Mexico WHITE SHARK & WHALE SHARK

Transcription

1 Mexico WHITE SHARK & WHALE SHARK with Anders Salesjö, 27/7-11/8 2016

2 On this amazing trip you will most certainly dive with both white shark and whale shark, both very close, in nice clear water, which gives excellent photo opportunities. Short about the trip This trip is divided in two parts each giving you a unique experience. We will start up with snorkeling and free diving with whale sharks close to Cancun in the Gulf of Mexico. Next to the little island Isla Mujeres a lot of whale sharks are gathering to feed on fish eggs. This gives a great opportunity to swim with the greatest fish on earth, and we will not see just one. We are talking about at least a hundred of whale sharks that will swim right up to you in clear, blue water. If we are lucky we might also see other big, pelagic animals coming to feed on the excess amount of food. After whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico we fly straight over Mexico to the Pacific Ocean to do cage diving with white sharks. In the little town Ensanada we will get on our liveaboard boat Nautilus Explorer that will be our home for the next five days. The trip goes to Isla Guadalupe, the kingdom of white sharks. This is one of very few places in the world there you dive with white sharks in clear, blue water. To get as many perspectives as possible of the sharks we will be using cages from the surface as well as submersible cages. If the local guides consider it is ok, we might even be able to leave the cage to stand on top of it without fence between you and the shark. The entire trip is a unique chance to get close to two of the biggest sharks in the ocean. It also gives you nearly perfect condition for photography since both our dive areas usually have clear blue water.

3 Whale sharks in Isla Mujeres By the eastern shoreline of Mexico you find the peninsula Yucatan. In the waters next Isla Mujeres close to Yucatan you find one of the best places in the world to swim with whale shark. During summer time a lot of whale sharks get together in this area to feed on fish eggs. This gives a unique opportunity to experience the greatest fish on earth. Great opportunities for photography There is a lot of whale sharks in the area and we will probably see more than a hundred. Most of the sharks we encounter will have an approximate length of about five to six meters. Whale sharks are plankton feeders, this means that if there is a lot of food for the sharks the visibility will usually get ruined by far too much plankton. The diving next to Isla Mujeres is an exception to this general role, here you will find whale sharks in clear, blue water with good visibility, which gives great opportunities for photography. Since we are far out in the blue ocean it is common that we, except for whale sharks, also encounter other big, pelagic animals like manta rays, mobulas and ocean sun fish.

4 Snorkeling with whale sharks Our local tour operator has been taking divers out to the whale sharks for more than 25 years. They are very professional and knows exactly how and there to find the animals. We will use a fairly small open boat with sun screen and double outboard engines. After a couple of hours with the whale sharks we will get served lunch onboard consisting of fruit, bread and something do drink. In the early morning before sun rise we will have a light breakfast. It is then time to head down to the boat that will fast bring us out to sea. Once out in open ocean we all look for the big spotted fins to break the surface water. Sometimes we need to wait for an hour or two, but just as often the sharks are there from the very beginning. You do not need to be a fit freediver to get close to the sharks in this area. If the whale sharks are there you do not even need to swim up to them. These gentle giants has nothing to fear and they usually come right up to you. It is not unusual we get to see a hundred whale sharks in a day and sometimes even more. To protect the sharks, our local guides decide how many of us that will be in the water at the same time. Sometimes we all can get in, but if there is several other boats in the area, we might get a limited amount of time per person in the water.

5 White sharks at Guadalupe This adventure starts in the little coastal town Ensenada in Mexico. From there we have a journey of round about 18 hours before we reach Guadalupe Island. This small island outperforms both South Africa and Australia with shark- seeing consistency and watching conditions. Only Guadalupe Island can boast shark viewing in beautiful clear blue water with foot visibility. In the floating cages the air is surface supplied with so called hookah, it is simply a long hose with a regulator on top. This way you do not need either tank or life jacket. The surface is just above you so it possible to get up whenever you want. To dive with hookah in the floating cages you do not need a diving certificate. In this floating cages you can spend almost as much time as you want. You just need to be aware that the water temperature is ⁰C. Because of this you need a good two layer wetsuit with hood, boots and gloves or even a dry suit. For the certified diver submersible cages are offered. Although the submersible cage lowers to only 6 meters below the surface of the water, it provides a completely different perspective to your great white shark diving experience. The view offered by the submersible cage is a photographer s dream come true. You are actually surrounded on all sides by magnificent great whites in clear blue water. We have had an exceptional response from our guests regarding this experience. Both professional and amateur photographers rave about the different angles available to capture the mighty great white sharks of Guadalupe Island.

6 Nautilus Explorer The white shark diving we will do during five days long cruise with the luxurious liveaboard boat Nautilus Explorer. It is a recently built ship that was custom designed for divers to the highest possible level of comfort and safety with a layout that utilizes every square foot of available space. The crew takes exceptional pride in keeping the boat spotlessly clean and running smoothly. Your comfort is our priority everywhere onboard. The Nautilus Explorer is a happy ship and carefully designed to be very safe with heavy, strong steel construction and extensive soundproofing. The vessel's hullform, passive stability system and bulbous bow provides for a remarkably easy ride while heavy- duty commercial grade systems ensure that you have a smooth- running voyage. A water level platform aft of the dive deck provides easy entry into dive skiffs. Imaginative and fresh cuisine is one of the cornerstones of the business. Soups are homemade; Bread, pastries and deserts are baked onboard and there is always lots to eat with up to 4 meals a day, a choice of entrees and plenty of snacks. We offer a mix of both buffet and table service with a menu that combines North American and European tastes and also a touch of Mexico. Having a chef and two hostesses means that we can take excellent care of our guests. Most special dietary requests can be cheerfully accommodated with advance notice.

7 Marine biology & UW-photo Target group The actual diving in this trip is very simple. Together with the whale sharks we are just allowed to use snorkel and during the white shark diving we will not go deeper than 5-6 meters. To join the trip it does not matter if you are a well experienced scuba diver or shark fanatic who never tried scuba equipment. In fact, to take part you do not even need a diving certificate. As long as you feel comfortable in the water it is possible to do cage diving with white sharks without previous experience of scuba diving. None qualified divers need to stay in the floating cages, to dive in the submersible cages you need to be PADI Advanced diver or equivalent with at least 20 dives. On this trip it is your passion for being close to magnificent sharks that counts, not your previous diving experience. If you would like to stay hours in the water together with whale sharks and white sharks, then this is the trip for you! Presentations during the trip During the trip Scuba Travels ambassador Anders Salesjö will give some short inspiring lectures about marine life or some advices of underwater photography. During the trip he will talk about the following subjects: Shark photography The whale shark Cartilaginous fishes sharks, rays and chimaeras The seven senses of sharks The white shark The best pictures from all photographers of the trip

8 The trips ambassador Anders Salesjö The underwater world is both Anders Salesjös passion and career. He is a professional underwater photographer and marine biologist with an enormous interest in the creatures of the sea. When he is not in the water taking pictures he gives inspiring lectures about marine fauna. Anders loves to share his passion for the ocean with others and teaches marine biology at high school as well as university level. He also does a lot of public presentations with his own photographs. During the years Anders has got plenty of awards for his photography. He has been the Swedish Champion of underwater photography numerous times. On several occasions he has represented Sweden in international competitions like the World Championships in underwater photography organized by CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques). Most famous is Anders for his pictures of Nordic marine animals. Many years of active underwater photography in Sweden, Norway and Denmark has resulted in that he today has Swedens biggest archive of Nordic marine animals. If you would like to know more about Anders and see some of his pictures, please have a look on his website

9 Weather, climate and accommodation During summertime it is hot and sunny in Mexico. You will spend most of your time in shorts, T- shirt and flip- flops. Out on the boat the wind is nice and cool, but you still need to protect yourself towards the sun. You will definitely need both sun tan lotion and a protecting cap. Since the reflection of the sun from the water surface is very strong, it is also advised to bring a pair of sun glasses. Land based and liveaboard During the whale shark part of the trip we stay at Sotavento hotel in Cancun. It is a nice little hotel with their own pool. Close to the hotel we find a selection of different restaurants but the main advantage is that the hotel is situated next to the marina there we catch our boat in the morning. This means that we are fast out in the open ocean for the daily whale shark cruise. During the white shark part we stay on the luxurious and convenient liveaboard boat Nautilus Explorer. Aboard the boat we will get an excellent service and enjoy up to four delicious meals daily as described earlier. Leave your heavy dive gear at home The whale sharks stay at the surface feeding on fish eggs, because of this you will not have use of scuba gear at all together with the whale sharks. During the white shark diving in the cages all diving gear except suite is included. This means there is use bringing heavy scuba diving gear. All you need is mask, snorkel, fins and a suit. To do snorkeling and free diving with the whale sharks a thin, convenient suit would be best. In contrast you will need a thick, two- layer suit with hood and gloves for the white shark part.

10 Trip details Date: July 28 August 10, 2016 Destination: Cancun & Guadalupe, Mexico Liveaboard: Nautilus Explorer Resort: Hotel Sotavento, Cancun Included in the price: Transfers airport hotel/boat r/t (if you arrive at same time as rest of the group) 6 nights in shared double room at Hotel Sotavento, Cancun with Breakfast (July 28- aug 3) 5 days snorkelling including light lunch & drink Marine park fees & taxes 6 days/5 nights on board Nautilus Explorer with full board (Aug 5-10) Diving with white sharks at Guadalupe including 12 L tank and weights Scuba Travel Ambassador Anders Salesjö Not included in the price Flights international and domestic Dive equipment not mensioned above Other activities, meals and drinks Tip Price per person: SEK We reserve the right for price changes due to currency fluctuations or flight price increases. When you book your trip you accept Scuba travel s terms and conditions. Please read through these: trip/terms.php. The given information that Scuba Travel has in its written information (ie the trips content, amount of dives, diving at a special location), is provided under the pretence of optimal conditions (ie political/ governmental decisions, weather, etc). The dive leader or boat captain that is in charge of the trip always has the right to change the contents of the trip due to weather, political decisions, or other acts that lie outside of their control that can affect the customers or ships safety. In this situation, the customer has no right to compensation or refund.

11 Trip Details Extra: Equipment rental: Complete dive equipment rental is available. Please contact us for the most updated price. Insurance: Cancellation insurance with ERV is available for a cost of 6% of the total trip cost. Extra baggage: Due to the ever- increasing restrictions placed on checked- in baggage on flights, overweight/ extra baggage must be reported to and accepted by, the flight company. We will happily assist you to book you extra weight that is required. Please note that prices and baggage allowance varies between flight companies. Contact Scuba Travel in good time before your departure. Important: Your passport must be whole and valid for longer than six months after the date of your arrival home All divers must have a dive certificate, dive logbook, proof of dive insurance, a dive computer and a Surface Marker Buoy with them on their dive trip For this trip we recommend all divers to be certified PADI Open Water Divers or equivalent and have a minimum of 10 logged dives

12 How can I pay for my trip? Via bankgiro, bank transfer or via online payment with Visa and Mastercard How much do I pay and when? When you have accepted the offer from Scuba Travel Scandinavia, you will receive a booking confirmation within one to two workdays. To confirm your spot, a deposit of 2000 SEK is required within 7 days from the booking date. If you are booking a trip with a scheduled flight, you will need to pay the total flight cost immediately for Scuba Travel to be able to book your flight. Before this has been done flight cost and availability can change. The final trip cost should be paid at the latest 14 days before your departure date. Why choose Scuba Travel? "Quality product - affordable pricing After many years in the dive industry, we have connections around the world. In this way we are able to find the best partners that are going to offer our customers high quality products to affordable prices. We know diving Our staff are all experienced divers and have dived in several destinations around the world. Together we have visited over 70 countries, and most of us are dive instructors. Besides our sales and office staff, we have a large network of Scuba Travel Ambassadors that are specialists within several different areas, such as UW- photography, marine biology and technical diving. Some of our Ambassadors include Anders Salesjö, Ingvar Eliasson, Jonna Bergström, Tomas Jansson, Hans Örnhagen and Micke Bergström. Personal service As we have several persons on staff, we are able to provide excellent customer support and if you like you can get your own personal travel advisor. Also as Egypt is a busy destination for Scuba Travel, we have an Egyptian staff member based in Hurghada that offers a meet and assist service, transfer service and customer support, among other things. Broad selection of destinations Scuba Travel offers holiday packages to suit all tastes and budgets to destinations from Galapagos and Socorro in the Pacific, to Micronesia and Fiji in the Far East. Sponsor projects Through the years we have supported organizations that take care of wildlife and the local people and this is something we will keep on working with. Excellent solidity Our company has an AA rating, which signifies high creditworthiness. Travel guarantee We have a statutory (demanded by law) travel guarantee placed with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. This protects all customers purchasing package trips with us.