Divers Relax and Meet Sharks on Grand Bahama Island
The author on a shark dive off of Grand Bahama Island (photo by Jimmie Mack)
By Michael H. Cottman
For Francine Whittington, a black scuba diver from Phoenix, swimming with sharks in the deep waters of the Bahamas was thrilling – and it was also therapeutic.
“The shark dive was a more than just a dive for me - it was a way for me to conquer my fear of sharks,” said Whittington, a procurement manager for the State of Arizona. “This experience was very positive and gave me a new understanding of sharks.”
Whittington was among a group of adventurous African American scuba divers who came face-to-face with about 20 sharks—the ocean’s most feared predators – 50 feet beneath the sea. Read the full story.
Zig-zagging from the shadows off Grand Bahama Island, sharks circled overhead and swam within inches of the divers, which also included this writer. There were no cages, no glass-bottom boats, no walls to separate sharks from people.
The exhilarating one-hour shark dive was arranged by the Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO) in Freeport, Bahamas and coincided with the 19th annual summit of The National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS).
“There are really few words to describe the feeling of having Caribbean Reef sharks buzzing by your head in open water,” said Kim Yarbrough, a veteran scuba diver, long time NABS member and a pharmaceutical sales manager from Atlanta. “Not only do you observe these huge animals in their natural environment, but you get to touch them as well.”
The dives were designed to educate NABS members about sharks and dispel the notion that all sharks are man-eating monsters. A professional shark handler wearing a stainless-steel suit fed the sharks fresh fish and even rubbed their snouts while divers watched in amazement on the sandy ocean floor.
“The experience of being in close proximity with these large and graceful animals never ceases to awaken a sense of awe and amazement in me,” said Bill Murrain, an Atlanta lawyer and a former NABS president.
The NABS 2009 Summit was held on Grand Bahama Island,—also known as Freeport—a relaxed, tropical destination an hour from Miami with beautiful white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, great seafood, an excellent 18-hole golf course and a Vegas-style casino. www.bahamas.com
The National Association of Black Scuba Divers was founded in January 1991 and has been a catalyst for promoting scuba diving throughout the African-American community. Women now make up half of NABS’ membership. www.nabsdivers.org
“While tight travel budgets are a necessity of these difficult times, the NABS Summit presents the opportunity for African-American divers from both the United States and other parts of the world to have access to each other,” said Zel Head, President of NABS and an attorney based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“Attendees not only engage each other socially, but often address issues such as the marine environment, economic opportunities and dive safety. Many of these matters are discussed from an African-American perspective,” Head said.
One of NABS’ most cherished projects is an underwater archeology class that teaches members how to identify sunken slave ships like the Henrietta Marie, that sank off the coast of Florida in 1700. The Henrietta Marie is the only sunken slave ship in the world where more than 20,000 artifacts were recovered, including the largest collection of slave-ship shackles ever found on one site.
In 1993, NABS members participated in a prayer service at sea and placed a one-ton monument underwater on the site of the Henrietta Marie to pay tribute to the enslaved Africans who died during the African slave trade.
NABS also offers an annual Youth Summit in Florida where NABS instructors train black youngsters in scuba diving and talk to them about careers in marine science and oceanography.
The organization also has many skilled scuba instructors who teach people to swim, snorkel and scuba dive. Dr. Jose Jones, a world-renown marine biologist and a NABS co-founder who lives in Washington, D.C., has taught more than 2,500 students to scuba dive – all for free.
“Diving is my favorite past time,” said Keshea Madison, a national recruiter for a logistics company and co-chair of the NABS 2010 Summit. “It’s my relief from the stresses of life. Diving brings such peace and helps you truly respect the underwater world.”
Michael H. Cottman is a senior correspondent for BlackAmericaWeb.com and covers the Obama administration. He is an avid scuba diver, a longtime NABS member and author of “The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie,” a 17th Century slave ship that sank off the coast of Florida 300 years ago.
