You should go there. If you do, this is THE boat to go on. I'm really thinking about another cruise on the Arenui, but next time I want to go to Raja Ampat. Maybe in 2014.

They never use bait to attract the sharks. Thats one of the best things about Cocos... the sharks are just naturally there. There's plenty of food for them, and also there are lots of cleaning stations where small fish come up to the sharks and eat all the little parasites that grow on the sharks' skin. It's a win-win situation.

You'd be surprised. They just aren't all that threatening. Most of the ones I photographed just walked away, like they didn't want to be bothered. I followed one big male for about 1/2 mile or so, and he just sort of lumbered along. Of course having the guides there helped.

we strive to do that at my office. i like to use the analogy of a symphony. the patient schedule for the day is the sheet music. everyone should be competent at their "instrument" (skill) but should know how they fit into the whole orchestra. if one "section" isn't doing thier part then it sounds like crap. i also have to reinforce the fact that everyone should be on the same page. too many people have on blinders and don't pay attention to or care what's going on outside their specific job.

I work in health care, but can see both sides of this. On many occasions patients do not pay attention to these forms and fill them out accurately. You may be surprised. So it is sometimes necessary to "help them be accurate" so that all the necessary information is recorded. Also, patients come in and have a certain level of care (service) that they expect. Society seems to be at the point that if a customer (patient) doesn't get what they are expecting, or if there is a problem they think that a lawsuit is a viable solution. Not all patients think this way, but the medical profession has to exercise "universal precautions" and treat everyone as if they are a potential lawsuit risk. So now everyone is subject to this repetition and signing of release forms such as HIPAA and informed consent. This is unfortunate because now everyone ends up subject to the additional repetition and form signing because everyone must be treated the same as the "lowest common denominator".