Hey guys.
For those of you who want more information on our ExpedMed Great White Shark Cage Diving CME Adventure , we just posted the detailed itinerary.
For those who can't find the time to click over to the Great White Shark Adventure informational page, here's the itinerary below.
More information about our dive partners, Shark Diver, can be found on their website: www.SharkDiver.com
Shark Diving Itinerary
Welcome to Shark Diver.Your dive expedition to the Pacific's most pristine and robust white shark dive site leaves from San Diego's famous H&M's Landing, 10 minutes from San Diego's airport and home to California's long range fishing fleets. Shark Divers vessel the MV Horizon boards divers from California to Isla Guadalupe. We are on site usually 20 hours later and beginning your first exciting white shark cage dives after a hearty breakfast. We take a maximum of 12 divers per trip - perfect for dive clubs, corporate groups, film crews, and photographers.
Day One
Boarding begins at 9:00pm -11.00pm on the evening prior to your expedition date. Prior to boarding most of our divers have booked with the Holiday Inn Bayside under our special Shark Diver Rate, we are happy to be working again this year with the Bayside, our 8th season with them. Divers generally come in a day early and take advantage of the Baysides free airport shuttle service and 7 minute location from the international airport. Our divers also like discover San Diego's Gas Lamp District, home to some of California's top restaurants and entertainment venues located minutes from the hotel. If you're coming to San Diego early plan on visiting the town. We generally depart from the docks at 11:00-12.00pm. Travel time to Guadalupe is approximately 20 hours. Once you arrive to the vessel you'll be greeted by Martin Graf, your dive operations manager. Martin holds the enviable distinction of spending the most time at Isla Guadalupe aside from the shark researchers at CICIMAR. His wealth of shark knowledge and dive operations prowess makes Martin our top choice again this year to run the white shark program on the MV Horizon. He also speaks German and Swiss fluently and works in tandem with the entire vessel crew who you'll soon get acquainted with. For now it's time to get settled and into bed, try and get some sleep because in a few hours from now the next time you set your head on your pillow just know there will probably be two or three white sharks swimming underneath it!
Day Two
We will arrive at Guadalupe approximately 9:00 am (breakfast time). The arrival to the island is, and remains, one of our favorite moments. For many of our shark divers who booked with us almost a year ago this is it, the Island of the Great White Sharks, you have arrived. If you're an early coffee drinker this moment will be etched in your mind for the rest of your life as you stand on the bow of the vessel taking in the scene. Guadalupe's craggy volcanic flanks rise 4000' to literally scrape the bottoms of cloud formations here, it's a big island. The large rock off to the tip of the island is Point Norte, or Shark Fin Rock, we'll pass this on to the small bay just ahead, white shark central. Upon arrival, we anchor, deploy our huge shark cages and begin operations. Breakfast is served in the galley, and Martin will be doing an in depth dive safety review prior to your cage time. Cage diving rotations are usually one hour at a time and the vessel is divided into four crews of three with six divers in the water at any given time. Your first cage dive is usually preceded by someone yelling "White Shaaaark!". A few years ago we had a young deck hand "Mikey from Main" who's tell tale white shark yell is a tradition we carry on to this day. Welcome to cage diving, keep your eyes open as you walk down a short ladder into the industries largest shark cages, chances are in a few minutes you'll ba face to face with the Great White shark. Lunch is served around noon and for most divers this is a welcome break from the morning and getting used to the world of cage diving. We pick up the afternoons cage diving rotations after lunch or power through depending on the shark action this day. Dinner is served approximately 6:00pm. After a hot shower and a change into your post shark encounter clothes, it's time for a sunset beer, or three on the bow with the other newly minted shark divers. Congratulations, it took you a long time to get here, but you did it, and now you're ready for the next two days of white sharks, and more. You are an official Shark Diver.
Day Three
If we decide to try a different site, we move early and begin operations at sunrise. Cage diving continues throughout the day and rotation times will be increased. Usually we stay in place as our crews and vessel captain know where to place the vessel and where the sharks are. Chances are you'll see another long range boat in the bay, but the sharks will transit from boat to boat, and with the density of animals on site everyone get's into sharks. We may get boarded by the MX Navy while were on site. They will board each vessel at least three or four time during the season. They are looking for valid commercial shark diving permits, passenger manifests, and some water or a soda. These young marines work very hard with little pay, so we always offer them lunch and water. Do not be surprised to see guns, this is a a typical Mexican boarding procedure and they have been doing this since 2008. The good news is their presence deters unlawful sport fishing boats who, in 2007, hooked a white shark right in front of us. Fortunately we sent a small boat over to them to film what they were doing and they soon cut the line and ran away. Having the MX Navy on site is a good thing. Day three ends as day two did, by now you have moved over to the expert class of Shark Diver and you know what the color of a white sharks eye really is. Only a real shark diver knows this so consider yourself one of the fortunate few. Like we said before, tonight when you go to sleep just know that a few feet below you lurk some of the white sharks you have come to know over the past few days. Shredder with his unique dorsal fin, Fat Tony, Mau, or even Bruce. They'll be here when you wake up.
Day Four
By now, everyone will be old pros and enjoy the relaxed feel of things. Your shark cage team will be some of your best friends even after this latest adventure with Shark Diver. Cage teams typically assign names for themselves, "The Wild Ones", "Team Dark Tide" when it's time to go cage diving you're team is ready and able, knowing where all the gear is located and how to suit up. Our photographers will be focused on getting the "best of the trip" shot and shark fans will now be able to accurately measure, sex, and identify each new shark. Shark Diver has a share and share alike policy towards shark images. Basically if you happen to nail the best trip shot, share it. Each night we provide memory sticks so divers can offload images and share them with each other. That way every divers goes home with the absolute best images they can, a group effort. The last cage rotation is always bitter sweet, time to say good by to animals that have captured our imaginations since, for many, childhood. It's amazing but sometimes if you really connect with an animal, there's a moment where the two of you just click. Shredder has been clicking with divers since our first season, and we hope you get to meet him this year, as he has proven to be quite a unique and wonderful animal.We depart around dinner time and head for home, make sure you take some last minute snap shots of Shark Fin Rock on the way out, usually the light is just right and it's a great way to say good by.
Day Five
We travel back to San Diego and arrive at the docks approximately 5:00 - 7:00 pm.
