Sound interesting? If
you should decide to sign up, your tour will begin at the Haleiwa
Boat Harbor and will last for two hours. After a safety briefing
with Captain Joe Pavsek, the owner and founder, you will head
out on a 26-foot Anderson cruiser to a location three to four
miles offshore. Once there, the cage is dropped into the water
(don’t worry, buoys on the side of the cage keep it afloat)
and the excitement begins.
After you’re in the cage, it will be pushed a few feet
away from the boat and the water will be baited with chum (pieces
of dead fish). The water is clear, with visibility of up to 200
feet or more. Within a matter of seconds, you will see sharks
ranging from 5-15 feet long.
It’s a good idea to bring an underwater camera for the
trip, but if you should forget, you can purchase a one-time-use
camera on board the boat. The sharks seen on this tour include
gray reef, Galapagos, sandbar, hammerhead, and on rare occasions,
tiger sharks. Depending on the time of year, while enroute to
the location, sea turtles, dolphins, and humpback whales can
be spotted. On a recent shark tour during the whale season, one
customer, while swimming in the cage, was able to hear the sound
of whales communicating in the distance.
Feeding of sharks has become a major concern in states such
as Hawai’i and Florida. Both states currently have a ban on
feeding sharks within state waters due to safety concerns for
swimmers and water sports enthusiasts. This does not affect North
Shore Shark Adventures because the tour takes customers beyond
the three-mile limit (starbulletin.com/2002/01/12).
Sharks have always been feared and respected in Hawaiian culture.
According to Hawaiian folklore, each of the islands has a patron
shark god. For O'ahu, the shark god is called Kamohoali'i and
he is believed to reside in a cave several miles from Pearl Harbor.
He is also believed to be the leader of Hawai'i’s shark
gods, as well as the eldest brother of the volcano goddess, Madam
Pele.
Boat tours take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
and cost $60 per person. If you’re interested in getting
into the shark cage, the regular cost is $120, but North Shore
Shark Adventures offers a college student discount rate of
$65 and a military rate of $75. The full package allows you
up to
30 minutes in the cage. For an extra $30 you can get a DVD
copy of your adventure. Pavsek has been surfing and diving in the Haleiwa area for
over 30 years. He has worked on aircraft salvage recovery
in Hawai'i’s
waters and has made regular appearances on television’s
Let’s go Fishing. North Shore Shark Adventures has received
recognition around the world and has been featured on the British
Broadcasting Channel (BBC), ESPN Outdoors, and Canadian Wildlife
Television.
When he’s not busy throwing people to the sharks, Pavsek
works as a private investigator and artist. His art is still
on display at galleries throughout Honolulu.
For more information, or to sign up, go to sharktourshawaii.com
or call and schedule a tour at 228-5900. |
