EAGLEHAWK NECK (TASMANIA)- Shark cage diving may be the next big tourist attraction of Tasmania. Local business men are forming plans. ‘Our waters are a natural haven for ocean predators including mako sharks and white pointers. There’s always a lots of shark sightings down here.
Plans are under way for the extreme adventure business at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula. Dodges Ferry car detailer Scott Howlett and Blackmans Bay ecologist Dave Young formed the plan after going shark cage diving in South Australia, where businesses charge almost $500 a head for the experience.
Natural haven for sharks
They told the Sunday Tasmanian the high concentration of tuna and seals in waters surrounding Tasman Peninsula meant it was a natural haven for ocean predators including mako sharks and white pointers. Both entrepreneurs assure that shark cage diving is “100 per cent safe”.
Young told the newspaper already seeing several sharks in state waters while testing a cage the pair built. They claim they have permission to burley, or “chum”, the waters to attract sharks, as long as they don’t use any “land mammal products” in the mix.
Opposition
Abalone divers in the area of Eaglehawk Neck say shark cage diving in the area is a “terrible” idea. ‘The last thing we want is for sharks to get used to a boat coming over, stopping and throwing out food’, said one of the divers. Also other businessmen are less positive about the idea of shark cage diving. Local dive operators say it could have a negative impact on their business and the reputation of the area as a “world class dive spot”.
