Diving with sharks is the ultimate dream for most scuba divers. As the apex predator of the oceans, sharks command a lot of respect and getting up close and personal with them is a truly incredible experience.
Bahamas
Divers
are spoilt for shark encounters in the Bahamas. Caribbean Reef Sharks are
everywhere (some of them surprisingly large) but there is also a host of other
shark species that are fairly common around the islands including hammerheads,
nurse sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks and silky sharks.
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| Diving with Caribbean Reef Sharks in the Bahamas |
Australia
There
are a few locations that boast regular visits from Whale Sharks but nowhere
seems as reliable as Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. For several months each
year, regular as clockwork, Ningaloo Reef is overrun with greedy young male
Whale Sharks guzzling their way through the reef, on their way north to breed.
It is not uncommon to see several Whale Sharks in one day. Local Whale Shark
operators use spotter planes to locate them.
Port
Lincoln in South Australia is the place to go if Great Whites are more your
thing.
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| Swimming with Whale Sharks on Ningaloo Reef, Australia |
South
Africa
Great
White Sharks are the most feared shark species and cage-diving with them has
become a popular activity in several places around the world. Gansbaai, near
Cape Town in South Africa is one of the world’s Great White capitals due to a
very healthy local seal population (nothing like convenient meals, eh?) The
water is chummed to attract the sharks and sometimes a short wait is necessary.
The water is cold but the experience of being face to face with these
incredible creatures is definitely worth it.
The
south California coast also offers white shark diving experiences.
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| Cage-diving with Great White Sharks in South Africa |
Egypt
Have
you been bewitched by those amazing photos of divers near shoals of circling
fish? Well, imagine those fish being Hammerhead Sharks. There are so many
hammerheads at the Brothers Islands in Egypt that they are frequently seen
swimming in such formations.
UK
The
UK makes an unusual entry on this post as most people don’t think of it as a
‘sharky’ diving destination. However, I like to offer something for everyone
and if you prefer your sharks without teeth then head out diving off the
British coast to meet Basking Sharks – doing their bit for shark PR everywhere!
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| Basking Sharks are found off the UK coast |
Would you like to swim with sharks? Which ones do you want to meet?
Photo credit: Massachussets Energy and Environmental Affairs
