*Click on this link to view an updated post with a second video and input from Mexico
By Pete Thomas
Disturbing video has surfaced showing a great white shark becoming stuck in a cage with divers inside at Mexico’s Guadalupe Island.
Mexican activist Arturo Islas Allende shared the video to his social media platforms under a title that translates to “Negligence kills white shark.” He implicated a Nautilus Dive Adventures vessel and complained that cage openings were not adjusted in a manner to keep sharks and divers safe.
The divers, who were clearly frightened as the massive predator writhed its head gets stuck in a cage opening, were not injured. It remains unclear whether the shark, in fact, perished after its ordeal.
Nautilus Liveaboards had not responded to inquiries about the incident, which occurred in October, at the time of this post.
Guadalupe Island is seasonal home to dozens of adult great white sharks, and regarded as one of the world’s premier shark-diving destinations. In typical situations, crews on the vessels will pull baits toward cages so divers in the cages can photograph the sharks in close quarters.
Crews are not allowed to feed the sharks, and cages must meet specifications set by Mexico.
Michael Domeier, president and executive director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, has conducted extensive shark research at Guadalupe Island. Many sharks are identifiable based on distinctive markings and are part of an expansive database.
Domeier said the shark in the video is named Stouffer.
Domeier declined to guess why the shark tried to get inside the cage, but added: “It doesn't look to me like the bait was too close. For some reason that shark wanted what was in the cage. It hit the cage, backed up, then charged again. It could have turned and swam away.”
Dr Domier needs to come forward and reveal that he uses Nautilus vessels exclusively for his public shark diving trips, clearly there’s a conflict of interest.
Posted by: Jonathan Winter | Dec 07, 2019 at 03:43 PM