A great article in the Advertiser featuring Adventure Bay Charters and the Shark Warrior vessel designed by Southerly Designs:
Port Lincoln company now lets you see sharks underwater without getting wet
IT just became a whole lot easier to get face to face with a great white shark.
Port Lincoln-based tour company Adventure Bay Charters has launched a new boat — Shark Warrior — which features an underwater glass and aluminium viewing platform that can hold up to six guests.
The platform, attached to the rear of the vessel, means that thrill-seekers no longer have to don a wetsuit and enter a cage to see the majestic creatures up close.
Adventure Bay sales and marketing manager Andrew McKinnon said the platform was the first in the world specifically designed for shark viewing.
Mr McKinnon said the vessel and its platform, launched last week had already attracted a lot of interest.
“We’ve had kids as young as eight in the cage, and now their mum or dad can go down in the sub and watch as well,” he said.
“The cage sits in front of the sub, so you can watch the action out the front but you also have the view from the side windows. We think this will really open up a new market for people who’ve always wanted to see great whites but haven’t wanted to actually get into the cage.”
Mr McKinnon said the platform also raised the chances of everyone on board seeing great whites, as Shark Raider could cater for six divers in the cage and six viewers in the platform at the same time.
Adventure Bay Charters is unique in using music, rather than burley, to attract the massive creatures. In the past the operators have famously used AC/DC to get the sharks’ attention, but it seems their tastes might be changing.
“Yeah, they seem to really like the Hilltop Hoods’ new album this year,” Mr McKinnon said.
“But anything with low frequencies will work. The music just adds to the fun.”z
