Page 54 - Shark

In the cage and out

Diving with large predatory
sharks can be dangerous, so
people who want to get close
to sharks, like underwater
photographers and film
makers, use a strong metal
cage to protect themselves.
No one sensible would want
Diving suit to be in the water with a great
In the early
19th century, divers white shark (pp. 28–31),
wore heavy helmets or
hard hats and had air unless protected by a cage.
pumped down tubes For smaller and less dangerous
from the surface. Tall
tales were often told species, like blue sharks
about attacks from (pp. 56–57), divers sometimes
giant octopuses.
wear chain-mail suits. The
chain-mail is sufficiently strong to prevent the
shark’s teeth from penetrating the skin if it
should bite, but bruising can still occur. Divers
may also have a cage just to retreat into, should
the sharks become aggressive. Because chum
(pp. 28–29) and baits are put in the water to
attract sharks, they may become excited by the
thought of food and snap at the divers. When
sharks are being filmed or photographed
outside a cage, safety divers should also
be present to keep watch for sharks
approaching from outside the
filmmaker’s field of vision.

Lowering the cage into water a great white approaches a view from insiDe the cage
1Once the dive boat reaches the right 2It may be several days before a great white 3Baits, like horse meat and tuna, attract the shark
place for great whites, chum is thrown comes close to the cage, kept on the water’s near the cage. The bars are close enough together to
into the water, creating an oily slick, and surface by floats. The diver can close the lid of the prevent the great white from biting the photographer,
the metal cage is lowered into the sea. cage for complete protection, if a shark closes in. but sharks, attracted by metal, may bite the boat and cage.

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