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Dive Review of Falie in
Australia/Neptune Islands, South Austral

Falie, Jun, 2002,

by John Crossley, CA, USA (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 28 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 163.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was a Stan Waterman lead trip that teamed up with the world famous great white shark expert, Rodney Fox, on the three-masted, 80 year old classic sailing ship,the Faile. The cabins were decent size, but 15 divers shared three large toilet/shower rooms, Meals typically included several choices and they were well prepared.

The Great Whites were out there every day. We saw about 13 different ones in a week. At most we saw 5 different ones in a day, about 9 to 16 feet long, but most were really thick and strong looking.

Four divers could get into a 6ft by 6ft. steel cage lowered from the side of the ship to 60-80 feet, where we would watch the white sharks (and eagle rays, sting rays, and other fish) circle around us. They just cruised around,looking at us, and they seemed like peaceful giants. We were told not to go out of the cage.

Off the stern, four divers could stand in a steel cage that floated at the surface, while the boat crew fed the sharks tuna baited on a line that floated right next to our cage. On scuba at just 5 feet deep we could see the sharks come up to feed one at a time. They were very cautious hunters, making several passes before coming back for the big bite. We saw it right up close. They would swim away and come back anywhere from one to 10 minutes later, and always from a different direction in the murky water (visibility 30 ft). Sometimes it would come up right behind us and we would not see it until it was right there. What a skilled hunter! Generally, we did two cages dives a day, and each was a trill. We forgot how cold the water was (61-64) until we got out and froze on the deck in the wind.

The third way to see the sharks was on a side feeding, with us hanging over the side rail of the ship to see the great whites go for the tuna suspended a little above the water. It was really impressive to see these giants come half a body length out of the water with jaws wide.

After dinner we would listen to Stan and Rodney tell stories of great adventures. In one discussion, we all agreed that we felt not a second of fear during our cage dives with the great whites, but instead a total sense of awe and respect for these perfect hunters. Rodney said that is why he leads these trips, so people can really appreciate the grace, beauty, and aquatic perfection of these great white sharks. After the trip, we had a party at Rodney’s Great White Shark Museum, which is a great exhibit. All in all it was a great and memorable week.


Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Fiji, Indonesia, Philippines, Solomans, Truk, Palau, Yap, Galapagos, Cocos, Hawaii, Cozumel, Caymans, Turks & Caicos, Sipadan, & others
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy Seas choppy
Water Temp 61-64°F / 16-18°C Wetsuit Thickness 7
Water Visibility 30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Stay inside the steel cages. Group time limit about 40 minutes
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 2 stars Tropical Fish 2 stars
Small Critters 1 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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