By: Caroline Hasson
In August 2017, my father took me on a bucket list liveaboard trip with great white sharks in the Guadalupe Islands. I was 23 years old, and my father had no idea how frightened I was to jump in the water with these ferocious giants. Little did I know, this experience would be something I would forever cherish.
When we arrived at Guadalupe Island, my first dive was in the submersible cages. As soon as we descended, a 13 foot male great white shark swam directly by us. After always having the notion that sharks were incredibly dangerous, I was amazed at how calm they were when observed in their natural habitat. This shark seemed undisturbed and inquisitively swam around the cages, sizing up the new set of divers.
On our third day of diving, we had a plethora of shark action in the submersible cages but little activity on the surface. My friend Ashley and I decided to test the surface cages. Suddenly, two male sharks appeared and began fighting over the tuna. I was in awe of what was happening in front of my eyes. Very shortly after, a third female shark appeared to join her counterparts. We watched the sharks circling the cages to devour the tuna for what seemed like hours.
From that moment on, I was captivated. My fear of these creatures quickly subsided, and now I cannot wait for my next liveaboard trip to swim with great white sharks.
