10 Best Places to Go Scuba Diving with Sharks in 2022
July 13, 2022
Scuba diving with sharks is an exhilarating and magical experience that you will remember forever. Whether you choose to dive with tiger sharks, bull sharks, hammerheads, or smaller shark species, nothing compares to coming eye-to-eye with these magnificent animals.
If you are an adrenaline junky diver looking to get your heart pumping by swimming alongside sharks, we are here to help you decide where to go. Many beautiful locations around the world offer encounters with sharks in their natural environment. Let us have a look at our top ten shark dives for 2022.
1.Marsa Alam, Egypt.
On the west coast of the red sea sits the small Bedouin town of Marsa Alam. It is famous for large marine life - especially the toothy kind!
You are also likely to spot dolphins, turtles, and dugongs, as well as some of the most colorful corals in the world.
Elphinstone Reef is the most famous area for diving in Marsa Alam, perhaps even the whole of the Red Sea.
2. Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
Sitting between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea is the beautiful Isla Mujeres; a dive spot rich in plankton that attracts whale sharks between June and September.
Hundreds of whale sharks visit the area during the season and you can go snorkeling with these gentle giants.
Manta rays also frequent Isla Mujeres, and it is not unusual to spot turtles. All of which makes this one of the best places to go diving in Yucatan.
3. Fiji, South Pacific.
Fiji is often described as the soft coral capital of the world, but it is not just beautiful reefs that attract divers from around the world to this idyllic destination. Fiji is one of the best places in the world to go bull shark diving.
Beqa Lagoon at Pacific Harbour offers at least 50 sharks on any given day.
Bull sharks are the stars of the show, but you are also likely to spot nurse sharks, whitetips, blacktips, lemon sharks, silvertips, grey reef sharks, and tiger sharks as you enjoy this multi-level shark dive.
This dive site should be on every shark lover’s scuba diving bucket list!
4. Grand Bahama, The Bahamas.
The Bahamas are home to some of the world’s best dive sites, and boast many shark species including tiger sharks, great hammerheads, whitetips, blacktips, oceanic whitetips, nurse sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and lemon sharks.
Grand Bahama is home to Tiger Beach, which is world-famous for diving with tiger sharks.
As many as 17 tiger sharks can be seen during any one dive. You simply kneel on the sand and watch the sharks gliding overhead.
You can visit the tiger sharks all year round, but between October and January, the sharks come to breed and can therefore be seen in larger numbers.
5. The Azores, North Atlantic Ocean.
Towards the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean lie the Azores, a volcanic archipelago and diving paradise renowned for large pelagic life such as dolphins, whales, mobula rays, and sharks.
Between the islands of Faial and Pico, there is a channel that braver divers can explore to spot blue sharks and shortfin mako sharks.
Shark point is a dive site that is situated in the north and is aptly named for its frequent shark sightings. It is an unmissable highlight of diving in the Azores.
6. Fuvahmulah, Maldives.
A guaranteed shark encounter awaits you at Fuvahmulah, at the southernmost tip of the Maldives. This atoll is ranked as one of the world’s best shark diving destinations.
Whale sharks and tiger sharks are regular visitors to Fuvahmulah Atoll, as are oceanic manta rays, hammerheads, grey reef sharks, and sometimes mola mola.
Tiger Zoo is the best dive site for viewing tiger sharks up close… and we mean very close! Divers kneel just a few meters below the surface and watch as their toothy friends swim around them.
WHERE TO GO DIVING IN THE SOUTHERN ATOLLS.
7. Malapascua, the Philippines.
Thresher sharks are usually high on shark divers’ bucket lists, and Malapascua offers one of the best chances to see them.
This island in the Visayan Sea boasts beautiful scenery both above and below the water and is famous for its thresher shark dive at Monad Shoal.
Thresher sharks usually live very deep, which makes them difficult to spot while recreational diving. However, you can join pre-dawn dives at Monad Shoal to see these elusive sharks as they rise up from the deep.
8. Ningaloo Reef, Australia.
Ningaloo Reef is situated on the west coast of Australia and offers the opportunity to swim with whale sharks at the world’s biggest fringing reef!
March to July is the best time to swim with Ningaloo’s whale sharks, who gather in the hundreds to feast on krill and plankton during the coral spawning season.
As well as whale sharks, you might spot manta rays and humpback whales in this lesser-known gem of Australia’s dive scene.
9. Western Cape, South Africa.
When you think of sharks, you most likely think of South Africa. This vibrant country has excellent opportunities to go scuba diving with sharks.
You can go cage diving with bronze whalers and broadnose sevengill sharks in the waters around Seal Island in False Bay, or join a Simonstown dive trip to swim with blue and mako sharks off Cape Point.
And if you take a trip to Durban, you can dive with oceanic blacktips, tiger sharks, hammerheads, and ragged-tooth sharks at world-famous Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal.
10. Cocos Island, Costa Rica.
Cocos Island is a scuba diver’s dream! So much so, that Jacques Cousteau once called it "the most beautiful island in the world."
This uninhabited island sits far out in the Pacific Ocean and takes around 36 hours to get to by boat…but it is well worth the journey.
When you arrive you are greeted by clear, blue waters, and hundreds of hammerhead sharks.
Bajo Alcyone is the dive site that offers the most hammerheads together, as well as flourishing corals and other large marine life.
Scuba diving with sharks in the right way.
Scuba diving with sharks can be an incredible experience that you will remember forever. But we must always keep in mind that however unlikely it is that we could be attacked by a shark (1 in 3,748,067 to be precise), we must always respect them and give them their space.
Some tips to stay safe in sharky waters include:
- Do not bring shiny, reflective items diving with you around sharks.
- Do not feed sharks and avoid tour operators that do.
- Stay close to your dive buddy or dive group.
- Do not chase or touch sharks.
- Move slowly and calmly when scuba diving with sharks.
Always avoid diving or swimming with sharks in captivity, and do not support operators that allow tourists to touch or harass the animals.
So, are you ready for your next shark diving adventure? Check out our featured places to go scuba diving with sharks and plan your ultimate trip today: