Top 5 Best Shark Dives June 29, 2016 by lukesheppard

 

People have always had a fear of sharks but they are very misunderstood creatures. In fact, shark attacks are actually very rare and its more likely that you will die falling out of bed, or being struck by lightning. Shark populations are slowly decreasing all around the world but the popularity in shark diving is encouraging different governments all around the world to protect threatened areas. Want to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures? Here are our top five dive spots… 

The islands have a number of passes but most notable are the Fakarava and the Tiputa pass. The pass has a wall of hundreds of various different types of shark. Here you will see Black Tips, Tigers, Silky sharks, Grey sharks and even Hammerheads. The best time to see the Hammerheads is between June and November. The current will drift you through schools of hundreds of sharks. The site is also an incredible place to see other animals including turtles, manta rays and dolphins. Fakarava is also a protected biosphere by UNESCO.

This dive site is a must for Hammerhead diving. The island was actually inspiration for the Jurassic Park book and film series. In the Summertime you have a good chance of bumping into schools of around 50 to 100 Hammerhead sharks. The island is a cleaning station which attracts hundreds of Hammerhead sharks to be cleaned. The sharks are also drawn here by a strong magnetic attraction because the islands have a very strong resonance. However you will have to contend with strong currents, cold water temperature and the remote location.

This area is ideal for Great White Shark diving. It is one of the most accessible Great White Shark dives in the whole world and you don’t need prior experience shark diving to get in the cage. The island is sheltered from the winds in the Winter months but you also get great weather in the Summer months. The bay is also full of various sea life including seals, penguins and other marine birds. You can also see humpback whales, dolphins and even orcas which frequent the route.

The islands are well known for their diverse wildlife and their oceans are no exception. There are actually 28 species of shark in the waters around the Galapagos. This includes whale sharks, dusky sharks, Galapagos sharks, white sharks, black tip reef sharks and the illusive hammerheads. Every year schools of hammerheads voyage here around June in their hundreds. Gordon Rocks is one of the best places to see hammerheads; not only that, you can also see schools of rays numbering 50 to over 100. There are even dolphins, penguins and sea lions in the area. 

This island is a must for Great White Shark cage diving, it is another of the world’s best locations for it. You can even meet some of its famous stars including the 16ft long Great White called Bruce. It’s a shark conservation site and is part of the biosphere reserve. Most of the sharks have been tagged so that we can learn more about these amazing creatures.   Are there any other locations you would recommend? We’d love to hear your favourites!