Diving News
Scuba divers are being asked to visit Eilat in Israel in October for a mass protest-dive against shark-hunting. A new Guinness World Record is in prospect if 500 divers can be encouraged to attend.
The “D-Dive”, the culmination of a two-year Silence of the Sharks project, is set for 22 October and will be broadcast live, says the organiser. The mass-dive is to take place on the wreck of the Satil, a 1960s-era French/Israeli warship that lies at a depth of 25m.
By today (21 June) 83 divers from 12 countries had signed up to participate. A particular effort is being made to attract instructors to marshal groups of divers during the event – 24 have signed up so far.
Silence of the Sharks was launched in December 2015 with a broadcast dive featuring 85 divers, and others followed in Cuba, South Africa and under ice in Russia.
The project is the brainchild of David Pilosof, organiser of the Eilat-based World ShootOut series of photo-competitions, though he says that the venue was chosen in memory of Dr Eugenie “Shark Lady” Clark, who died in 2015 but began her shark-research career in the Israeli resort. Another world-famous diver, marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle, has confirmed her participation in the event.
Any diver with Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent certification is invited to take part in the dive.
An 85-euro fee includes tank and weights, transport to the dive-site, participation certificate and T-shirt, free entrance to a shark conference and other events being held in the four days leading up to the dive, and access to images of the dive. Accommodation packages are available.
Full details can be found here
