Shark News

Dive the Farallones

2010-05-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Final preparations are underway for another incredible season of white shark diving near San Francisco's Farallon Islands. Our first trip is set for September 25th and the season runs through November 14th. Cage divers pay $875 and topside viewers pay $375. Trips depart from the Hyde Street Landing at Fisherman's Wharf. Dates sell out far in advance so if you'd like to dive with great white sharks in the US, contact Sheri Lewis soon.

Dive with Tiger Sharks in June

2010-04-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Our next Tiger Shark Adventure in the Bahamas is set for Saturday, June 26th. Join our very own Shark Jill (Jillian Morris) for an incredible cage diving adventure in the crystal clear waters off of Grand Bahama Island's West End. No dive certification is required. We conduct hookah dives, using a cage that floats just at the surface and air supplied from the boat. Contact Sheri for for more.

San Francisco Shark Report - Oct 19

2009-10-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I thought I'd send out a note and let you know how things are going. So far, we are batting a thousand with sightings on every single trip we've made. This Saturday was the topper for us and a new record with 12, that's right, 12 confirmed sightings. That's twice our previous record of sharks in a day. There were feedings, predations, spyhops, tail and fin slaps as well as some pretty major surface thrashing. The sharks were jumping like popcorn in a kettle, the day was beautiful after the morning fog burned off and the seas were favorable and flat. Not terribly good water visibility, as there is a big red tide and a ton of krill out there as well, but we did have a cage sighting as well. The island biologists had a new tagging record as well with what I understand was five sharks. Those were tagged off Saddle rock and in Morunga Bay and we got to witness three of them. Sunday turned out well too as we had a predation directly off the starboard stem of the Eldorado. We had whales around us as well on both days. Anyway, I thought I'd let you know how it went. - Greg Barron, Director of West Coast Shark Ops

NATURALIST TRAINING NOW MANDATORY

2009-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

New Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary regulations state that attracting great white sharks is illegal without a permit. Incredible Adventures has submitted a permit application and is certain to receive one. Permit holders will be required to have at least one Sanctuary-trained and Sanctuary-certified Naturalist on board each shark-viewing trip. Incredible Adventures has always staffed its trips with knowledgeable naturalists, so the new requirement is no big deal. The Sanctuary is offering free naturalist training courses in July and August and anyone interested in learning more about the Farallones is welcome. If you're interested in learning more, contact Incredible Adventures at 800-644-7382.

See Tigers From the Tiburon

2009-06-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Our next Tiger Shark Adventure in the Bahamas will take place August 8th aboard the RV Tiburon, a great expedition vessel based in Key West, Florida. Captain Tim Taylor is the founder of Ocean Outreach, a non-profit marine outreach organization active in supporting ocean research and our partner in dive operations. Jillian Morris, marine biologist and shark lover, will be on board, leading hookah dive operations. For more info, contact Sheri at 800-644-7382.

Lots of Lemons

2009-03-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Our March 14th Bahamas Shark Dive proved to be a lot of fun for our shark-loving passengers. Sharky Jill reported about 30 lemon sharks and three or four tiger sharks around the cage. The seas were a little rough but the weather was beautiful. Our next Bahamas Shark Dive is slated for June 20th and space is still available. Cage dives are $875 and topside adventures are $375.

A Note from Sharky Jill

2009-02-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hey guys:

Things have been really sharky around here lately. I spent the fall filming reef sharks in Turks & Caicos and on Grand Bahama. Had a chance to don chain mail for filming and loved every minute of it! Spent 3 weeks filming the white sharks of Guadalupe before returning to the Bahamas to lead a Tiger Beach trip! 5 massive female tiger sharks….. INCREDIBLE animals!! From there I headed to the Bimini Biological Field Station ( AKA The Shark Lab ) to photograph a Make A Wish Project. We had a 15 year old girl that wants to be a marine biologist and her wish was to dive with sharks. AWESOME!!! Truly a rewarding experience. I have been working with a conservation production company called Oceanic Allstars and one of our current projects is a push for Shark Free Marinas. Marinas can post these signs to show that they do not allow fisherman to bring sharks in. We are hoping this will discourage shark fishing or at least encourage catch and release. Next up I am back to Tiger Beach….hope to see you all in the water!
Cheers,

Sharky Jill

We're Always Thinking

2008-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

We're always thinking of new ways to make our San Francisco shark dives more incredible. Earlier, we told you about the new underwater digital cameras we added to each boat this season. Last week, we had the company credit card out again. We purchased new underwater video systems for the New Eldorado III and White Holly. The "shark cams" will capture action beneath the surface and show it live on the boats' televisions.

Cage divers on a two-day great white shark expedition aboard our big boat will be able to warm up between dives in a new on-deck hot tub. (Sorry one-day divers...no hot tub for you...but if you'd like to upgrade to a two day expedition, space is still available!)

You've Gotta Love a Boat with a Hot Tub

2008-08-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Incredible Adventures is now offering great white shark dive adventures aboard the incredible Nautilus Explorer, a custom-built 116 ft luxury liveaboard dive vessel. The boat departs from Ensenada, Mexico and travels to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico for three incredible days of cage diving with great white sharks in amazingly clear waters. (Transportation is provided from San Diego to the Ensenada dock and back.) When you're not diving in one of the boat's five shark cages, you can enjoy onboard comforts, like a 42 inch plasma TV, in room hot showers and a well-stocked bar. Oh yeah...there's also a hot tub deck for relaxing and socializing after a full day of shark action. Great white shark season in Isla Guadalupe is from late August til early November. For more details, contact Sheri at 800-644-7382.

New Cameras & New Plan

2008-08-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Ever been to a wedding where disposable cameras have been placed on the tables in hope guests will help snap reception pictures? We're trying something similar this year. We've purchased two new digital underwater cameras for each of our two Farallons shark boats and will have them available for customers and staff to use to capture the cage diving experience. (For the record, the cameras aren't disposable and weren't cheap, so if you join us for a trip, please don't drop one overboard.) Cage divers and topside observers will be encouraged to take turns playing photographer. At the end of the trip, Incredible Adventures staff will upload all the photos from the adventure and make them available for free viewing and downloading.

Bunk Room Basics

2008-08-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

This year, for the first time ever, Incredible Adventures is offering an overnight trip to San Francisco's Farallon Islands. Adventurers will spend two days cage diving with great white sharks and experiencing life aboard a real, working research and expedition vessel. The White Holly is a 133 ft former US Coast Guard cutter. Participants arrive at the dock in Sausalito on Friday night, overnight on the boat and depart for the Farallons bright and early. Captain Vince will have everyone back to the dock Sunday evening. The question of "where will I sleep" comes up often. There are five bunk rooms for guests. Four feature two-bunks each and one features four bunks. The $1175 price is a great deal and includes meals aboard the boat, use of a wet suit and hookah equipment.

1st Pirate Dive Fest a Success

2008-06-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

The first annual Pirate Dive Fest took place the weekend of June 14 and 15 on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida. The festival was a fundraiser for Sarasota's Mote Marine Laboratory and featured a variety of ocean and dive related exhibits and activities. Incredible Adventures is proud to have been a silver sponsor of this worthwhile event and has already signed up to be part of next year's Pirate Fest. Mote Marine is one of the few private marine research laboratories in the world and has been helping people learn about sharks and other sea life since 1955. If you missed the event but would like to support Mote's efforts, visit http://www.mote.org/.

Successful Bahamas Dive

2008-05-19T11:43:00.001-07:00

Our own Sharky Jill called from the Bahamas on Saturday to report they had four big tigers and lots of lemon sharks surrounding the shark cage on Saturday's dive trip to Tiger Beach. She said she got lots of great photos and will send some for our website and newsletter just as soon as she returns to the US. (The weather has been so great that she decided to extend her stay on Grand Bahama and do some other diving with our good friends at Unexso.) Our next tiger shark adventure in the Bahamas is slated for July 19th and space is still available. For more info, call Sheri at 800-644-7382 or drop her an email.

Spend the Night at the Farallons

2008-04-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Incredible Adventures and Ocean Outreach are teaming up to offer a great white shark adventure unlike any other. You'll board a 133 ft research vessel at the Army Corps of Engineers dock in Sausalito on Friday night, depart for the Farallones early, early Saturday and not return to shore until Sunday evening. It's a chance to experience a little of what it's like to live and work on an expedition vessel while getting a rare look at the Farallones after dark. Plus, with more time at the Farallons, your odds of seeing great white sharks go way up. The cost is $1175 and includes the use of a wetsuit and hookah gear and most meals.

New Boat, New Departure Point

2008-02-15T07:12:00.001-08:00

This year's great white shark season in San Francisco kicks off September 20th. We're excited to have a new boat this year that will depart from Fisherman's Wharf. We'll have the same great staff and same great sharks, but we'll be able to get to the Farallons in a lot less time. For a complete list of available dates, contact Sheri at 800-644-7382.

Oil Spill Update from San Francisco

2007-11-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

From Greg Barron, Director of West Coast Shark Ops: "The spill is in Bay and inshore waters mostly and does not really affect the Farallons... hopefully. As bad as it is in the Bay, the open ocean doesn't seem to be oiled that bad. We'll find out tomorrow though for sure. This unfortunately, will be a big object lesson on pollution and environmental damage for us up close and personal. As it is, all the local bay beaches are closed including Angel Island. This is a topic that I am sure will be running around the boat for the next couple weeks. Hopefully we can impress the passengers with the severity and the way this impacts all the life it touches."

A Great Day for Shark Watchers

2007-10-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 14th was a great day at the Farallons. We had multiple shark sightings. Cage divers watched as an 18-foot great white shark cruised by the cage. Topsiders witnessed a great white breach right beside the boat. (A breach is when a shark comes up and out of the water during an attack or "predation" on a seal. ) According to Greg Barron, Director of West Coast Shark Ops for Incredible Adventures, a record number of towels were used. People were rotating in and out of the cage all day, alternating between viewing from the water and the deck.

Meet Your Guide to the Farallons - Peter Winch

2007-08-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

We're happy to have Peter Winch back again this season as our onboard naturalist (ie. wildlife guy) in San Francisco. Peter's the guy who checks you in when you first arrive for your shark adventure. He then gives a quick presentation on the Farallons Islands before grabbing his binoculars and heading out on the deck to start scanning the horizon for sharks and other wonders of nature. Peter has a special way of pointing things out and teaching you a lot, without it seeming like you're back in school.

In his other life, Peter Winch works as the Visitor Center Naturalist for The Farallon Island Marine Sanctuary Association, assisting with the running of the visitor center and their educational program. He has a BS in Environmental Science from Plymouth University, England, and has a background as a scientist and as an educator. After graduating he worked as an environmentalist for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He has studied seabirds in Alaska, Hawaii, Baja Mexico and Oregon for US Fish and Wildlife and The Island Ecology Group, and worked as a naturalist for Oceanic Society Expeditions on Whale Watching Trips off California for five years. A self confessed ocean addict, Peter surfs and dives as often as possible.

This year, Peter is on a mission....he's out to make an even better seal. (Peter is always working to make the decoys used to lure great whites near the boat more successful.)

Meet the Incredible Greg Barron

2007-08-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Join a shark adventure to San Francisco's Farallon Islands and you'll be in very good hands. We're very proud of the great team we have in place to make sure your shark adventure is incredible.

We haven't quite figured out what to call Greg Barron. This week, we're leaning toward "Director of West Coast Shark Ops". A San Francisco Bay Area native and entrepreneur, Greg has spent his entire life living and diving along the North Coast of California. He has been involved in our San Francisco shark adventure from the very beginning. Greg helped the people at DOER Marine design and build our massive shark cage and he helped transform the Tamalpais into one of the best shark boats on the planet. He then assembled the perfect mix of people to make sure ever aspect of your adventure is as perfect as it can be.

In his other life, Greg operates two of his own companies, Barron Properties and Rideable Bicycle Replicas Inc. Barron Properties is a real estate development and management company based in Alameda and Oakland California. Rideable Bicycle Replicas Inc. of Alameda, CA. is a small manufacturing company specializing in making antique and specialty style cycles mostly from the end of the 19th century. If you've been to Burning Man, you've probably seen Greg riding one of his "High Wheel" bicycles. His company has been supplying cycles for folks, film, theater and museums for 34 years so if you see a high wheel bike in a movie or play, chances are Greg made it. Some of the recent shows featuring Greg's stuff include Deadwood, Jack Ass 2, Lonesome Dove, Haunted Mansion and the stage show Wicked.

Did we mention that Greg can fix just about anything...almost before you know it's broken? He's Greg "MacGyver" Barron...and we hope you'll get the chance to meet him. For shark dates, call 800-644-7382.

Bahamas Dive Dates Announced

2007-08-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

Dates for upcoming tiger shark dives have just been posted. Dives depart from Old Bahama Bay Marina on Grand Bahama Island's West End. You can find more information and trip dates here.

2007-07-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

If you saw the Jeff Gordon special following this year's Pepsi 400 race, you saw Jeff diving with tiger sharks in the Bahamas. Gordon and his friends joined an Incredible Adventures dive adventure in February. If you'd like to dive with tiger sharks, join us in the Bahamas July 28th or August 4th.

Welcome Back Jillian

2007-06-25T11:37:00.001-07:00

Those who joined us for our great white shark adventure back in 2005 are bound to remember Jillian. The dynamic young marine biologist helped make our trips to the Farallons fun. We're excited to announce that Jill will now be helping to lead our tiger shark dives in the Bahamas. Her first trip with us will be July 28th, then she'll stick around to lend her shark expertise to our August 4th adventure. Before then, Jill will be continuing to lead shipwreck dives for Aqua Sports, Inc., a great Fort Lauderdale dive operation.

New Bahamas Underwater Video

2007-05-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

We never get tired of watching the video taken by our friends at Aquatic Films on a recent adventure to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. You can see the amazing underwater footage here. Contact Incredible Adventures at 800-644-7382 if you'd like to join our July 28th tiger shark adventure off of Grand Bahama Island.

July Tiger Shark Adventure

2007-05-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Make plans now to join Incredible Adventures in the Bahamas on Saturday, July 28th for an incredible day of diving with some of the biggest tiger sharks on the planet. Our adventures begin and end at the Marina at Old Bahama Bay Resort, on Grand Bahama Island's West End. The cost is $875 to cage dive and $375 for topside viewing. You can see photos from a February tiger shark adventure here.

It's Not Too Early to Book a Great White Adventure

2007-02-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

Great white shark season in the Farallons may still be seven months away, but dates are already starting to fill up. It's never too early to reserve your spot aboard out great white shark boat. Cage diving season off the coast of San Francisco is September through November and a limited number of dates are offered. Incredible Adventures picks the best time of year in order to increase your odds of seeing a great white shark in the wild.

Dive with Tiger Sharks in April

2007-02-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

Sheri Lewis, our in-office shark expert, just returned from an incredible adventure in the Bahamas. She joined a TV crew and other customers on a journey to Tiger Beach, the area off of Grand Bahama Island known for its very big tiger sharks. The tiger sharks were plentiful and huge but what surprised Sheri the most was how many other big sharks were in the area. If you ask Sheri, she'll tell you just how scary lemon sharks look up close. She'll be posting some of her incredible dive photos to this website soon. In the meantime, if you'd like to talk to Sheri about joining us for our next dive adventure in April, give her a call at 800-644-7382.

New Tiger Shark Adventure

2006-11-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

One-day tiger shark adventures will soon be offered off of Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. The Incredible Adventures shark boat will depart from the marina at Old Bahama Bay, an incredible resort on the island's West End. The actual dives take place at an area known as "Tiger Beach".

Highlight of the Season

2005-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

We've had a lot of great shark sightings, but few will ever compare to the group of sharks that gathered to feed on a dead whale. Our Captain Geoff was the first to spot the whale and carefully positioned our shark boat so our shark divers would have a great view of the feeding action, while not interfering with the sharks.

Meet the Shark Team

2005-09-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

We've assembled great team of people to make sure your great white shark adventure is incredible. Dive instructor Richard Von Trapp was a Special Forces combat diver and is a certified physician's assistant. Peter Winch serves as our Farallons expert. Peter has been leading nature trips for the National Oceanic Society for years. Our guest services director, Jill Morris, knows tons about sharks and has worked on several shark research projects. They are assisted by our wonderful Captain Geoff, dive assistant Rob and deckhand Bret.

One Very Big Shadow

2005-09-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

On September 26, two guys noticed a dark shadow beneath the cage. Sure enough, it was a great white shark. The shark proceeded to nibble on one of the seal decoys attached to the Tamalpais. On the way back to shore, several humpback whales were spotted, so it was an incredible day all around.

New Photo Gallery Added

2005-09-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

IA President Jane Reifert spent eight days in Tiburon, making final arrangements for shark season. While there, Jane took a lot of great photos of the Tiburon and San Francisco area. You can see some of Jane's photos in our new online photo gallery.

One Incredible Shark Cage

2005-09-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's big. Really big. Our brand new shark cage measures 12 ft long by 5 ft wide. The only thing bigger in the water near the Farallon Islands are the great white sharks. Our cage was built by the marine engineers and specialists at Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER) in Alameda. The company specializes in building underwater research submersibles. If you'd like to see photos of the cage, be sure to visit the cage diving section of our website.

Season Off to a Great Start

2005-09-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend marked the start of shark season in the Farallon Islands. The weather couldn't have been more perfect on Sunday, when cage divers spotted two great whites, seals and even whales. Maggie McDonough, owner of our great white shark boat, The Tamalpais, reported one shark was estimated to be a 14-footer and the other an 18-footer.

Cage Dives Selling Out Quickly

2005-08-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Several of our dates for the coming season are already "sold out", so if you'd like to dive with a great white shark, we suggest you call us soon. Trips depart from the marina in downtown Tiburon, just across the bridge from San Francisco. We can comfortably accommodate 8 divers per trip and up to 20 topside viewers. Remember...you don't have to be a certified diver to climb into our cage. We'll put you through a safety course enroute to the Farallons and teach you everything you need to know about hookah diving. If you prefer to stay dry, our topside trips offer a great alternative. You can see a lot of the action from the deck or view cage activity on our big screen TV, thanks to a camera mounted inside the cage.

Fisherman Killed by Great White

2005-06-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

Maybe you saw it on the news. In South Africa, a young spear fisherman was killed by a great white shark. The incident took place in the same area of False Bay where we operate our great white shark expeditions. Some reports say the shark was an amazing 20-footer, but our buddy Nic who saw the very same shark the next day while diving, reports it was a bit smaller...closer to 14 feet in length. That's still one very big shark. One should always keep in mind that white shark attacks are extremely rare. If you'd like to see one of these amazing creatures in the wild, either from the safety of a shark cage or the deck of one of our boats, give us a call at 800-644-7382.

Labor Day Weekend Dives

2005-04-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Great white shark dives will be available in San Francisco over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Cage dive for $875 or join the fun as a topside observer for $375. Dive season in the Farallon Islands launches Saturday, Sept 4. For reservation forms and additional info, click here.