Baiting Sharks May Be Really Good—or Really Bad—for the Fish
Baiting sharks allows divers to see them in the wild, but does the practice have a long-term impact on shark behavior?
The controversial practice of baiting in shark diving has been called into question in response to several recent incidents, as unsuspecting sharks attracted to cages with bait ended up inside cages with equally surprised divers.
According to underwater photographer and shark diving expert Brian Skerry, it would be impossible to see great white sharks without some kind of bait. Speaking of the Guadalupe area, where the recent incidents took place, he commented that when diving, it is easy to see sharks, but with a catch.
“There is no shortage of sharks—if you use chum, of course.”
Some tour organizations use chum as bait, placing bloody fish parts in the water to attract sharks. Others bait, or “wrangle” the sharks, by throwing
