If you are a frequent ocean-swimmer, you’ve likely been accompanied by sharks and didn’t realize it. Why? Because sharks typically want nothing to do with humans. However, if you want a little up-close-and-personal time with these awesome animals, you’re in luck!
Sharks play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ocean environment. Fortunately, supporting shark conservation comes in many forms, and you can be a part of it. From shark-tagging with scientists in the Bahamas to swimming with sharks in Hawaii to photographing them in Rhode Island, here’s where to score quality time with these misunderstood creatures.
Exuma, Bahamas
The gorgeous waters off Great Exuma are home to tiger sharks, nurse sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks galore. Thanks to the Bahamas’ distinction as a shark sanctuary, the shark population here is protected and healthy. Consequently, it’s an ideal place to conduct shark research. This is where Beneath the Waves, a nonprofit organization focused on shark conservation, comes in. Its shark-tagging program allows individuals the chance to step into the role of shark scientist for the day.
During this four-hour experience, you’ll gather scientific data from sharks to help scientists understand their movements and habitats. If you choose to participate, you’ll help measure the sharks, take small tissue samples, and attach tags and tracking devices. So far, the team has tagged almost 200 sharks in the Bahamas.
Afterward, relax at Grand Isle with a massage, a dip in the infinity-edge pool, or a Bahamian-inspired dinner at 23° North Beach Club. Hotel guests have full access, and non-guests may purchase a day pass for $50. If you’re ready to venture out again, the hotel can arrange lunch on a private island or a boat tour through the Exuma Cays for cave snorkeling and a stop at a beautiful sandbar.
La Jolla, California
Every year, leopard sharks flock to the picturesque coast of La Jolla, a seaside community in San Diego. What makes it so special? It’s the world’s largest annual aggregation of leopard sharks. Thanks to calm, shallow water and nutrient-rich kelp forests, this location attracts hundreds of pregnant female leopard sharks, often located just a few feet offshore.
Say hello to the sharks while you flipper-kick through four microhabitats in the La Jolla Underwater Park. An hour-long leopard-shark tour with Everyday California is ideal for newbie shark enthusiasts since leopard sharks (typically about 4ft long) are virtually harmless. An added bonus: their distinctive markings make for some epic underwater photos. If you’re lucky, you may spot tiny baby leopard sharks.
Continue the adventure by kayaking to the sea caves or hiking Mount Soledad for breathtaking views of San Diego County. When hunger strikes, visit Blue Water Seafood for delicious fish tacos, oysters, and homemade seafood soups.
Tiger Beach, Bahamas
The Bahamas is also home to Tiger Beach, a consistently sharky spot attracting divers from around the globe. Known for their stunning stripes and broad, flat heads, tiger sharks are the star attraction at this dive location. You can’t miss them: these mammoths can weigh over 1,900 pounds. Additionally, reef sharks, lemon sharks, hammerheads, and nurse sharks frequently visit the area.
Because visibility often exceeds 100ft at Tiger Beach, it provides not only an unforgettable dive experience but also an incredible backdrop for photos. Interestingly, many of these creatures travel thousands of miles each year only to return consistently to Tiger Beach.
West End Watersports, a dive shop located at Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbor, is where the adventure begins. From the hotel, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride to Tiger Beach. You’ll enjoy two one-hour dives in approximately 25ft of water.
Cancun, Mexico
To spend quality time with the biggest shark in the ocean, the whale shark, visit Cancun. Hundreds of these majestic creatures (some as long as a school bus) migrate here every year to feed and socialize. You can get close enough to clearly see the beautifully patterned pale yellow dots and stripes on their skin. Don’t worry; plankton is their snack of choice.
Blue Caribe Tours takes guests (up to 10) on a day trip, providing two glorious hours swimming with the whale sharks. Afterward, enjoy a stop in Punta Norte in Isla Mujeres for some fresh ceviche.
For accommodation, consider TRS Coral Hotel, an adults-only all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Treat your muscles to a hot and cold hydromassage bath at the spa, relax in the pool on a floating chair, or take a ride on the boat channel system. With one private beach club, seven à la carte restaurants, one show-cooking restaurant, and 18 bars, boredom is impossible. Be sure to leave time to visit the Mayan ruins and a nearby cenote.
Narragansett, Rhode Island
New England is home to about 50 species of sharks. The main ones you are likely to encounter are the blue shark and the mako shark. Hitting speeds of up to 60 mph, makos are the fastest sharks in the ocean. Both species travel the Gulf Stream waters, making it one of the few locations in the world where they can regularly be encountered.
Rhode Island Shark Diving, run by award-winning shark cinematographer Joe Romeiro, offers a 12-hour excursion on a 45-foot research vessel, custom-built for interacting with and filming wildlife. Throughout the day, sharks will visit the boat as you drift over different sites.
Oahu, Hawaii
About three miles off of Oahu’s North Shore, you may encounter Galapagos sharks, sandbar sharks, and tiger sharks. For a chance to spend quality time with them, join a 2-hour pelagic shark snorkel with Ocean Ramsey’s One Ocean Diving, and you might meet Captain Pancakes, Frankenfin, or Miss Aloha. The team has affectionately named some of the repeat shark visitors. When it comes to sharks, Ramsey’s goal is to replace fear with education. Guests join marine biologists on the excursion to learn all about shark conservation and research.
Galapagos Islands
If you are eager to see Scalloped hammerheads, here’s your chance. Four major currents combined with nutrient-dense waters make the Galapagos Islands an incredible home for sharks, especially hammerheads.
Ecoventura’s Galapagos Sky, a live-aboard built specifically for diving in the Galapagos, takes guests on a 7-day cruise to remote locations like Wolf and Darwin Islands, which boast the highest abundance of sharks in the world. It is common to see large schools of hammerheads. Wreck Bay Dive Center, located on San Cristobal Island, is a solid option for those interested in a day or two of diving.
