Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH
jaws
You're 4 miles out from land, which is just a speck on the horizon, with the open ocean all
around you. Suddenly, from the blue depths, a shape emerges: the sleek, pale shadow of a
6-foot-long gray reef shark, followed quickly by a couple of 10-foot-long Galápagos sharks.
Within a few heartbeats, you're surrounded by sharks on all sides. Do you panic? No, you paid
$120 to be in the midst of these jaws of the deep. Of course, a 6 x 6 x 10-foot aluminum shark
cage separates you from all those teeth.
It happens every day on
North Shore Shark Adventures
(
&
808/228-5900;
www.hawaiisharkadventures.com
), the dream of Captain Joe Pavsek, who decided, after some
30 years of surfing and diving, to share the experience of seeing a shark with visitors. His
32-foot boat, Kailolo II, attracts sharks (generally gray reef, Galápagos, and sandbars, ranging
5-15 ft.)—sometimes just a few, sometimes a few dozen—who associate the sound of the mo-
tor with neighboring fishing boats.
Depending on sea conditions and the weather, snorkelers can stay in the cage as long as they
wish, with the sharks just inches away. The shark cage, connected to the boat with a line, floats
several feet back and a little above the surface, holding two snorkelers comfortably and four
snugly. You can stay on the boat and view the sharks from a more respectable distance for just
$60. The brave and adventuresome will be down in that cage—it definitely will be a memory
you won't forget. Check website for specials.
