Today we’d like to introduce you to Kinga Philipps.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kinga. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Horizon Charters has been pioneering scuba diving adventures in Southern California and Mexico since 1980. In 2000, the MV Horizon was the first vessel to cage dive with great white sharks off the famed Isla Guadalupe… the best place in the world to experience great whites in their habitat. Today, we are the only great white shark boat that goes out of San Diego. This year, with the realization that so many of our shark diving enthusiasts are women, and combined with the fact that a good portion of shark advocates, scientists and environmentalists are women we decided to offer women lead shark cage diving tours. Leading the trips this year will be me and Stefanie Brendl… Stefanie is the executive producer and cast member of one of shark conservations most influential films called Extinction Soup. She has hundreds of hours of diving with sharks from around the world, and pioneered ownership in a sustainable shark diving operation in Hawaii called Hawaii Shark Encounters. In recent years, her political work has put Stefanie on the forefront of shark conservation, in particular the Pacific region. She was a driving force behind the first shark fin trade ban in the Nation in Hawaii in 2010 and has since then dedicated her life to the conservation of sharks. Stefanie has worked as a team member or consultant for several other shark based NGOs and founded Shark Allies in 2007 in Hawaii. Join her and her team at Guadalupe island this year and learn about the current trends and challenges that sharks face in 2018. From a woman who has been on the frontlines of some of the most far reaching shark conservation changes in the industry – and the globe. My background is in media, journalism, television and shark/ocean advocacy. I have worked for National Geographic, Travel Channel and many, many other outlets telling stories about female explorers, off the beaten path destinations and some of the best adventures on the planet… like shark diving.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Eco tourism is never a fully smooth road. We strive to be the most safety conscious and environmentally conscious outfitters to Isla Guadalupe and our record is impeccable. Outside of being a tour company, our goal is to positively affect how people think about sharks. We live in a world where the media yells “shark attack” every chance they get, a world where Shark Week dramatizes the behavior of these animals and a world that was forever altered by the cult classic JAWS. We understand that people protect what they love and so our mission is to introduce as many individuals as possible to the experience of being in the water with these magnificent creatures. It is incredible and rewarding to see people exit the cages post dive and burst into tears because the experience was so awed inducing.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Horizon Charters – what should we know?
Guadalupe Island is more than just great white shark diving. Its remote location in the Pacific has made it a unique biological laboratory for wildlife and history. The island has been visited by over 100 scientific expeditions since 1850. In 2000, the MV Horizon was the first vessel to cage dive with great white sharks at this location and we have been fascinated by it ever since.
White shark cage diving adventures lead by women at Guadalupe Island is something America’s Shark Boat is thrilled to help support and pioneer in 2018. The scuba travel industry has evolved and today thousands of women of all ages, from all walks of life, pack their bags to go on liveaboard adventure travel trips for women to exotic, worldwide, destinations. Why not shark diving?
Our goal is to teach our divers about sharks, conservation, and science.
We have invited some of the top industry names in shark conservation, shark media, and outreach, and adventure scuba to join us on select women only dates at Guadalupe this season. Over the course of the shark expedition to Guadalupe divers will learn about shark biology, ecology, behavior and the intricate relationship we, as humans, have with sharks. We will also discuss psychological factors, the mindset divers should develop and the mental discipline that makes animal encounters safer, kinder and more meaningful.
Horizon Charters continues to support Guadalupe Island conservation efforts. Not only do we provide the platform for marine researchers from Mexico and the United States, but we work with the local fishing Cooperativa, giving them logistical support for their complex ecosystem and biodiversity on the island. Horizon Charters is dedicated to working with the Mexican Government to preserve the ecological treasure of Isla Guadalupe beyond great white sharks.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Determination and seeing every single setback as a simple life script change.
Pricing:
- $2795 for the women’s lead shark diving trips. This is a five day live aboard with everything included. Housing on the boat, equipment, food and drinks and an onboard team of professionals and experts.
Contact Info:
- Address: America’s Shark BoatH&M Landing
2803 Emerson St
San Diego, California 92106 - Website: https://horizoncharters.com/adventure/guadalupe-shark-cage-diving-women/
- Phone: (619) 881-7561
- Email: info@horizoncharters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horizoncharters/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorizonChartersSD/
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