Scuba Dive With Great White Sharks! Over 575,000 views!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Undercurrent Magazine
Rating: 5 Stars
PADI and NAUI Professional Divemaster and Assistant Instructor Roger J. Muller, Jr. takes his Daughters on a Trip to Remember
By Sally Deering
Muller Family in shark cageSome families vacation in the mountains, some visit Florida’s Disneyworld, but Roger J. Muller, Jr. of Hoboken, New Jersey, Professional Divemaster and Assistant Instructor who holds 80 PADI, NAUI, TDI, SDI and SSI certifications decided to give his daughters Kelsey, 19, and Taylor, 15, a trip to remember. Muller took his daughters, who are also certified divers, aboard the Nautilus Explorer to Ensenada, Mexico’s Guadalupe Island where they plunged 40 feet below the water’s surface to observe the behavior of the mysterious Great White Sharks.
Muller chose the Nautilus Explorer, which takes small groups of scuba divers on unique diving expeditions to give his daughters a memorable vacation away from the daily demands of their busy lifestyles. Muller, a Certified Professional Insurance Agent oversees Muller Insurance, the family business, in Hoboken, and in his spare time serves as General Manager and Captain of the Hoboken Rockets Ice Hockey team; Kelsey is a sophomore studying economics at Harvard College in Cambridge and Taylor is a high school sophomore.
“It’s a wonderful bonding experience,” Muller says. “They get the opportunity to see Great White Sharks in their natural habitat and learn about shark advocacy. It’s also five days on a boat with no Internet access or cell phones to text boyfriends.”
Based in British Columbia, Canada, the Nautilus Explorer takes divers to the giant mantas and dolphins of Socorro Island and adventures into Alaska, British Columbia, the Sea of Cortez, the California Channel Islands, Baja California, San Benitos Island and Clipperton Atoll. Guadalupe Island is the top destination for Great White Shark encounters, says Jason Crabb, Director of Marketing for the Nautilus Explorer, and the best way to observe Great White Sharks is by descending into their world and interacting with them on their terms in a natural way. With four submersible aluminum cages that descend to 20-foot and 40-foot depths, the Nautilus Explorer takes divers down to where the sharks naturally travel and without chum to attract them the encounters between humans and sharks are an equal exchange of curiosity and respect.
That’s exactly the experience Kelsey and Taylor shared with their dad, who taught them how to dive in 2001, while training for his PADI Assistant Instructor certification. Muller trained his daughters to become certified divers in the family’s backyard pool.
“They became my students,” Muller says. “Kelsey started at 6 and two days after she turned 10, she was the youngest to ever become a PADI Open Water Certified Diver. At 12, she became the youngest Junior Master Scuba Diver, that’s the highest non-professional rating that you can get. Taylor started at 5 and she now has 21 certifications including Master Scuba Diver.”
Muller says his daughters’ training and his experience as a diver made it easy for him to take them on the Great White Shark diving expedition.
“My kids trust me when they’re with me, they know I’m looking after them,” Muller says. “We have spent years practicing. Scuba Diving is a dangerous sport. You need to respect the water and respect the things living in the water.”
At 19, Kelsey holds 38 diving certification, earning her Open Water Certification when she was 10 and her Junior Master Scuba Diver certification at 12. Witnessing the awe-inspiring presence of one of the world’s greatest predators was a diving experience like no other. Kelsey says: “I felt rather small among them, as if we were the entertainment for them and not the other way around. While observing them from our cages, limited to the tiny expanse of water we could see around us, they had the vast oceans around them to explore and master. I realized that no matter how long we observed them, we would probably never procure all the Great White’s secrets; for they could simply disappear into the distance, nothing betraying their position but the reflection of the silver sun on the Pilot Fish that hung close to their sides.”
Shark cages setupDuring their trip, Kelsey and her dad were together in one of the submersible cages with Kelsey shooting video and Muller, who is also a PADI Digital Photography Instructor, taking photographs. At one point Muller stuck his head out between the bars of the cage just as a Great White Shark passed by - his head just inches from the shark’s mouth, which startled but didn’t surprise Kelsey one bitFilmed in the waters off Guadalupe Island, Mexico, Roger J. Muller, Jr. and his daughter Kelsey & Taylor got to be so close to Great White Sharks! Check out how many time the Sharks look at the divers finding them very interesting subjects. Taken by Paul Sardis on his go Pro.
I can just imagine this shark saying
"fish are friends, not food"
Brooke Bianco The Shark is so big it can't get to them!
I had the pleasure of living there for 18 years and diving South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius and Kenya while I was there. If you ever get the opportunity to go, do not pass it up, whether you dive or not. It's one of the most beautiful and friendly countries in the World. See you out there in the blue waters...
Thanks for the great comment!
The white shark is a spectacle of nature!!
They are amazing and large! One of my friends sent me a video about how they found a 40 year old Queen White up in Nova Scotia recently.
I made page 7 of a Panama magazine this week. Tell me what you think! It is a story about Lion Fish Hunting. I have done hunting in Cuba, Panama, Aruba, Boniare and St. Croix the past two years. thevisitorpanama.com/issues/visitor21-29/index.html
shark has quite the possie. a whole ecosystem follows him around.
Pretty amazing right! They do not have to worry about getting eaten since the Shark cant bend. They are too small too! Thanks for the nice comment.
Sharks are actually very peaceful creatures if you dont fuck with them. Notice how he doesnt attack the fish or the divers, he is just curious as to what is in his territory.
James is right!
I can almost hear the shark thinking, wtf?
Nicole Roberts Cool comment!
Thank you. Please keep being a voice for these majestic creatures. Someone has to speak for those who cannot.
Nicole Roberts : No problem. The are being caught this year in NJ and NY. Normally they are not around here, so they must be multiplying which is good news. Many people fish them out and kill them so....
That is really cool Bruce. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, but my Dad passed away all of the sudden unexpectedly. You lived in a lot of cool places. Brave man! Have a great weekend!
I am very confused.... You have people sticking their arms out, a guy on top of the cage and very wide gaps in the cage that appear to look like he could get his mouth in or some other creature passing by. Wtf....I wanna do this but I need a real cage with smaller holes
toyarj37 I saw on TV once that a shark got in the cage a bit, but could not do much. They pretty much leave you alone if you leave them alone. We were out of the cage and there were cables holding the cage that you could hide behind. Wild stuff!
Thanks Zadose! Happy Holidays everyone!
Thanks so much!
Adam Hay : We were on top of the cage too. There were steel cables that were real thick you could duck behind. Pretty exciting stuff!
Beautiful angles
Thanks so much Susanna!
I totally agree!
Check out the video I made a few weeks ago of our whole Great White Shark trip to Guadalupe Island. Photos and all so everyone can get a feel of what the area looked like in and out of the water. The video has over 10,000 hits already! th-cam.com/video/1kk3HmU4xh4/w-d-xo.html
@Brandon: Great comment! I totally agree with you. Brave friends tough!
This shark has an entourage like he's Drake or something walking up in a club. Isle of Guadalupe is amazing. I'm getting ready to go out there in August to see them during mating season.
Majestic and beautiful shark...
They are so pretty underwater and move so gracefully!
I don't know how comfortable I would feel swimming in open water with a Great White. It was cool being on the top of the cage with my daughters, but that was about it. One bite and it would be all over!
Thank you
Hi Ron. Would you do this?
Check out some more video of us being out of the Shark cage. Taylor is on top in this video. th-cam.com/video/1kk3HmU4xh4/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Bruce. We originally planned on a family trip to South Africa, but the flights were crazy from New Jersey. Too many hours and with two girls I did not feel that comfortable traveling alone. You are so lucky to have dove in South Africa! Talk to you soon.
I'm so sorry to hear that, Roger. My thoughts are with you and I hope he had a long and eventful life! Nobody should die "unexpectedly." Maybe I'll see you out on the ocean one day.
Thank you. You have to do it, but don't wear a 3 mil wet suit like we did. The water was 60 degrees and freezing after awhile.
Holy crap, that is one huge shark! I bet that was an amazing experience.
Matt Sutton It was so cool! The Great Whites were really big! I met a lot of nice divers there too.
The trip was great except for the ride out 24 hours. The water was rough and it was hard to walk. Otherwise seeing and diving with Great Whites is a once in a life time vacation. Have fun and write to me when you get back.
Bruce: We were out of the cage up on top, but the owners of the boat would not let us official scuba dive with them. One of the pro photographers got in a fight with the Captain of the boat saying he was told he could dive with tanks outside the cages. They definitely were not letting that happen. I wish I got to see that happen though. I guess its Hooka diving then.
Please could I use this footage in my college media project? It will only be used once with the purpose of being projected along a wall to give an ocean surrounding effect. If you permit me to use this footage I will credit you, Thanks for your time.
I never saw your comment. Sorry about that and yes you could have used it.
The little fish are protected by the Giant Great White and when the Great White eats another fish they are close by to get the bits and pieces that are coming out of the gills, etc..
The great white was like WTF now the fu**ing humans come with their go pros and iphones also 30 m under water to photograph. Maybe the shark also posed for his new facebook profil pic
Peter Hans Great comment! I agree Peter!
look at those small fish kissing the sharks ass, the apex predator
Big time!
He looks like the big bully and those other fish are the followers
"free dive with scuba equipment" ? ;) But I have never dive, nor seen any great white yet :(, only bullsharks in Playa del Carmen (no feeding, no cage, but I know those are quite different from great whites !). I have only seen videos of a very few people doing this.
Sorry again for my remark, and great video ! I just don't like the shark-feeding.
Thanks Bruce. It has been hard lately! Hopefully I will be diving soon. Recovering from a ripped MCL for ice hockey last month so... What a mess! Have a great week.
This is my dream, though I am still learning and I love it!!
Beautiful animal. It was great to be so close in the Shark's environment.
Thanks Murray Maclean! The Go Pro was a hero 3 I believe. They just came out with a Go Pro 4 so I would recommend that. I just got one.. The 3's are nice too. Have a good weekend.
I was there! The Shark was not a 8 or 9 footer Mr. Expert! Hard to tell by video!
Where was this taken place? What footage!
Jerry Lore Jerry this was around Guadalupe Island in Mexico. We went out 24 hours from Ensenda, Mexico by boat. Long rough trip. My two kids went with me. Your kids would love it. What an experience.
Roger J Muller Jr Check out page 6. thevisitorpanama.com/issues/visitor21-29/index.html
+Roger J Muller Jr Well done and yes this shark is every bit 12 feet and then some!
+kellyr95 Thanks for the nice comment. I think the smallest there was around 12 feet. What an experience right? Glad you went. Post some of your photos here if you have any. I just got back from Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti and Hawaii diving. The weather was terrible. The Manta Dive in Kona is something for you to do.
Can you imagine floating in the ocean at night knowing there’s something humongous circling under you.
No, not at all. That would be so scary!!!!!!
Thanks for the comment!
i want that ACU diving suit
To dive with whites do u have to have been on other dives before they let u or is there certification classes for this ?
This was the first time we dove with Great White Sharks. It was so cool. There were no instructors on the boat who were certified to teach the Great White Shark diver course unfortunately. I have 130 scuba certifications and would have liked that one. Where do you dive?
so beautiful what a beautiful animal
I agree. It was so cool seeing them close up.
Roger Muller must have been breath taking
ShadowFireHime Definitely took our breaths away.
Roger J Muller Jr were you scared?
ShadowFireHime No, I have been diving since 1998 and am pretty well trained.
Great video, thumbs up from us and cheers from sunny IGY Simpson Bay Marina, Sint Maarten in the Caribbean.
Thanks Captain! I have never dove in Saint Marten, but want to try one day. The Great White Shark diving was great.
How is the diving there Captain?
@Life wasters: Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it. Also I have to tell you I was diving in the Bahamas last week and got bitten by a Carribean Reef Shark during shark week. I was diving at Stuart Coves doing a feeder course and the Shark bite through my chain mail and 7 mil glove. I will be posting a 10 minute video of two shark feeding dives eventually. I grabbed for a piece of bait and the shark grabbed it and my hand and arm by mistake. It was totally my fault. Small scare
Sorry Casimir: At work and not reading right! Really cool that you have had all these great experiences. I don't free dive at all.You are real brave diving with Bull Sharks. I have not seen one yet while in the water and really don't want to. It was nice to have the cage as protection. We were the animals in the cage and were the entertainment for the Great Whites!
beautiful shark im scared of sharks after watching Movie Jaws it was nightmare at time but as you growup the fear of going underwater is still the same Shark
Lots of people are scared because of the movie. Here and there people get bitten, but it seems most of the time the sharks think they are seals because they have wet suits on and fins.
@Akrawlsunc: That is really cool. I never heard about the clear cages yet.. How was it. Did they come real close to the plexiglass? Really great experience!!!! Thanks for sharing!
I want to do that now! I am diving in early August with Sharks in the Bahamas, but that will be tame compared to the Great White Shark diving...
Thanks for all the great comments! What an experience it was to dive with the Great Whites!
what type of diver are you? whats your job description?
Dive Master-Instructor
Roger: Great exposing your children to an adventure like this
they don't carry the emotional baggage of adults and they will regard these as halcyon days.
@FromCrowntoKingdom: Great comment! They are really pretty and cool creatures that have not changed much over the years. Think of the Megladons that looked the same but were 70 feet long. Crazy!
This is my worst nightmare! What a brave man
Thanks Sarra. My kids were real brave too. They were not scared at all! Great experience!
Roger Muller a big well done to you all
Sarra Connolly My kids were only 12 & 16 at the time also. Both Master Scuba Divers. We learned a lot on the trip also. Lots of great photographers on the trip and some nice divers too. 24 hours out into the Pacific Ocean. Long trip! Thanks again for the nice comments.
Seriously that's amazing and what an incredible experience.
Sorry I hit the report by accident I've removed it now sorry again
Has anyone else gone Great White Shark cage diving?
The fishies got the right idea following the shark for protection but when the shark gets a little hungry...
Your right.
I know I'm right, I'm awesome. xD
Sonnie: How about you could tell they were interested the same as we are interested in animals in a cage at the zoo. We were totally out of the cage on other dives too fyi.
There are a few a year and being in a cage is safer. Its like being in the woods with a big bear. They might attack you, but most likely if you leave them alone they will just walk by. Feed them and they might be your friend or bite your hand off.
Why do all of those fish follow the shark around?
approximately how much money it costs for this sir?
venkatesh katkar If you go online they will tell you. Different in different places.
It probably starts at $3,000.
Robson: Great point! Someone knows what they are talking about. I have 80 scuba certs and never thought about that answer. Thanks buddy!
:me: i wouldn't mind swimming with that shark im going in with the shark
:shark: im coming to get you
:me: O.O HELP!
:shark: nom nom nom hey it taste goods you guys are next O.O
HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS 12 FT?
The minimum any of them are are 12 feet. They have scientists that measure them.
Those fish are swimming with it going "Yeah, he's with us!"
They are feeling lucky!
5:27 the movie "Jaws" Doll's eyes!
Cool right!
I agree Camryn Zezelic. They were very interested in us.
Roger J Muller Jr Hungry maybe! Only joking!
Has anyone been Great White Shark diving lately?
absolutely awe inspiring animal
Thanks.
So Beautiful...I love the way the creatures just slip off into the eternal blue, drifting with the waves.
It is our duty to protect such magnificence.
I agree Soleman117! It was so nice to be close in the water near them. They just glide though the water.
"free dive with scuba equipment" ? ;) But I have never dive, nor seen any great white yet :(, only bullsharks in Playa del Carmen (no feeding, no cage, but I know those are quite different from great whites !). I have only seen videos of a very few people doing this.
Sorry again for my remark, and great video ! I just don't like the shark-feeding.
Bull sharks are scary.
Amazing footage! I'll be cage diving in Cape Town soon with the great whites. Can you please provide more details on the model of GoPro that was used? and what frames etc? many thanks
How did you Cape Town cage diving go???
The little fish get all the left over chips of fish when the Great White chops up the fish.
Nice video, but I wouldn't call observing a shark in a cage "scuba diving." Try it out of the cage with a tank and then we'll talk again.
There was no choice and you are right. More hooka diving!
Ok, then my apologies and great video ! ;)
I thought you were feeding them because it is unfortunately a common practice of cage-dives, and also because I thought all the fishes in the same spock at the back of the video were all at the same place because of some food you were dropping into the water.
In Mexico the tour operators are not allowed to feed the Great Whites.
Ok, then my apologies and great video ! ;)
I thought you were feeding them because it is unfortunately a common practice of cage-dives, and also because I thought all the fishes in the same spock at the back of the video were all at the same place because of some food you were dropping into the water.
I agree. It is not good to feed them like they do in Australia.
Casimir: We were not feeding the Sharks. They breed the time of year we were there. It is illegal to feed them in Mexico. We were on the Nautilus Explorer. They do not feed! Did you ever free dive with scuba equipment with Great Whites?
fun fact sharks are attracted by the electric charge of metal cages and will attack them now and then. The fact you were in a cage does not change the fact you were in the water with something so beautiful and deadly. I envy you but doubt I'll ever have the courage to go diving with sharks.
Gordon: Well said. Kelsey who is my daughter and was Great White Shark diving just graduated from Harvard University last Thursday! I total agree with you comment and appreciate the thought and time you took to write it!
At 5:05 I was hanging out of the cage and was pretty close. My daughter is behind me.
Big time! It was cool!
Are you deeper than 46 Meters Down? Or in The Shallows?
No only about 30 feet down or 10 meters.
I better find you in Twitter
They are swimming too close for the shark to even see them. They are safe.
I totally agree with you. Jaws really messed up most peoples minds and scared the heck out of them. You don't bother them and they don't bother you!
4:16 Fish gets
a lighting strike!
Thanks Sophia. I had a great time diving with the Great Whites!
Thanks.
I like how the fish are thinking: "Stay behind him boys, he doesn't see us back here!"
CDenic: I agree with you. Smart move!
Swimming with them in open water is an unreal experience. I just got a video of one that showed up on a wreck dive I was doing with my aunt and uncle in July. They are just so awesome.
Scary!
cage or no cage, if that was me at 5:44 the water would've gotten a lot warmer.
Funny!
No problem. I respect everyone's opinion anyway! I agree with you, but we definitely did not feed the Sharks!
Sharks arent mindless killing machines, this shark looked more curious than anything
They are really nice if you don't bother them like any other fish or animal! I agree!
First - what a great Dad! My own father was able to do things with me that opened up the larger world to me - so this was a pleasure to see. Second - what a great experience - the last two passes the shark seemed to linger a bit longer, and it really does help to see how big they are. Like encounters with whales, to see the design and movement of such an evolved animal is exciting. Lastly, how long did you wait! And was anything used to attract them? And what does your daughter want to do next?
Hi Dana:
The boat was not allowed to use fish heads or big bait to attract the Great Whites. They had a small bag of chum and they stepped on it and attracted the small fish.
I have two daughters and one is starting Penn State in August and the other just graduated from Harvard in May. Kelsey is in London training to be an investment banker. Taylor dove with me in the Bahamas last summer when I did a Shark Feeding course there. They both are super calm underwater. Taylor was the youngest diver ever to stay at Jules Underwater Hotel in Key Largo, Florida, when she was 10 and just certified. Good kids! Glad your Dad did things with you! Makes you a more rounded person! Thanks so much for writing!
Best profile I have ever seen of this majestic giant swimming with his crew. What an easy going big boy. Just came by to smile for The cameras. He just wants to make sure your cage was locked and all... *wink* The cage can give you an optimal reference of the size of this one. Huuuuuge! Thinking... You are probably average height of 5'9 to 6'2 cage has a lot of room... let's just say it's gonna be a while until someone can show me a better clip. No violence all beauty. Keep diving. Keep sharing.
The Sharks were very beautiful and the experience being close to them was the best! Hope all is well!
It was real cool being so close to a Great White!
The Nautilus explorer owned by Capt Mike? I had the pleasure of being on his boat right after it was built...dive trip in Canada. What an awesome adventure. Love your video! I'm getting back into diving and look forward to another trip on the explorer!!!
K9: I just saw your note sorry. The ship was really nice and from Canada. Good luck getting back into diving. Take it slow and enjoy! Thanks for the nice comment.
My husband and I are going diving on the same boat this upcoming August. Was the whole trip everything you expected it to be?
HOw did it go?
Shark is like "alright I'm here get your footage ill just roam around"... "where you land animals from anyway?"5:32 "here you guys want a close up?.. sure check out my teeth" "why you guys always in those cages.. you scared of me?"
+JaggerZHD That was a really cool commentary. I agree with everything you said! Great job!
Thanks Sophia! My kids were real brave.
trying too get rid of my shark fobia , getting better i couldnt even watch these kinds of videos b4 without almost pissing my pants, now i just feel uncomfortable. atleast alittle progress , some day i might get into the water with one, but NOT in open water without a cage, there isint enuf money in the world to even make me consider it, but in a cage on the other hand, there is a possebility in the future :P but even than i would most likly need a bribe hahahaha :P
Good for you - Great job!
What a near perfect Apex Predator. He was just checking out what was "floating" in the water. Opportunist.
True. It was so cool being so close underwater!
Have a good weekend everyone.
I wonder why the fish were following him? Perhaps they had wised up and realized he can't turn around in time to eat them, or maybe even see them. Hmm.
ProgressiveMetalist The fish following are safe because Great Whites need a bigger meal for one and can't turn that quickly. When the Great White eats a big fish or seal the leftover chips of meat float in the water and the little fish get a good meal. No other big fish bother the little fish because they are protected by the Great White being under or above them.
Man I envy you! I would love to do this! Thanks for sharing this great video!
Thanks for the comment Don! Great stuff. You are welcome.
I play ice hockey in NJ with a Dana Snodgrass. Any relation?
Probably a distant relative. The Snodgrasses originated in Glasgow. Scotland
Thanks for the reply!
This is either really brave, really stupid or you have a death wish... Can't quite decide which...
I agree!
Thanks buddy =)
Some of biologists observation, I guess.
Your welcome 8 years later!
I think this is a shark with its baby's swimming after her .. Don't judge me I think this is kinda cute 😀 🐟🐟
+Monika Zmijewska : No judging at all. It is really cool that you noticed that. Have a great week!