18 ft FINALE AT GUADALUPE! Trip 10 report

 The time has come for our final Guadalupe trip of the season and what a season it has been! Amazing guests, sharks and memories. We left for one last time this year off the back of two highly successful trips, the question was........could we finish with a bang. It turns out, there was still one last spectacle to be seen before we pay farewell to the island and its sharks for another year.................

When we arrived at the Island we where greeted to a slight rain shower (the first of the season) but not uncommon during our mid to late November trips. Not to be deterred, we had the cages in the water and sharks around the boat after a couple of rotations (and just in time for the sun to come back out.) We counted 4 different sharks including Chappy, one of our most feisty sharks of the year! We first saw Chappy on trip one and we gave him his nickname. It turns out he is a brand new shark seen only this year so we have been able to officially name him and he will be added to the ID books which hold over 200 different animals identified at Guadalupe. Around midday we where visited by Curley, one of the islands big females who we also saw earlier on in the season. Curley is around 14ft in size and when she arrived she soon put Chappy in his place and he quickly vanished for the rest of the day. Curley, thankfully remained and gave our divers a great start to the trip. Unknown to them, it was about to get a lot better and bigger.................

During the first night after everyone had eaten dinner and where about to settle down for the night, Buzz (one of our crew members) ran into my cabin saying he had seen a giant shark swim around the boat just being visible in the boats night lights. Buzz knows his sharks and if he says its big, its big! I went to bed hoping the shark might make an appearance during the diving the following day................

Day 2 and after a quite morning our “Big shark” turned up around midday. She was a giant. 18ft in size, her dorsal and tail fins towered out of the water when she broke the surface. Her girth was incredible (between 6 - 7 ft) and she was covered in bite marks! When a shark this size swims past our surface cages (which are 12ft long by the way) its like a small truck gliding by and only wide lensed cameras are able to fit her in frame! After a quick ID on the back deck, it turns out she was one of Guadalupes well known females named “Mystery.” She was first seen at the island in 2004 then again in 2005. She spent 06 and 07 away from the island returning for 08 and 09 before leaving again for another 2 years (10 and 11) and is now back once more. This pattern is common in the big females found here and it is theorized that they become pregnant during their time here and leave for two years at a time to give birth (where we don't know) before returning once more and continuing the cycle again. Her name suits her just right and like many of our encounters this year, it was a privilege to be in her company for what turned out to be the whole day! 

So we entered our final day at Guadalupe. Whilst setting up the cages in the morning we witnessed a natural breach about 100 yards of the port side and once we started diving the leaving party got into full swing with Chappy., Arden Grace and our old friend Bite Face  generating a very exciting finale. 

So this concludes our guadalupe island season for the year. We bid the sharks the island and of course the sharks farewell and headed back to San Diego for the final time. We would like to personally thank all the crew, guests and sharks for a very memorable season with many unforgettable memories. 

Keep in touch everyone of you and hopefully we will meet again soon...................with the sharks! 

Jimi Partington

SDX

THE SHARK CLUB - Guadalupe Trip 9 report

Off we are once more Guadalupe bound and after claiming that trip 8 was our best of the season........unknown to us, we where about to top it! 

With another fantastic group of guests (including some good friends) and some continued great weather conditions, we where soon dropping the anchor in the north east bay of the Island and attracting sharks to the boat once more.

Just like trip number 8, we had sharks around the cages during the first rotation of the day and just like last trip, Chappy and co where having a lot of fun with our bait wranglers! Mid morning came by and so did one of our favorite and most famous sharks........Bruce was back!! We last saw Bruce earlier in the season and one thing that is undoubtedly evident is the amount of weight he seems to have gained in the past year! As well as being the largest male White shark we have ever seen, he is also the fattest! In September he spent a couple of hours with our guests, today he spent the entire day! 

Bruce epitomizes the love we all feel for the Guadalupe sharks and how, after seeing them   trip after trip, year after year, we get quite attached to seeing them when they arrive at the boat. Its often like seeing an old friend return and as well as giving our guests great entertainment, its also a relief as you never know if and when they are going to be seen again.

Day 2 and after starting well, after a few hours the action turned frantic! Bite Face arrived on the scene along with his buddies Chappy and Arden Grace. At this point we had 6 different sharks very excited around the boat (including Ugly and Garmin) so much so that our divers didn't know where to look next! The sharks were feeding off each others excitement in the water so much so that at one point we deliberately took the bait out of the water for a short period to calm them down a bit! During the next few hours we witnessed the most exciting and intense time period spent at the Island this season! By the end of the day (plus 2 natural breaches later!) our guests where left breathless! 

Day 3 and there was still time for some of our favorite sharks to make an appearance. Yesterdays sharks where all back and next to arrive was another huge female, Gianna followed soon after by a small commonly seen male, Mau (named after Mauricio Hoyos, the Islands head researcher.) Just when we thought we had seen all our classic sharks of the season, Bella (a massive 16ft female) arrived, just stopping by to say hello before disappearing again! Seeing all these sharks we have come to know well this year together was a humbling experience and watching each others characters and behavior as they interacted with one another was fascinating. 

Over 200 different sharks have been identified here at Guadalupe since records began and each year more sharks get added to the now bulging photo identification books we have on board. Over the course of the season we have accumulated thousands of photos which will be sent off to update scientific records and potentially ID new sharks seen here. 

After a hugely successful 3 days we made our way home perhaps after seeing some of these sharks for the last time. It is fair to say, however, that our guests will not forget many of the individuals encountered during this trip, which will go down as possibly the best of the season, all thanks to a fantastic group of sharks. My thanks to each one of you animals for this year and for hopefully, many years to come...................

One more trip to go now guys, lets hope it finishes in style...................

SHARK CHARTERS - Guadalupe Trip 8 Report

After taking a week break from our diving schedule at Guadalupe Island we where eager to get back out and see the sharks once more and at the same time intrigued as we are now entering our final trips of the season taking us late into November. I arrived down to the dock early to get all the preparations in order before departure to find a group of very keen divers all from a dive centre in Oregon dressed in Great White shark t shirts. This was our group charter of the year and packed with enthusiasm, we headed back out to Guadalupe................

We often tell the guests before departure that they really make the trip by bringing fun and enthusiasm on the boat and this group where determined to just that! Good vibes equals good sharking and boy did they get it! November is known typically for less sharks and colder weather but on this showing it seems this year things where to be far from that!

Day 1 started very strong and we had sharks as soon as divers entered the water! Chappy was his usual self being very feisty on the baits, a new large female shark “Arden Grace” joined the brigade plus Bite Face was back and putting on a great show! This was all before lunchtime and whereas in the past this season, the action has generally slowed into the afternoon, today it just kept going! Bite face in particular just kept our guests entertained for hours! On top of the surprising number of sharks we where also having some fantastic weather and diving conditions more like what we see in September!

Day 2 and once the bait hit the water, Bite Face was back and continued where he left off the day before! Then Chappy was back, then Arden Grace before 3 other females arrived on the scene. Our guests couldn't have been getting any more action including some fantastic drop down cage experiences! This type of consistent action is rare and combined with such good conditions, our guests where on the brink of one of our best trips.........ever!

Yup you guessed it......Day 3 continued in the same way again with Chappy and Arden Grace still around and spoiling our guests. We often find that many of the sharks stay with us during the duration of our stay on anchor whether its for the chance of a free snack or out of pure curiosity. On thing is for sure, it is always a privilege to be in their presence and with no other operating boats here at this time of the year we are having the sharks all to ourselves which is a huge luxury!

The charter couldn't have gone better and with such a great group coming onboard we where all very happy that they had such a great showing. The boat is always available for chartering and when you have a group of people come on board who are all good friends it makes for a great atmosphere on board. We personally take great pleasure in sharing and showing guests the sharks at the Island and to see such enjoyment from out guests gives us huge satisfaction. It was a privilege having you guys onboard and I hope we will see you again next year.

With only two trips to go we are very much looking forward to making the most of our time at Guadalupe and if November continues on this showing, the season is destined to finish with a bang! See you in a week folks...............

FREE DIVING WITH GREAT WHITES Trip 7 report

Trip 7 into our Guadalupe Island shark season was a little different. Two of the worlds most experienced free divers, William Winram and Fredric Buyle chartered the Islander with a group of guests and between cage diving activities, went beyond the cages to tag as many different animals as possible and aide Mauricio Hoyas’s research here at the Island.

Both tagging and free diving with sharks are controversial issues however by combining Maricios tagging methods with the experience of Will and Fred we where confident that the trip would run smooth and I am glad to report, it was another success.

The trip was also 8 days (as apposed to our usual 5 days) giving us plenty of time with the sharks and opportunity to put safety at the forefront. Most of our usual sharks made appearances throughout the trip including Bite Face and Bella (the latter being tagged on day 2 of the trip) plus the Tuna where back at the Island in great numbers too! 

Tagging a shark whilst free diving is no easy task however, this was not Will and Freds first rodeo! They have conducted the tagging of many shark species in many locations around the world and had spent many hours in the water prior to this trip with white sharks. They comply with a strict code of conduct whilst doing this work and at no time during the process are boundaries pushed. In fact, due to their strict regulations it takes a while to be able to swim freely with the correct shark, in the correct conditions at just the right time. We also had a film crew onboard and putting all these elements together and then being in the right place to film it takes a lot of patience. 

The tags are small cylinder shapes (about the size of a cigar) and are shot onto the shark using a speargun just at the base of the dorsal fin. Once attached Mauricio is then able to get the data given off from the tag from the underwater receivers he has set around Guadalupe island giving him a further understanding of the movement of these animals. 

By day 3 of the trip 8 different sharks had been tagged successfully and on day 4 one of our favorite sharks “Gianna” made an appearance! Gianna is one of the islands large females and seems to show up for free divers in particular! Last year we spent many hours with her underwater for a film crew on rebreathers who got some very impressive shots with this 16ft shark and it seems she likes the camera because as soon as we entered the water again this year and started the camera rolling she arrived right on cue! 

During this time I was with one of the camera men in the drop down cage taking film of Fred and Will from below swimming with Gianna and from this angle you can really see her immense size as she makes the divers in the water with her look tiny! She is on the other had (and thankfully so) a very relaxed shark that shows no aggression towards any of the divers thus making her a fantastic shark to get such impressive shots! 

After deploying 8 tags, giving everyone in the cages plenty of sharks to photograph and the film crew hours of footage we headed back to San Diego early as unfortunately some bad weather was scheduled at the island for the last couple of days of the charter. Not to be deterred , the islander headed for a days snorkeling, free diving and scuba diving at la Jolla coves’ kelp forrest in San Diego instead. 

We our about to enter out final stage of trips at Guadalupe island and after a week off on land will be back for 3 more trips taking us late into November with still many stories to share...............................

The best White shark diving in the world! - Guadalupe trip 6 report

Over halfway through our Guadalupe Great White season and with still many experiences still to share, we headed back to the island and once more where treated to some of the best conditions whilst diving with White sharks there is anywhere in the world.

At this point in the season the Islands weather begins to cool slightly but under the surface of the waters, the conditions remain incredible. We had our first shark on the bait straight away on the first morning and throughout the day where visited by 4 - 5 different animals. The viewing on our first day at the island are usually from the surface cages and once everyone of our guests are feeling comfortable with those, we start deploying our submersible cage during day 2. For our certified guests, the submersible cage is often the highlight of the trip and during the next two days we where treated to some incredible spectacles from some very large sharks at depth...................

We started the day getting a fantastic surface viewing of Bella who has become one of our favorite sharks of the season (she is an absolute beauty and massive in size!) Then to add to this, shortly after, another huge female turned up (with a very different personality altogether) named “Tzitzimitl” which means “Air Demon”! If Bella is the princess, Tzitzimitl is the ugly stepsister! She is slightly smaller than Bella and is absolutely covered in bumps and scratches plus she lacks the elegance in shape and is incredibly stocky! 

We deployed the submersible at this time and down we went..............Descending to 30ft to see the islands sharks has to be done to be described with true justice but here goes...........Once at the depth, due to the fantastic vis found here you gaze up from the tiny bars looking up at the underside of the boat and the surface cages with a 360 view of sharks in all directions. When the sharks swim above the cage it feels like a small truck had just swam past and as you look up and they show you their white underside, you see the huge bulk these animals possess as well as their spectacular grace in this underwater world. When Tzitzimitl swam past within feet of myself and many of our lucky guests, time seemed to freeze as we shared one of natures great and humbling experiences, that of sharing the water with one of natures great apex predators.I was lucky enough to have my camera on hand for many of her passes and have many images in my head of my time underwater with her. It was an absolute privilege. 

Day 3 and the action continued - “CoriB” plus 2 females played host most of the morning for our guests and again we kept rotations going thick and fast in the submersible cage. One of the islands classic sharks “Horizon” also made a very brief appearance as he stole a bait from one of our handlers (a trait for which he is famous!)

We left the island to some great weather again making our trip home a calm one and made me realize that, although it is the longest Great White shark location in the world to get to, Guadalupe Islands diving conditions have to be the best in the world. Its true, each location (South Africa, South Australia, New Zealand and the Farrallon Islands) offer something unique with these sharks, however, Guadalupe has to be the one to go to for the ultimate diving and underwater viewing. Long may the guests keep wanting to return here year after year and long may the sharks keep turning up and continue to grace us with their sheer beauty in these pristine conditions.................

Next up............our freediving trip!!!!!!!

ECO -TOURISM AT GUADALUPE - Trip 5 report

We have reached half way through our Guadalupe season and on reflection so far, it has been an epic start with some fantastic guests plus some classic shark encounters! If we continue the way that we are going it is sure to be our most successful season ever! Also, with the number of guests, for whom this was the first time seeing a White shark we as ever, have been reminded just how important these trips are for the education and overall protection of the shark not just here in Mexico but also, worldwide.

We arrived at the island to find a brisk wind, so after assessing the best place to anchor we where soon doing what we do best. Again (like usual on the first morning), we where made to wait a few hours for the first shark but around 11am a cry came from the cages that a shark had been spotted down deep. Throughout the first day the sharks seemed to be teasing our guests by just coming in and out of view and as we came to the end of the day just as the sun disappeared behind the island and we where about to call time on diving for the day, our buddy “Chuggy” turned up and put on a great late show for our guests! after a gradual build up to a rocking end to the day it is fair to say our guests’ beer and wine at the end of the day tasted that much sweeter.

Day 2 and our guest where very eager to continue and pick up the diving from the end of the first day. Chuggy (who has now been seen for 8 years at Guadalupe) was back and is now starting to make a real name for himself plus we where visited 4-5 different average sized sharks including “CoriB” and as we came to the end of this day Mauricio Hoyas once again jumped on the boat for an evening of questions and answers session allowing our guests to ask as much as they want to know about these beautiful but mysterious creatures and their habits.

Mauricio has been studying the sharks here at the island for the last 9 years and after having a passion for sharks since he was a young boy he is now concentrating all his efforts to find out the unanswered questions surrounding these sharks in order to help gain a further understanding of their behavior and ultimately, help get them the protection they desperately need. He firmly believes in scientific data through tagging and tracking sharks as well as sample taking to help this be achieved, however, he also points out just how important it is that guests come out to see the animals and help stand up for what has in the past been a very misunderstood animal. After talking “sharks” for a few hours we planned our final days diving rotations and prepared for what was to become a massive climax to our adventure..................

Day 3 was easily our best of the trip with sharks making an appearance very early on. Chuggy was back (again!) plus 3-4 new sharks and during this time our submersible cage was working on overdrive taking people up and down from the depths and giving excited shark divers a unique and special perspective from the deep! During one of the rotations we spotted some very large Tuna which is found in great numbers here also. Then, from what seemed out of nowhere, a very boisterous and large 14ft male turned up to finish the trip with a bang! I have to say when you come across one of these larger sharks you realize what a privilege and honor it is to be seeing and spending time in its presence is.

As we departed the island once more we reflected on both how these trips are exciting adventures for our guests but also how they are becoming just as important to the sharks themselves. A portion of the ticket price goes directly to the research undertaken here and whereas in the past these sharks where worth money by being caught and killed, they are now becoming worth greater amounts through tourism as people are prepared to fly halfway around the world for their “Great White encounter”. Over the course of the season we will have shown and let over 160 people come out here, make their own minds up about the sharks plus leaving with the memories and stories of a lifetime. This is eco tourism at its best and long may it continue this season as well as years to come...........

Here come the girls! - Guadalupe trip 4 report

We often find our trip that runs through the last week of September and the first week of October is one to remember. The beginning of the season is fantastic for great weather and lots of sharks whereas the latter trips is when our big female sharks start to turn up..............due to the timing of this trip, we often get both!

With a great set of guests (including some personal friends), a few fresh crew members and a great weather forecast, all was looking good for trip 4. After arriving at Guadalupe once more and getting the baits in the water everyone was very excited to see their first shark. After a few hours of waiting and only a few glimpses of sharks down deep we where starting to wonder where all our friends had gone! Then, just before midday we witnessed one of the great entrances by a shark ever seen here and a classic “Jaws” moment...............

Jak, one of our bait handlers shouted “Shark on the surface” and pointed to a dorsal and tail fin cutting the surface 200ft off the stern. We watched the shark continue on its path until it turned, picking up the scent off the bait and made a direct course for us! As the shark came closer into view, the size became evident and we realized that this was unlike any shark we had seen so far this season.........this was one of the islands’ big females!! The atmosphere on the back deck was electric as we where treated to an incredible show, circling the boat, hitting the baits and coming close enough to touch from the surface cages!! She was accompanied by a lone pilot fish which is common to see on the sharks as they arrive back at the island after spending many months out in the open ocean during their annual migration and as she dwarfed many of the other sharks we have seen this year. We estimated her size to be between 15 - 16ft!

She stayed with us for most of the afternoon plus we where visited briefly by 4 different animals. The real star of the day however was our big female, later identified as “Bella” who has been seen at the island fairly consistently over the last few years. It is fair to say at the end of the first day our guests where ecstatic!

Day 2 and guess who was back.............. “Bella” made her appearance first thing in the morning plus 2 other sharks. Just when we thought we had it all another big female joined the party!! This time it was “Curley” who can be identified by her spot tag on her dorsal fin. What a line up we had going now and as we started to drop our submersible cage in the water for our guests the visibility turned over 100ft and those lucky enough to go down in it had an epic experience! After a busy days diving the sharks left us before the sun dropped behind the island and it was time for beers, an exceptional Indonesian cuisine by our chef and a questions and answers session with the islands head researcher Mauricio Hoyas. 

During our last day, the wind picked up slightly but the action didn't stop. Again “Bella” popped by to say hello along with “Curley” plus 3 other sharks we are yet to identify. What a trip! still many more guests and trips to go through plus...........................our old buddy “shredder” is yet to make his appearance!