S is for Shark Cage Diving

The movie "Jaws" came out in 1975. While having much success in the box office, it had quite an effect on society. It brought out a fear of sharks and the ocean. As someone who has spent a good portion of their life in and around the ocean, I feel much differently. Sharks are very much misunderstood and misrepresented. What better way to get to know them than to take a dip and see them up close. That is why S is for Shark Cage Diving.

After "Jaws" came out, there was mass hysteria every time there was a shark attack. The knee jerk reaction was to go out and kill as many sharks as we could hoping that one of them might be the so-called "man-eater". The fear of sharks and more so, the unknown, was great.

Image courtesy of biganimals.com

The reaction is still the same today whenever there is a shark attack. The days and weeks following, you will see many pictures of sharks hanging dead. While this may be comfort for some, there should be a different approach. I feel people should become more educated about them. Take a second and think about things. Sharks have been around millions of years compared to our thousands. They are a perfect example of evolution doing its job.

Shark cage diving is one of the newer trends. I have seen a number of sharks up close yet it is still one thing that is on my bucket list. It is one thing to see them from above the water while surfing but another entirely to be underwater with them, seeing them face to face. The most sought after shark would probably be the Great White simply because of its reputation (courtesy of "Jaws"). The best places for these would be off the coast of San Francisco or South Africa. For the less adventurous, I would recommend even going to a local aquarium to see leopard sharks, just as fascinating.

Image courtesy of Dive Discovery

I apologize if this sounded a little save the world-ish. I have been told I should be a PR person for sharks. The truth is that they are amazing creatures. 99% of the time an attack happens, they are merely "checking" to see if we are a seal. When they realize we aren't, they go away. Don't you check your meat before you eat it? Besides, if some stranger came into your house wearing a speedo, wouldn't you attack them too?


Aside: For anyone that hasn't seen "Jaws", please go watch it. I will admit it is a classic movie. It does a great job of capturing horror and suspense. While the book is loosely based on true events, it is in no way a true story. That would be like saying "The Ghost and the Darkness" is an accurate portrayal of lions (another good movie in my opinion). And if you still think all sharks are out to eat people, check out the video below:

GoPro: A Blonde and a Great White Shark from GoPro on Vimeo.