| 1992 Cageless Shark-diving Expedition |
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The 1992 Cageless shark-diving expedition led by Ron and Valerie Taylor contributed to changing public opinions about the supposed ferocity of Great White sharks. HISTORY In and Valerie Taylor (notable Australian pioneers of underwater exploration and film-makers), George Askew (a South African diver and photographer), and Piet Van Der Walt spent an hour diving amongst these so-called "Fearsome Man-Eaters" at Dyer Island , South Africa . The Taylors and Askew, recognised as experienced shark divers, were testing their hypothesis, based on many years of experiences with sharks, that these animals had a much fiercer reputation than they deserved. Askew had proposed, in an article "Myth or Maneater?" in the UK magazine Underwater World , that Great Whites did not deserve the horrific image and reputation that '' Jaws '' author Peter Benchley had imprinted in peoples minds. He postulated that if the Great White knew you were aware of its presence you had a pretty good chance of not being attacked, as they rely on stealth and surprise when attacking. He wrote two more articles on the same thread in 1983 and 1989 - and then went on to prove his point with the historic dive. IMPACT That dive - widely recognised as an "Underwater Everest " in Underwater Exploration - made great steps towards changing the popular reputation of the Great White. They found the sharks were actually very timid and difficult to approach as they were still not used to humans underwater (Piet and George were the pioneer operators and promoters of the cage-diving industry in South Africa in the late 1980s and in those early days interest in cage diving was minimal). SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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