Swimming with the Sharks - Reef-Geeks

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Hi Guys,

Last weekend I had a great oppurtunity to go scuba diving in the main tank at the Melbourne Aquariam. Apologies on the quality but you get the idea

Some of the bigger shark species I swam with include ;
Sandbar shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grey nurse shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hammerhead shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Pat B · Geektacular

That is so cool. I would love to do something like that.

spinycheek · Insert Custom Title Here

Awesome!! I've always wanted to see a hammerhead, but to swim with one would be amazing! Were you a volunteer there or was it a tour type thing?

IanH · I peed in your back yard!!

Very cool, to dive in the aquariums here they force you to sign up to clean the aquariums on week days....arrrg, wish I didn't have a day job!

chris&barb · Lost

Nice Nick. They have that here at the local aquarium but its kinda pricy. How long were you in the tank?

Barbara · Geekette

OMG!!!

that is freakin' AWESOME and SCARY at the same time!
is this something that anyone can do? were there people watching? did you run into any "curious" sharks? how close did you get to them? did you get to feed them? ..........I have MORE questions too for 'ya Nick

...........oh yeah......................it's soooooooooooooooooo GREAT to see 'ya again sweetie! thanks for sharing this with us!

...........did 'ya get any video of it?

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Hi all

A swim with the shark experience can occur most days at Melbourne Aquariam. They usually conduct three tours a day. If you don't have dive certification and equipment the whole event will cost about $340. I had it given to me as a bday present. The dive experience consisted of a one hour lecture, one hour tutorial in a local pool then the real deal at the Aquarium.

We were told the sharks were the least of our problems. the turtles and rays are very curious!! Bare flesh is also an attractant for the snapper so hence the gloves.

The last and greatest depth section of the dive is at a cliff face. The sharks tend to Zoom over as you hang on. Really hard to photograph them perfectly due to the speed. I had them above my head say half a meter.

As long as we didn't shake vigorously divers told us it wouldn't send the sharks into a search and feed frenzy.Hammers were generally timid, the huge grey nurse sharks are passive but the sand bars were pretty curious, your typical shark.

Chat soon all I'll post more.

Nick

estanoche · I <3 the LEFT COAST!

haha nice!!! did any get close enough to touch???

spinycheek · Insert Custom Title Here

It's the big fish in those tanks like barracudas that always freak me out the most, they just stare at you, you never know what they're thinking, at least sharks have somewhat of a body language.

Barbara · Geekette

awesome awesome awesome!

................looking forward to MORE pics!!!

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Gee! better late than never sorry guys a few more pics.

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

chris&barb · Lost

Nice pics Nick. Did you get close enough to touch any of them?

Nick Marine · Reef-Geek

Tried, but they werent interested, clearly they feared me lol

Gordonious · Reef-Geek

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Thinkin Reef · Greeter Of New Geeks

Sensational fun mate

How cool are the snapper

"LOL they would be better on the BBQ

"

[1 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 03-31-2011, 02:31 AM	Reef-Geek
Swimming with the Sharks Hi Guys, Last weekend I had a great oppurtunity to go scuba diving in the main tank at the Melbourne Aquariam. Apologies on the quality but you get the idea Some of the bigger shark species I swam with include ; Sandbar shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Grey nurse shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hammerhead shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[2 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 03-31-2011, 02:40 AM	Reef-Geek
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[3 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 03-31-2011, 02:42 AM	Reef-Geek
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[4 (permalink)] Posted by Pat B 03-31-2011, 04:34 AM	Geektacular
That is so cool. I would love to do something like that. __________________ "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b "HIS word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Jeremiah 20:9b *Click on the ticker for the build thread.*	Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Camden, De Posts: 2,560 Gameroom cash: $1240165 Rep Power: 65
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[5 (permalink)] Posted by spinycheek 03-31-2011, 05:41 AM	Insert Custom Title Here
Awesome!! I've always wanted to see a hammerhead, but to swim with one would be amazing! Were you a volunteer there or was it a tour type thing?	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Lakewood, CO Posts: 4,277 Gameroom cash: $1307222 Rep Power: 82
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[6 (permalink)] Posted by IanH 03-31-2011, 10:10 AM	I peed in your back yard!!
Very cool, to dive in the aquariums here they force you to sign up to clean the aquariums on week days....arrrg, wish I didn't have a day job! __________________ Candygram for Mongo! Candygram for Mongo!	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,395 Gameroom cash: $362758 Rep Power: 100
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[7 (permalink)] Posted by chris&barb 03-31-2011, 11:05 AM	Lost
Nice Nick. They have that here at the local aquarium but its kinda pricy. How long were you in the tank?	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: De Posts: 12,272 Gameroom cash: $3501040 Rep Power: 100
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[8 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 03-31-2011, 11:20 AM	Geekette
OMG!!! that is freakin' AWESOME and SCARY at the same time! is this something that anyone can do? were there people watching? did you run into any "curious" sharks? how close did you get to them? did you get to feed them? ..........I have MORE questions too for 'ya Nick ...........oh yeah......................it's soooooooooooooooooo GREAT to see 'ya again sweetie! thanks for sharing this with us! ...........did 'ya get any video of it? __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013819 Rep Power: 100
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[9 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 03-31-2011, 01:47 PM	Reef-Geek
Hi all A swim with the shark experience can occur most days at Melbourne Aquariam. They usually conduct three tours a day. If you don't have dive certification and equipment the whole event will cost about $340. I had it given to me as a bday present. The dive experience consisted of a one hour lecture, one hour tutorial in a local pool then the real deal at the Aquarium. We were told the sharks were the least of our problems. the turtles and rays are very curious!! Bare flesh is also an attractant for the snapper so hence the gloves. The last and greatest depth section of the dive is at a cliff face. The sharks tend to Zoom over as you hang on. Really hard to photograph them perfectly due to the speed. I had them above my head say half a meter. As long as we didn't shake vigorously divers told us it wouldn't send the sharks into a search and feed frenzy.Hammers were generally timid, the huge grey nurse sharks are passive but the sand bars were pretty curious, your typical shark. Chat soon all I'll post more. Nick	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[10 (permalink)] Posted by estanoche 03-31-2011, 07:23 PM	I <3 the LEFT COAST!
haha nice!!! did any get close enough to touch??? __________________ SAY NO TO FISH STICKS!! Put screened and vented lids on your tanks! My 80 Gal. Reef Tank Build: So this is where all my money goes My 25 Gal. QT/Angler Cube: A place for my money to QT/grow out Member/VP of Spokane Coeur d Alene Reef Society Friend me up on FB too!	Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,799 Gameroom cash: $1235065 Rep Power: 116
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[11 (permalink)] Posted by spinycheek 03-31-2011, 09:41 PM	Insert Custom Title Here
It's the big fish in those tanks like barracudas that always freak me out the most, they just stare at you, you never know what they're thinking, at least sharks have somewhat of a body language.	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Lakewood, CO Posts: 4,277 Gameroom cash: $1307222 Rep Power: 82
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[12 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 04-02-2011, 12:17 PM	Geekette
awesome awesome awesome! ................looking forward to MORE pics!!! __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013819 Rep Power: 100
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[13 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 04-27-2011, 08:46 AM	Reef-Geek
Gee! better late than never sorry guys a few more pics.	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[14 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 04-27-2011, 08:48 AM	Reef-Geek
	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[15 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 04-27-2011, 08:49 AM	Reef-Geek
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[16 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 04-27-2011, 08:51 AM	Reef-Geek
	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[17 (permalink)] Posted by chris&barb 04-27-2011, 10:24 AM	Lost
Nice pics Nick. Did you get close enough to touch any of them?	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: De Posts: 12,272 Gameroom cash: $3501040 Rep Power: 100
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[18 (permalink)] Posted by Nick Marine 04-27-2011, 05:25 PM	Reef-Geek
Tried, but they werent interested, clearly they feared me lol	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 614 Gameroom cash: $1159160 Rep Power: 18
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[19 (permalink)] Posted by Gordonious 07-16-2011, 08:04 PM	Reef-Geek
Lucky, lucky, lucky.	Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 133 Gameroom cash: $39155 Rep Power: 10
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[20 (permalink)] Posted by Thinkin Reef 07-16-2011, 11:37 PM	Greeter Of New Geeks
Sensational fun mate How cool are the snapper "LOL they would be better on the BBQ " __________________ Wal-Mart Greeter http://www.reef-geeks.com/forums/	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,130 Gameroom cash: $1044957 Rep Power: 72
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