Recently, we reported that Hawaii Shark Encounters was in hot water with local officials. Although state law bans commercial operations in Hawaii from feeding sharks in state waters, the law doesn't prohibit shark viewing activities (as long as there's no feeding involved). Haleiwa-based Hawaii Shark Encounters maintains that the sharks its customers view are drawn to the surface by the sound of boat engines. According to their website, the sharks "learned that certain boats would hand out scraps of fish. We went to the same places and acted just like a crab boat, but instead started to introduce a cage." However, local divers and fishermen claim that the company has been feeding sharks, and their home page seems to show a man dropping fish into the water.
Recently, Jenna Rose Robbins visited Hawaii. In the entertaining and descriptive trip report she filed for the Seattle PI, I think she inadvertently busted Jimmy Hall and his operation. Three time during the report, she refers to feeding sharks:
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"As the chum hit the water, only the usual suspects emerged, daunting enough in their dental capacity: 10-foot Galapagos and slightly shorter sandbar sharks, all writhing and vying for the fish parts tossed near our cage."
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"Despite the frenetic feeding surrounding me.."
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"As I helped the crew hand-feed chum from the back of the Kainani..."
1. Nice try, Driznik. I believe that since the sharks do, in fact, eat the chum, it counts as feeding.
Chum:
"Bait usually consisting of oily fish ground up and scattered on the water."
and
"To lure (fish) with such bait."
http://www.answers.com/chum&r=67
Posted at 11:18AM on Oct 13th 2006 by Willy