Protocol
A baited Tiger Shark dive is classified as a high risk dive. The reason for this is that we are in the water with a shark that is in a feeding situation. Although we don't feed the animal, it thinks there is food and therefore reacts to the bait accordingly. In its quest to get this food the shark could possibly react to divers differently than during normal, unbaited encounters. On the one hand, the shark could see the divers as competition for the food which could either lead to the shark leaving the area or the shark wanting to chase the competition away. On the other hand, the shark could see the divers as a threat to its life.
We have seen how carefully the shark closes in on its target, the bait bucket. This process could take up to 30 minutes or longer and can even be aborted. At first the shark picks up the smell of the chum and follows this closer to its source. When the shark finds the bait bucket, it circles this widely and the circles get closer and closer with time. Thereby the shark checks its surroundings very carefully. It first looks at the divers in the water before it looks back at the bait. Sometime during this process the shark will swim a little closer to the divers and as the shark realises that no danger comes from them, it comes closer and closer to both, the bait as well as the divers. Eventually the shark will touch the bait container lightly and continues with its circles. After a long evaluation process will the shark start biting into the bait which actually contains his food.
The idea is obviously not to give it the food inside the drum in order to keep the shark interested for as long as possible. Sometimes the shark bites the plastic drum open and gets a few pieces of bait. We like to keep using a plastic drum in order to prevent the shark from getting injured or teeth damaged if it would bite into steel. As this evaluation process is a careful and timely process where actually the right food is involved, it is highly unlikely that a shark would just swim up to a diver and bite him. Firstly the diver has not yet been evaluated and secondly the diver does not give off the right scent.
In order to keep the diver as safe as possible in such a baited situation, the following protocol will have to be adhered to:
in order to create a baited shark diving experience the minimum visibility must be such that the bait bucket is well visible from the top (= approximately 30ft/10m).
the maximum number of divers on a baited shark dive should not exceed 9 plus 1 or 2 underwater controllers.
the sharks will not be fed while the divers are in the water.
divers have to understand the risks involved in a baited shark dive.
divers have to sign a special indemnity.
divers have to be aware that certain insurances may not be willing to pay out when their clients participate in potentially high risk activities.
divers will level off at 30ft/10m depth and will have to stay at this depth during the event. Divers dropping off might create a special interest for the shark which could be associated with food dropping to the bottom.
divers will have to stay upright in the water at all times in order to show the shark that divers are a foreign object and should not be mistaken by a marine living species.
divers are requested to wear black or blue fins as strong colours or reflections have been found to attract the shark's attention.
divers must tie up all hoses, lanyards, buoys etc. so nothing hangs dangling off the person.
divers must stay in a tight group on the opposite side of the chum slick. The shark must have easy access to the bait as well as an easy escape route away.
if a shark comes too close to a diver, the diver can scream through his regulator to scare the shark away. Under no circumstances should a diver start swimming away or even backpaddling. This will attract the shark.
nobody should ever touch a shark.