International Marine Volunteers – Day 9

Day 9, September 18th, 2018. Today I assisted with two shark cage dives and listened to a presentation from our marine biologist. The highlight and coldest part of the day was getting into the shark cage with no wetsuit. Luckily, the ocean was a balmy 60 degrees Fahrenheit (warm for these waters). I saw numerous bronze whalers which made the dive exhilarating. After the dive, I learned about five great whites who passed away in 2017. Their deaths were well publicized and covered in the 2018 season of Shark Week. Four of the five sharks were found missing their livers, a calling card of killer whale predation. It is believed that port and starboard, two male killer whales, are responsible for the deaths. Since 2017, great white sightings have been in decline.