Shark Close

Shark Close does what the label says: it puts divers and grey reef sharks in the same modest volume of water. The site, off Alor's northwest coast near Sebanjar, gained its reputation in the years when local boats drew the sharks in close; the practice has faded, but the residents remain, cruising the terraces where the reef shelves toward the strait's deep water. Whitetips rest in the sand cuts, schooling fusiliers and surgeonfish work the slope, and the same cold pulses that power the rest of the Pantar Strait sweep through mid-dive. It is a straightforward, slightly stern dive whose appeal is dependable shark traffic without cages, feeding, or fuss.

Il momento che aspettavi: Grey reef sharks at close quarters; cool, fish-rich strait water; uncrowded big-animal diving.

Topografia: Sloping reef and rubble terraces off the northwest Alor coast, falling toward deep water.

Corrente: Exposed to the strait's flow; dived on selected tides with drift procedures.

Pericoli: Current, depth, and thermoclines together shorten safe bottom time; plan conservatively this far from help.

Conservazione: Historic provisioning has ended; treat encounters as wild and unbaited, and keep behavior accordingly neutral.

Nitrox: Vale la pena qui — i profili rientrano nella fascia in cui l'aria arricchita (nitrox) prolunga in modo significativo il tempo senza decompressione (con la formazione necessaria per utilizzarla).