Sara Gojer invites to dive with sharks

Sara Gojer, a diver from Dubai who specialises in shark diving, is keen to prove that the world of these predators is not as dangerous as many people imagine.

Locally, she conducts shark dives at the National Aquarium in Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Aquarium, and regularly organises dives in Fujairah, where small and harmless white tip and black tip reef sharks are abundant.

She is also currently planning a trip to the Maldives to swim with tiger sharks, one of the three most dangerous shark species in the world, growing up to five metres in length.

After that, Sara will take the group to South Africa to swim with bull sharks, another large and aggressive species.

“When people do cage dives, they are deliberately baiting the sharks and rousing them for the camera. It’s like putting a dog in a cage and banging on the bars to upset it. It’s not right that people think as if sharks deserve less respect than other animals,” says the diver.

“Films like Jaws have put it into our heads that they are dangerous animals that attack people on a whim. That’s not true. If you respect them, keep your distance, and watch your surroundings, it’s very unlikely they will do you any harm,” Sara said.

“The most important thing when diving with sharks is to stay calm. Sharks can sense your energy. If you panic, start kicking your legs or consume too much oxygen, you may provoke the predator to aggression. If you try to relax, on the other hand, you are much less likely to cause problems,” Ms Gojer said.

Sara Gojer is originally from India but has been living in Dubai for 12 years. She first discovered her passion for diving and sharks about five years ago. Since then, she has completed courses on how to protect different species of sharks, qualified as a master scuba diver, and has become a member of PADI, the professional association of diving instructors.

Source: Khaleej Times

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