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Ten Epic Elasmobranch Trips
SWIMMING WITH SHARKS
Someone yells "SHARK" at the beach and most people run screaming out of the water. Scuba divers (and snorkelers) get geared up to intentionally jump in the water with sharks. Some say, we're built different, maybe even a little crazy, LOL...
The reality is that humans are far more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to humans, but perceptions are changing. Lots of people are paying top dollar to snorkel and scuba dive with sharks. Shark tourism has grown to a $600+ million dollar worldwide industry, nearly double the fin trade.
TOP 10 SHARK DIVING DESTINATIONS
Oslob, Philippines
Although there's some criticism of the feeding practices, one of world's best places to consistently see massive whale sharks is near Cebu. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the area just to witness these incredible animals. Although some whale sharks are still caught illegally, Oslob pays for sea patrols of volunteer sea wardens Bantay Dagat to protect this tourism resource. Additionally, many local fishermen have stopped fishing which was earning them only an average of $1.40 per day, and have transitioned to leading shark tours and $62 average earnings per day). It's a win-win-win... for the locals, the sharks, and tourists.
StingyNomads - Good, Bad, Ugly of Whale Shark Swimming
Cebu Tours - Whale Shark Watching
Palau
Palau (or Belau) is a 100-mile long archipelago southeast of the Philippines. In 2009, Palau established the world's first official shark sanctuary, which banned commercial shark fishing within the exclusive economic zone. Palau has since expanded this Marine Protected Area (MPA) to over 600,000 square kilometers, an area larger than France, and as a result, Palau has created a shark mecca for divers and marine biologists. While divers in many places are happy to see 1 or 2 sharks on a dive, divers might expect to see 100 to 200 sharks on some dives in Palau.
North Shore, Oahu
Both shark cage diving and open ocean snorkeling tours are available from several respected operators on Oahu's famous North Shore. You simply motor out to the bluewater and quietly jump in. The sharks are attracted to the sound of the motors because fishing boats have often used the area to offload fish carcasses, however some tour operators have been cited for chumming, which is illegal in Hawaiian waters. Definitely do your research and choose the best operators. The most fun is watching the sharks get excited when some scared snorkeler starts floundering around, splashing at the surface, exactly what they were briefed not to do. But don't worry, the trip leader is in the water, and chases away any sharks that get too curious.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
In the winter months, there is incredible bull shark diving an hour south of Cancun in Playa del Carmen, the fastest growing city in Mexico's Riviera Maya. Divers descend to around 80 feet (25 m), and kneel on the sand. The dive site often has strong currents, so a rope line secured to the bottom helps divers stay put. Typically, one or more large bull sharks will make an appearance. There is a nearby feeding site that helps attract the sharks, but divers don't typically go on the feeding dives. Scuba diving with large, hungry, pregnant female bull sharks is not for the faint of heart. Bull sharks are notoriously agressive in certain situations, however there's virtually zero risk of them harming you here.
Phantom Divers - Bull Shark Dives
Girls That Scuba - Bull Shark Story
Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Everyone on the dive boat is there for the same thing... SHARKS... lots of them... The excitement grows as you gear up and watch the dozen or more sharks circling around the back of the boat. Be careful where you take your giant stride. From first splash and as you descend, you're likely to see several dozen sharks, mostly reef sharks, but also lemon and nurse sharks. Everyone settles on the bottom in a kneeling position. With patience and a little luck, you might just see a huge shadow enter your visual range, and as it emerges into better view, you see what and why you came to Tiger Beach. The tiger sharks are simply massive, often twice the size of the other sharks, and more than twice the size of the divers. As if that wasn't enough, once in a while a great hammerhead shark shows up too.
Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures
Bimini Scuba Center - Tiger Beach
Horizon Charters - Tiger Shark Diving
Guadelupe Island, Mexico
Nearly 400 great white sharks have been personally identified, and a couple dozen get named every season. This remote little island of Guadelupe, a 16-hour motor from Ensenada, Mexico, is one of the world's best great white shark diving destinations. Unfortunately, the government of Mexico decided to temporarily suspend operations to better study the impact of shark diving around the island. Many questions have been raised about the rationale behind these decisions, and there has been some controversy over alleged corruption. Nonetheless, there's no question that if Guadelupe shark operators are once again allowed to run cage diving tours, it should be on top of your dive destination list.
Nautilus Liveaboards - Great Whites of Guadalupe
Pacific Fleet Liveaboard - Guadalupe Sharks
Guadalupe Great White Shark Cage Diving Tours
Dive Ninja Expeditions - Guadalupe Great Whites
South Africa
Another amazing place to see great white sharks in their natural habitat is off the coast of South Africa. Where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, the Cape fur seal populations attract massive numbers of great white sharks. Tours operate out of False Bay, Mossel Bay, and especially Gansbaai, about three hours from Cape Town. Almost all diving tours here are done with cages. Tour participants are also likely to see a variety of other shark species (bull sharks, ragged tooth sharks, tiger sharks, and others), as well as dolphins, seals, whales, and even penguins. Whale sharks are also known to show up, which makes you rethink the size of even the massive great whites.
Shark Watch South Africa - Great White Shark Diving
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Formed from a volcanic eruption some two million years ago, Cocos Island is one of the "sharkiest places" on ocean planet Earth, and truly one of the last frontiers for adventurous scuba divers. Scuba diving Cocos Island is not an easy, or inexpensive, endeavor; the island is over 300 miles (550+ km) from the coast of Costa Rica, a long often wavy ride. All dive trips are done via large liveaboard vessels with small diving tenders. Every plunge is potentially a lifetime best dive. Huge shivers of hammerhead sharks are the main Cocos attraction for divers, but that's just the frosting on the cake. Good chance of seeing any of the 16 species of marine mammals (including orcas), another dozen species of sharks, at least 27 endemic fish species, as well as endemic birds, bugs, reptiles, and spectacular botany too. Not surprisingly, the island was used to film the opening Isla Nubar scene of the "Jurassic Park" movie. Forget about dinosaur fables though, the billion dollar "Treasure of Lima" is said to have been stashed somewhere on the island, but... treasure hunters are out of luck. Since its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, access to the island has been severely limited and well controlled. Scuba divers know the real treasure of Cocos Island is the scuba diving.
Undersea Hunter - Cocos Island Liveaboard
Agressor Liveaboard - Cocos Island
Bluewater Travel - Dive Cocos Island
The Mirror (UK) - Real Life Jurassic Park
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
The UNESCO Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Site, includes Ningaloo Reef, Australia’s largest and most easily accessible fringing reef and among the largest fringing reefs in the world. Although the Great Barrier Reef and Cairns on the Queensland coast get much more tourist traffic (and ample opportunity for great shark diving), adventurous divers from around the globe flock to Exmouth and Ningaloo in Western Australia to see the magnificent whale sharks. Over 400 of these gentle giants congregate in the area each year from approximately March to August. Other popular visitors to Ningaloo Reef include manta rays, nesting sea turtles, and whales, though seasons vary. Whether you head to the east or west coast of Australia, you are bound to have epic shark encounters.
Australia's Coral Coast - Info Guide
UNESCO World Heritage Site - Ningaloo Coast
Rum Runner - Budget Great Barrier Reef Diving
Salmon Sharks of Alaska
Last, but certainly not least on the list is a rare adventure to dive the cold water of Alaska (even in the summer) and have a chance see the curious but often elusive salmon shark. Besides looking like mini-sized great whites, one of the most interesting things about salmon sharks is that they "run hot" and are part of the endothermic Lamnidae family. While most other marine life is ectothermic, maintaining an internal temperature that matches the water, salmon sharks are able to thermoregulate, endothermic meaning they can maintain a body temperature higher than the surrounding water temperature. This higher body temperature allows increased bursts of speed to catch their fast-moving prey. The U.S. Navy has clocked these icy apex predators at nearly 50 mph, making them high-speed contenders, comparable to mako sharks, typically regarded as the fastest shark. When feeding, the salmon sharks can breach several feet out of the water on their attack, which you may very likely see from the boat. Tours are seasonal, typically May through November to match the salmon runs, however there are resident salmon sharks can be found in Prince William Sound. Even if you don't see a salmon shark, which is entirely possible, you will undoubtedly discover Alaska to be one of your favorite all-time diving destinations.
North 60 Adventures - Salmon Shark Dives (summer)
Alaska Shark Conservation Fund
Alaska Fish & Game - Salmon Shark
Related Links
The Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society collaborate to produce the yearly International Shark Attack File (ISAF) which shows how rare a shark attacks are worldwide.
This was a good read on the value of shark tourism -
Glimpse From The Globe: Why Shark Fin Trade Is Bad News For Global Economy
