BajaNomad

Tiger Sharks

Ken Bondy - 3-16-2008 at 11:09 AM

I just got back from a tiger shark trip in Grand Bahama Bank. It was fantastic being in the water with these beautiful animals. I thought Nomads might like to see some of these:









There were lots of beautiful lemon sharks all around us:





[Edited on 3-17-2008 by Ken Bondy]

Diver - 3-16-2008 at 11:18 AM

Amazing as always !!
Thanks Ken.

Natalie Ann - 3-16-2008 at 11:26 AM

Gee, Ken, every few years I'd like to have just one of your travel adventures.:yes:;D:dudette:

The sharks are very cool. Were you in a cage or swimming free among them?

As I'm always sayin' to you.... thanks a heap for sharing the pix.

Nena

Iflyfish - 3-16-2008 at 11:38 AM

Breathtaking! Stunning! Thank you so much!

Iflyfish

Ken Bondy - 3-16-2008 at 11:38 AM

Thanks Diver, Iflyfish, and Nena!! No cage Nena, you are right there in the water with them. ++Ken++

[Edited on 3-16-2008 by Ken Bondy]

Natalie Ann - 3-16-2008 at 11:40 AM

So Ken..... what keeps 'em from enjoying you for dinner?

Nena

Wonderful photos - again

BMG - 3-16-2008 at 11:41 AM

When sailing in the So Pacific, people would always ask us about swimming in tropical waters teaming with 'man eating sharks'. Never was an issue even when spearing dinner. Most sharks are simply not interested in man as food, but was always warned about Tiger sharks. They seem to be one of the more aggressive sharks. When I asked a fellow on Bora Bora about how to identify one, he said, "It will be the shark that is biting your leg.":o

Ken Bondy - 3-16-2008 at 12:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Natalie Ann
So Ken..... what keeps 'em from enjoying you for dinner?

Nena


They know the difference between a diver and the bait. They were completely indifferent to the divers, and VERY interested in the fish parts being offered. I gently pushed them away several times when they got too close. The divers were required to wear full black wetsuits, black hoods, gloves and fins. Nothing white that might look like a piece of fish to a shark. Obviously there is some risk to this, but I would rate it less dangerous than driving the LA freeways. Particularly the 405!

++Ken++

Ken Bondy - 3-16-2008 at 12:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BMG
When sailing in the So Pacific, people would always ask us about swimming in tropical waters teaming with 'man eating sharks'. Never was an issue even when spearing dinner. Most sharks are simply not interested in man as food, but was always warned about Tiger sharks. They seem to be one of the more aggressive sharks. When I asked a fellow on Bora Bora about how to identify one, he said, "It will be the shark that is biting your leg.":o


Thanks mucho BMG. Tiger sharks are known as very dangerous and very unpredictable. However in this artificial, baited environment I found them to be very cautious, slow, and methodical in their behavior. They were there to eat the fish parts offered and had no interest in the divers. ++Ken++

elgatoloco - 3-16-2008 at 12:32 PM

Great photos!

Thanks for sharing!

bajajudy - 3-16-2008 at 12:55 PM

WOW:wow:

Ken those are fantastic shots. What a wonderful adventure!

I too am envious.

I used to snorkel with hammerheads in Rangiroa and never thought a thing about it

Sharksbaja - 3-16-2008 at 02:01 PM

Now I'm happy! Thanks Ken.

sharks

tehag - 3-16-2008 at 03:39 PM

Super shots again, Ken. Thank you for the post.

One large tiger has what appears to be a small black and white remora right in the center of the top of his nose. Is it my imagination, or is the shark looking a little crosseyed?

Wiles - 3-16-2008 at 03:50 PM

Ken, those Tiger pictures are GRRRRRRREAT!!!!

Thanks.......again.

Ken Bondy - 3-16-2008 at 04:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tehag
Super shots again, Ken. Thank you for the post.

One large tiger has what appears to be a small black and white remora right in the center of the top of his nose. Is it my imagination, or is the shark looking a little crosseyed?


Thanks tehag! That's funny. I noticed that that individual consistently had a small remora right on the end of her nose (every tiger we saw was female). I think it was driving her crazy looking at it :)

++Ken++

Skipjack Joe - 3-17-2008 at 09:47 AM

Ken,

These are some of the best shark shots I've seen of yours. Maybe it's not too late to include them in your up and coming book. Especially the last one shot from below. Everything was just right when you clicked the button on that one. It's as good as your Costa Rica work.

[Edited on 3-17-2008 by Skipjack Joe]

Steve&Debby - 3-17-2008 at 10:27 AM

Ken,Is this the same dive that was on the news where the guy was bit on the leg by a shark and bled to death? Is there a place on Baja that you can dive with Hammerhead sharks ? Would love to do that dive as well as the one you did, great pictures.

Ken Bondy - 3-17-2008 at 11:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Ken,

These are some of the best shark shots I've seen of yours. Maybe it's not too late to include them in your up and coming book. Especially the last one shot from below. Everything was just right when you clicked the button on that one. It's as good as your Costa Rica work.

[Edited on 3-17-2008 by Skipjack Joe]


Gracias Igor, that is a very nice compliment. It was absolutely magnificent being in the water with those big animals. ++Ken++

Ken Bondy - 3-17-2008 at 11:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Steve&;Debby
Ken,Is this the same dive that was on the news where the guy was bit on the leg by a shark and bled to death? Is there a place on Baja that you can dive with Hammerhead sharks ? Would love to do that dive as well as the one you did, great pictures.


Steve&;Debby, yes, it's the same dive. Different boat, but the same trip. There was much misinformation in the media about the incident (as usual). Based on what I heard, the bite itself was not fatal but the diver panicked and bolted to the surface. He actually died of a brain embolism, rather than by bleeding to death. Very unfortunate incident, the first ever in years of doing these type of baited, uncaged trips in the Bahamas.

Yes, hammerheads are commonly seen at several Sea of Cortez sites, El Bajo seamount which is about 30 miles from La Paz (north and east of Isla Partida), which is dived regularly from liveaboards and day boats out of La Paz. The other site where they are seen is at Las Animas, a pinnacle just north of Isla San Jose, farther north. Las Animas is normally dived only from liveaboards and private boats.

++Ken++

Paulina - 3-17-2008 at 12:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wiles
Ken, those Tiger pictures are GRRRRRRREAT!!!!

Thanks.......again.


You got a laugh out of me on that one Wiles.

Great photos Ken, even though only two of them are showing up for me, the others are reading "unavailable". You mentioned that they are around Las Animas, Pepe Smith used to get nervous every time I'd go over board to check the water temp. He always said I had to watch for the Charks!

Thanks for sharing another of your photo adventures.

P.

Ken Bondy - 3-17-2008 at 12:36 PM

Thanks Paulina. I think I fixed it now. I was Flickring with my Flickr account.

++Ken++

Skipjack Joe - 3-17-2008 at 12:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Paulina
Quote:
Originally posted by Wiles
Ken, those Tiger pictures are GRRRRRRREAT!!!!

Thanks.......again.


You got a laugh out of me on that one Wiles.

P.


:lol::lol::lol: Now I get it too.

killer!!!!!!!

capt. mike - 3-17-2008 at 12:46 PM

literally!!
you da man, man!!

Mexitron - 3-17-2008 at 04:10 PM

Nice, very nice!

Steve&Debby - 3-17-2008 at 09:57 PM

Thanks for the info and the great pictures

Bob H - 3-18-2008 at 10:34 AM

Wow, Ken..... these are just fantastic! They are so CLEAR.
But, I'm not too sure I would be swimming around them without a cage after reading Wikipedia....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark

Thanks for posting these images!
Bob H

[Edited on 3-18-2008 by Bob H]

Fausto - 3-28-2008 at 05:44 PM

You must walk funy 'cause you got some huevotes compadre!
nice pics.

Kell-Baja - 3-29-2008 at 11:29 AM

WOW, I think one was smiling. What GREAT Pics.:bounce:

marv sherrill - 3-30-2008 at 05:51 PM

Awesome Ken! - I don't think that I would have had any trouble keeping warm inside my wetsuit if I saw those guys outside of a cage.....

Bajagypsy - 3-30-2008 at 06:21 PM

Those were fantastic, I love the last one, he was saying "CHEESE"!

I could always travel with you, and carry stuff for you ya know!;D