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On the last day of the year, 12/31/00, Randy went on a shark feeding dive 10 miles off the south coast of Nassau.  The dive shop, Stuart Cove, runs this trip 365 days a year.  The sharks are used to being fed by these guys, about 2pm every day.   This was a similar dive to one Randy did in Nassau on 12/31/98. 

Yes, those are real sharks.  No trick photography here.  Reef sharks.
6 to 10 feet in length.  Wave at them, and they'll bite your hand off.

The problem during that 1998 dive was that the shop's photographer's camera flooded and no pictures were available afterward as a memento.  So this time, Randy hired his own photographer, a terrific lady named Karyn White, who had loads of experience taking shots in this unpredicatable atmosphere.

25 sharks, 12 divers.  You do the math...

The difference this time, is that Randy got to be more involved in the action, by being placed in the middle of the feeding frenzy.  The sharks don't seem interested in biting the humans, as long as you keep your hands close by and don't wiggle your fingers.

Things got a little out of hand in the middle of the shark feed, when one of the creatures bit through the steel-mesh hand of the divemaster when he was feeding them.  As he recoiled, another shark came in and knocked him to the ground while the blood from his hand diffused into the feeding area.  The energy level in the water picked up dramatically as the sharks kept circling faster and faster looking for food...

A hungry shark grabs some food off the lunch fork.  Note the size of his teeth.

   
"Ahhh, hello.  Nice eyes.  You haven't slept for awhile, have you?"

. 

Randy wasn't in any real danger, although the sharks were more aggressive than ever as they bumped and swaggered their way to find the source of the food ... the crate.

Go to scenes of Randy and the crate...