divers, seeing sharks and the large animals is key to any dive. Turtles, manta rays, stingrays, and all types of fish also bring great excitement for making memories while below the waves. But far above seeing those animals comes an experience very few get to do…FEEDING BULL SHARKS! Coming in at over 9 feet long and 500 pounds, this means these sharks feed on many types of aquatic animals, especially fish, turtles, marine mammals and even other sharks. Playa del Carmen, Mexico is among the best places in the world to dive with bull sharks.

The warm water and excellent visibility allow us to appreciate with great satisfaction the beauty and elegance of these majestic predators. Although known as one of the worlds most aggressive and therefore dangerous sharks, this excursion is very controlled by trained guides. One of the dive guides from Phantom Divers in Playa Del Carmen mentioned that the bull sharks are only in the area between November and March of each year. Why do these fierce animals come to Playa Del Carmen? As a result of the Bull sharks migratory pattern, the warm waters of the Caribbean attract the sharks November through March as that is when the females give birth. Being the perfect location to scuba dive and vacation, Playa Del Carmen is the top location for adventurous travelers to take in this amazing excursion. Rather than diving so close to the sharks, you can remain slightly distant while experiencing jolts of adrenaline and excitement.

The things that separate bull sharks from other sharks their size is their aggression. Known to live within shallow brackish waters as well as deep clear waters such as the Caribbean, they are one of the most feared sharks in the oceans. They also are capable of living in fresh water as well as salt water. This also makes them very unpredictable to where they are found, because they have been known to venture many miles up rivers searching for food. The divers in this video are the few that have chosen to take on the extreme. They have been instructed on how to act within the habitat of these huge sharks. Remain still and calm but observe and enjoy. Laying along the ocean floor at approximately 80 feet deep the divers line up along a previously anchored rope on the sand. Once everyone is in place and ready, the guides begin to chum the waters with bait fish. Within minutes the bull sharks appear from the distant blue waters and start swimming in all directions looking for the food they could smell. Once the sharks appear, the extremely trained and skilled “shark feeders” begin enticing these incredible animals to come close with whole pieces of fish. With bursts of speed the sharks race in just as the guide releases the morsel of fish inches from its hundreds of razor sharp teeth. The guides work in teams, always keeping an eye out for each other in case one of the hungry predators approaches from behind the guide.

With extreme accuracy, every chance the sharks have to swallow up one of the bait fish, they charge in like a superstar football running back heading for the goal line. With adrenaline building in the divers and shark feeding guides, the key shark feeder offers up one of the largest bulls in the area a very tasty morsel. Just as the bull races past with jaws wide open, the guide releases the fish and the guide lets out an ear piercing scream of excitement. With all divers safe and having experienced a thrill of a lifetime, the feeding stops. Within a short time the sharks begin to disperse allowing the divers to surface safely and board the boat back to shore. Every diver expressed their amazement of how graceful the massive sharks were. “Seeing how they could accelerate within feet to high speed and gobble up a chunk of fish was amazing” one of the divers mentioned. This is definitely a thrill of a lifetime for many divers. I interested in this experience. Look up Phantom Divers before heading to Riviera Maya. They can surely help you out with seeing these amazing animals up close.