Mike Rutzen: Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.downhilladventures.com Shark Cage Diving with the Mike Rutzen Team] |
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* [http://www.sharkmans-world.com/mrutzen.htm The Sharkman meets Michael Rutzen] |
* [http://www.sharkmans-world.com/mrutzen.htm The Sharkman meets Michael Rutzen] |
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* [http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?id=3437§ion=&action=display&show=south%20africa White Shark Man, Divernet] |
* [http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?id=3437§ion=&action=display&show=south%20africa White Shark Man, Divernet] |
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Revision as of 10:14, 26 July 2008
Mike Rutzen is an expert on the great white shark and an outspoken champion of shark conservation. His fame spread due to the images of his free diving exploits swimming with the animals without a cage. He has since travelled the world lecturing on sharks and filming documentaries on them.
History
Mike started out as a fisherman based in the South African town of Gansbaai that has since become famous for its white sharks. As a fisherman he was scared of the animals but as tourism developed in the area there was a need for qualified boat skippers to take the tourists out to the animals. From this point he started to grow to love the fish. Mike worked for Andre Hartman and learned how to free dive with the sharks from Andre. Mike eventually opened up his own shark boat for cage diving. His company Shark Diving Unlimited has since become the world's first to offer a PADI specialisation qualification on white sharks.
Television
He has recently appeared in his own television show for the Discovery Channel. Called Sharkman, in the program he toured the world diving with different species of sharks and demonstrated their tonic immobility reflex.