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BigAnimals.com | [email protected] | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © AmOS NAChOum PhOtOGrAPhy

BigAnimals Expeditions | GrEAt WhitE ShArkS Oct 19-25, Nov 11-17, Dec 2-10, 2016

Great White SharkS of iSla Guadalupe, MexicoWith two cages and only ten guests, it is possible to literally

stay in the water from morning to night; the only limiting factor is your ability to stay warm.



ChummingWe catch our own fish to make a fresh,highly scented, bloody mixture to drift inthe current behind the boat. While we maycast a skip jack or mackerel to an oncomingshark for a photo opportunity, this is notdone when the lower cage is in the water.We do not want to create a feeding frenzy.

isla Guadalupe islandDeparting our gateway city of Ensenada,

mexico, a 90-minute van drive south ofSan Diego, California, isla Guadalupe is an overnight 150 miles boat journey. theisland’s pine and cypress trees condensecloud moisture into fresh water springs,supporting a community of plants alongthe top ridge of the island. Sealers intro-duced goats to the island, and when theirenterprises failed, the island was wipedclean of most vegetation.

Every shoreline bend has a uniquesheer lava rock formation. Fur seals perchon large boulders, elephant seals, alsowith pups are inclined to slumber onrocky beaches.

the experience

Our Vesselmexican-owned Southern Sport is a 110’dive liveaboard with five double ensuitecabins on its upper deck, a master bed-room on the main deck, and two cabinswith a shared bath on the lower deck.there is a large living room housing a fullentertainment system and computer. theboat is fully air conditioned, has a waterpurification system, plus a Nitrox blendingsystem. the vessel can accommodate 20passengers, but we only take 10 guests tomake sure everyone gets a unique, person-alized experience with as much time in thewater as they can handle.

Southern Sport has the capacity to carrytwo shark cages allowing our minimumnumber of guests to enjoy all the time theywant to be in the cage without having towait or take turns. An automatic hoistraises and lowers the cages, two at waterlevel with one at a depth of thirty feet.

the all-mexican crew is extremelyknowledgeable and they are extremelyproud of their sharks. Adding a cultural tasteof mexican cuisine to our experience, we canalso accommodate other food preferences.

An added bonus is Amos’ availability toshare his expertise on the various aspectsof photographing great whites in this environment. A two-time winner of theBBC Wildlife Photographer of the year award,he pays special attention helping eachdiver to obtain the finest quality of photogra-phy using both strobes and ambient-light.

Divers must be certified to venturethrough open water to the cage loweredto thirty feet. maximum time spent in thecage is an hour, more than most wetsuit en-cumbered body temperatures usually desire.

With two cages and only ten guests, itis possible to literally stay in the waterfrom morning to night; the only limitingfactor is your ability to stay warm. in orderto make sure everyone gets time in boththe surface cages and the depth cage, wedevise a schedule that divides our diversinto two groups that take turns in the 30-foot cage. the depth cage is loweredfour times every day, and each group getsto use it twice daily. For example, on thefirst day of diving, Group 1 will enter the30-foot cage at 8am and 12pm, andGroup 2 will use the cage at 10am and2:30pm. the following day we will alternatetimes to ensure all our guests have thesame opportunities to dive with thesemesmerizing predators. in between deepcage divers, an almost unlimited amountof hours can be spent in the surface cages,and most people only take breaks towarm up in the sun before returning tothe beautiful blue waters of isla Guadalupe.

BigAnimal Expeditions offers this trip to a maximum of ten divers. if you choose to remain in the cage lowered to just below the water’s surface and breathe through air

provided from a hookah line, no scuba certification is required.



Guadalupe’s volcanic beach is home to afur seal colony along the edge of the island’sdeep drop off, the primary attraction for thegreat whites. We have selected the three bestweeks for our expedition: the period followingfur seal birth when the females see their pupsfirst venture into the water to become “sharkbait.” Because of this readily available foodsource, this is peak migration season for thegreat whites in this area and it’s the best timeof year to see the largest females, some ex-ceeding lengths of 18 feet (6 meters). Big Ani-mals expeditions always provide the perfectcombination of timing, experience, and epicanimal behavior, and our great white en-counter is no exception.

Quickly we realize that this majesticshark is more fearsome in our imagina-tions than in reality. the iconic great whiteis one sleek, weaving swimming machine.they have long been billed as the most ferocious killer world wide, and althoughthe majority of shark attacks are attributed tothese sharks, even the author Peter Benchley

For many divers, it has been a long-time dream to have a close up encounterwith the great white. Donning five orseven-millimeter wetsuits, hoods andgloves, and adding additional weight tohelp us remain negatively buoyant inthe cage, we will shortly have that longawaited face-to-face encounter with theocean’s apex and world’s largest predatoryfish, the magnificent great white shark.Pristine, clear waters with visibility rangingfrom 60 to 100 feet, and 68-72 degreewater temperatures are the conditionsfor our in-cage (and perhaps, out ofcage) experience.

As we eagerly wait, we’ll admire abrilliant sun rising over Guadalupe island.this 98-square mile (22 mile long) starklybeautiful landscape is a geological wonder.Environmentally isolated and surroundedby deep water, there are dramatic viewsalong the north end of the island whichpeak to 4,200 feet. Some areas of colorfulred volcanic layers are visually comparableto areas in the Grand Canyon.

Shortly after sunrise, our adrenaline spikes and excitement and anticipation peaks as the Southern Sport crew lowers three cages into the water

off the Northern shoreline of isla Guadalupe.

Nature at its Best. listen to Your heart pound.“ ”

felt that he did the great white a terribledisservice by writing his book “Jaws.”research has found that recorded bitestypically related to a naturally curiousshark searching for a tasty mortal. humansare not on the great white's menu whenthey are "sample biting." While this is nota comforting distinction, it indicates thatgreat whites would rather release theirvictims than prey on humans.

Diving with these perfect predators isan eye-opening and absolutely unforgettableexperience. i would challenge anyone tofind a more exhilarating way to spendseven days. Guadalupe’s impressive watervisibility sets the perfect backdrop forthese great white encounters. the firsttime you see the silhouette of one ofthese huge sharks begin to emerge out ofthe blue, your heart will skip a beat. Partof this reaction undoubtedly has to dowith our perception of these amazing animals as the ultimate killing machine,but it is also partly because of their undeniable presence and obvious dominance over their underwater realm.

these perfectly evolved predators ruletheir world, and being only a few feetaway from such a magnificent and powerfulcreature will at once humble and amazeyou. the images and memories you createduring this week in the waters aroundGuadalupe island will stay with you alwaysand will forever change the way to seeand understand this king of sharks.

the Great White SharkGrowing to an average length of 15 ft

(4.6 m), and weighing as much as 5,000 lbs(2,268 kilos), the great white’s slate-grayupper bodies blend with the Pacific’srocky coastal sea floor. they are namedfor their white underbellies. Streamlined,torpedo-shaped swimmers, their power-ful tails can propel them to speeds upto15 miles (24 km) per hour.

highly adapted predators, theirmouths are lined with more than 300serrated, triangular teeth arranged in several rows. to detect prey they have anexceptional sense of smell. their organscan sense tiny electromagnetic fields generated by prey. Found in cool, coastalwaters throughout the world, there is noreliable data on the great white's globalpopulation. their numbers are decreasingprecipitously due to overfishing and acci-dental gill net entanglements. Great whitesare listed as an endangered species.



BigAnimals’ unique Services –raising the bar of services in every adventure we operate around the world is our policy.

We lead by example with immaculatesafety record. Each wildlife expedition is carefully scouted before offered tothe public and we schedule departuresonly during peak animal presence andbehavior displays, led by Amos Nachoum’sand based on his 35 years of diving andphotographing Ocean Giants.

Our Great White Shark Expedition isstrictly limited to only 10 privilegedguests. this is with consideration of theshark’s welfare and behavior, your safetyand provides you with room to movefreely, ample space in which to photo-graph and film, with personalized atten-tion and advice.

AmOS NAChOumExpedition leader

Amos has 30 years experience divingwith Great White Sharks off long islandNew york, Australia, South Africa, and offthe Farallon islands, San Francisco.

Amos is also a very accomplishedprofessional photographer who was theBBC wildlife photographer of the year in2007 and 2008.

throughout your trip Amos will beavailable to provide you with expertcoaching on various aspects of photo-graphing the sharks and their environment,with special attention paid to how to getthe best performance from your equipmentusing both strobes and ambient-lightphotography.

Amos uses his leadership and photo-graphy skills to artfully capture the livesof Ocean Giants whose existence isunder threat, but whose hope of survivalis linked to us communicating the truth.

BigAnimals Expeditions are designedto add value to your life experience, togenerate attention for endangeredspecies, to aid in their preservation andto provoke public awareness and opinion.

Great Whitesisla GuadalupeOct 19-25, Nov 11-17 &Dec 2-10, 2016 (Peak Predation)

Enhance your photographic skills with Amos. the Experience is Priceless!

GrEAt WhitE ExPEriENCE: 30 years

WhErE: Great White Sharks of isla Guadalupe

DAtES: Oct 19-25, Nov 11-16 AND Dec 2-10, 2016 (peak predation, special departure, call in for details)

AVAilABility: Oct – 7 spaces, Nov – 5 spaces, Dec – 8 spaces

DurAtiON: 7 days

mAx NO. OF GuEStS: 10

PriCiNG: $6,400 per person based on double occupancy, except of thethird departure

rEGiStrAtiON: Deposit of $2,100

VESSEl: 110’ Southern Sport

ACtiVitiES: Cage diving

tEmPErAturE: Water 68-72F (20-22C)Air 60-80F (16-27C)

triP PriCE iNCluDES:• 6 days great white shark diving

(according to your departure) on board the Southern Sport

• All diving equipment (tanks, weights,and belts)

• leadership by experienced expedition staff

• All meals throughout the voyageaboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea

• land travel arrangements; transfers to and from the vessel

• Comprehensive trip preparation bulletin will be sent after deposit is made.

triP PriCE ExCluDES:• Airfare to and from San Diego• hotel charges on arrival and

departure days• Personal charges such as Nitrox,

laundry, meals ashore, bar, andtelecommunication charges

• insurance – it is mandatory you buyyour own travel, health, and diving insurance

• Park and Visa fee – about $100• Gratuities



Great WhiteS itiNerarY > oct 19-25, Nov 11-17 & dec 2-10, 2016

daY 1OCt 18, NOV 10, Or DEC 1

– ArriVE: San Diego and stay overnight at a hotel of your choice near the airport.Wyndham Bayside (1355 North harborDrive San Diego)


– By 7:30 Am you meet at hotel lobby thevan that takes us to mexico we head forEnsenada. this is usually a 90-minute ride,depending on border crossing, visa for-malities and traffic. As soon as we reachthe port in Ensenada, we board our ves-sel. We leave at midday for our 18-20hours crossing to isla Guadalupe.

daY 3-6OCt 20-24, NOV 12-16, Or DEC 3-9

– ArriVE Guadalupe around 10Am and as soon as the three cages are in thewater, great white shark diving begins.During our four days on site, the divedeck is open for action and excitementfrom 8Am to 5Pm.DEPArt: Guadalupe by 2Pm on the lastday of diving and start the 18 to 20- hourcruise back to Ensenada.


– ArriVE Ensenada at midday and returnacross the border to your hotel in San Diegoor to the airport if you have a connectingflight on that day.

PAymENt POliCy AND DEPOSit:When we receive your deposit, we willsend you a comprehensive and detailedtrip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservationis confirmed.A deposit of 33% of the total trip price is required to secure space on the trip.Full payment is due no later than 90days before departure.We reserve the right to sell any spacethat is not paid in full by 60 days beforedeparture.

CANCEllAtiON POliCy-must be made in writing.-more than 90 days before trip: Deposit will be refunded in full.-90 days or less before trip: Deposit will be refunded if space issold, less unrecoverable costs of sales,and administration costs.-No refund is made for unused part of the itinerary.

the following are subject to change:-Cost of services which are not included in the expedition price-Flight time and schedule-Weather, water temperature, and animal behavior

Dates and prices are subject to changewithout prior notice

first Name last Name

Date of Birth Gender: female male

Address

City State Zip

Work Phone home Phone

Email

Citizen of Passport # Place issued & Date

trip price $6,400 per person. Deposit of 1/3 of trip price is required to secure space = $2,100 Non-refundable third trip, Dec 2-10, 2016, is a special departure. Please call for details. final payment due 90 days before departure.

Please make your check payment to BigAnimals Expeditions, 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950.Overseas payment can be done via bank wire, instructions will be sent to you upon receipt of this application.

Promotional code

travel insurance: yES NO Provider Policy #travel insurance is prerequisite and mandatory on BigAnimals adventures. We need to have your policy number.

Do you carry diving insurance? yES NO Provider Policy #

Diving Experience/years in Diving

Where & When last 3 Dive Experiences? 1 2 3

how do you rate your Diving Skills? Beginner inter Advanced Expert

how do you rate your Photography and/or Video skills?

No interest Beginner inter Advanced Expert

ApplicAtion FormExpedition Sri lanka Blue Whales | Expeditions Dates: Oct 19-25, Nov 11-17, Dec 2-10, 2016

PErSONAl iNfOrmAtiON



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