Keeping a shark focus

Words: Alistair Hughes

Most people would head rapidly away from the water at the first hint of a shark, but Blenheim-based director of Taylor and Co Building: Brad Taylor, actually flew to the most shark-infested waters in the world specifically to swim with them.

“My daughter is five,” laughs Brad, as he acknowledges the standard incredulous reaction to his unusual passion. “And at that age, every child loves sharks – I just never grew out of it.”

That sounds perfectly reasonable, but free-diving off the Florida coast in the intimate company of massive bull sharks – ranked in the top three of human-attacking species – is surely beyond reason?

“Sharks cop a lot of flack,” Brad admits, “but they're a crucial part of the marine ecosystem. People look at you sideways when you say you have a passion for sharks, and my parents were less than impressed about the whole dive situation. And although my wife, Jaz, loves sharks, she can't think of anything worse than getting in the water with them. But my family support me in what I do.”

Brad’s fascination with the marine predators led him to make contact with like-minded divers overseas and culminated in his trip to Jupiter, Florida in July this year. Keeping in contact with renowned Florida diving guide Tanner Mansell, Brad signed up for a diving trip with a conservation group Mansell was working in conjunction with, called The SOSA (Save Our Species Alliance). On arrival, Brad found he was the only diver from outside of North America.

“A lot of people found it quite surprising, but it was awesome, a really good group. We've all become quite good mates because of our appreciation for the sharks.”

He refers to the stretch of water they all dived in as a ‘shark highway’ between Florida and the Bahamas. “It’s the shark capital of the world, I guess. We were in a spot called ‘Deep Ledge’ (an advanced diving site with a maximum depth of over 45 metres) in 30-degree water. 25 big bull sharks were literally swimming all around the boat. I put my face in, and 300 millimetres away was a bull shark dorsal fin passing straight beneath me.”

So far so terrifying, but why do people choose to leave the safety of the boat without a cage – and how can it be safe? Brad explains that clarity is key.

“The water is so crystal clear that they can see us perfectly. Bull sharks have a bad reputation, because they also swim in fresh water, and a lot of their attacks happen in muddy water. But during our clear water dive they could easily see their usual food sources, and they're not interested in us. They’re just not looking at you as a meal.”

Generally speaking, it is widely accepted that most shark bites are a case of ‘mistaken identity’ – a combination of the shark’s particularly adapted vision and poor water visibility causing them to mistake us for their natural prey. And even if a person is bitten, a shark will usually quickly release them when they realise they’ve accidentally sampled the wrong menu option.

“They are an apex predator, and everyone knows that,” adds Brad. “But again, we're just not on the food chain for them. Although they’re considerably bigger, we’re still a fair size to them – so we aren’t an easy meal, if you know what I mean. They go elsewhere.”

Brad is adamant that if more people were prepared to give shark diving a chance, they would see a different side of the creatures as well. “That first dive was so exhilarating and seeing them like that is unreal. I know sharks are feared and what they're capable of, but you gain a much bigger appreciation and love for them when you actually dive with them.”

He knows what he’s talking about, now halfway through marine science studies in his spare time.

“It’s an ongoing thing. With my other responsibilities, including husband and dad, it's just something I do on my own. I'm not looking at it as a full-time career, but I hope to be involved with sharks, or shark conservation in particular, at some point in the future.”

Those other responsibilities he refers to include looking after two companies. Taylor and Co Building was established by Brad in 2000 and has since gained two Chamber of Commerce awards.

“I won ‘New and Emerging,’ for which you had to have been going for less than two years. And also the Youth Employer Award. We’re now a team of close to a dozen.” Brad is a licensed building practitioner but began as an apprentice like everyone else. “So it's good to give guys a start and experience in a trade they can be proud of at the end of the day.”

Then, in May this year, Brad and Jaz were offered franchise ownership of Jennian Homes Marlborough/Kaikōura.

“It's another step for me, something I want to do to further my career. It’s a great brand to be with, bringing clients who want to build their dream home in a different way. To be honest, I gave it about 24 hours’ thought, and that was the decision made. We’re just really excited about this opportunity.”

Brad says that an assessment of the state of the building trade in the current economy depends upon who you talk to, but personally he has no complaints. “We’re looking forward to next year. We've got plenty of work for both companies coming up, so we're staying busy and enjoying every moment.”

And also coming up in 2026 is an experience with ‘hammers’ not generally found on a building site – diving with hammerhead and tiger sharks in the Bahamas.

“This next trip is a big step. It will be a tank dive – fully ‘equipped up,’ and we kneel on the sandy bottom. They have great hammerheads and the biggest species of tiger sharks in the world there; we’re talking upwards of 14 feet long!”

Brad says that he’s happy to connect anyone interested in shark diving, or point them in the right direction for a similar trip. “I'm talking with some very well-known people in the shark industry now. And some of them are even talking about coming here (to experience cage diving with the Great Whites off Bluff).”

In the meantime, he is continuing his study and investigating ways to become more involved with shark conservation and wildlife programmes. “It's cool to be able to bring the passion back to New Zealand, which is probably quite isolated from that kind of dive or type of trip.”

Brad is thrilled that his daughter is already talking about shark diving one day with her dad.

And as New Zealand’s ocean swimming season approaches, the question has to be asked about sharks in our own waters: “If you are in salt water there are going to be sharks, but you’re never going to get the species here that they have over there,” says Brad. “Species including bronze whalers and mako sharks are commonly seen – but again, they're not interested in you. You're more likely to be hit by lightning tomorrow while going for a walk than attacked by a shark!”