Where Can You Swim With Sharks?
Find out why sharks are important to our oceans and where you can safely encounter them
Why are sharks important? They’re apex predators that support healthy fisheries by helping to regulate the ocean’s marine life. Responsibly designed guided experiences around the world have made shark encounters safer and more approachable. Find out where to swim with sharks and change how you think of the ocean forever.
Whale Shark; Photo courtesy of Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef by Journey Beyond Media
AUSTRALIA
Swim with whale sharks, slow and meandering, around the Ningaloo Reef of Western Australia. Sal Salis offers whale shark swims from March – August where you can get up close and personal with these gentle giants. A maximum of 10 guests are allowed to swim for up to 60 minutes with one shark. Boats fill up months in advance, so make sure to book the experience ahead of time.
Lemon sharks can be spotted while snorkeling in Bora Bora; Photo by shalamov/istockphoto.com
BORA BORA
While the Pacific waters are a great place to snorkel and dive with sharks, you may not need to go too far from your hotel room to see them. At Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, you can have a WiseOceans marine biologists join you on a swim through the famed coral garden and beyond. You will learn about reef fish, interact with stingrays, and spot black-tipped reef and lemon sharks in the turquoise blue ocean.
Learn all about whale sharks, known as gentle giants, and how to protect them while snorkeling in the Maldives; Photo by Alexey Pelikh/stock.adobe.com
MALDIVES
Want to swim with sharks while helping the industry become more sustainable? Whale sharks reaching up to 18 meters approach the reefs of the resort LUX* South Ari Atoll year-round. The resort offers safe and sustainable guided trips where you can see sharks in their natural habitats. The on-site marine biology center also partners with The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) for scientific data collection and educational initiatives, earning them the title of #GentleToGiants Champion of the region.
Cage diving with great white sharks; Photo by ShaneMyersPhoto/istockphoto.com
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa is home to the great white shark—said to have been around for over 70 million years—and there are only three areas where shark cage diving takes place. If you are afraid of being in the open water with sharks, dive in a shark cage with Marine Dynamics in Gansbaai. You will swim with a dedicated marine biologist and a registered conservation trust representative to get face to face with the sharks. There is nothing quite like looking straight into the eyes of these mighty and misunderstood predators of the ocean.
Snorkeler taking a photo of a Blacktip Reef Shark; Photo by qldian/istockphoto.com
FLORIDA
Closer to home in southern Martin County near West Palm Beach, Shark Addicts provides the ultimate ecotourism shark diving experience for adrenaline junkies in search of an epic thrill. Here you can swim alongside numerous shark species including Bull, Silky, Blacktip, Sandbar, Dusky, Hammerhead, Spinner, Tiger, Reef, and Lemon Sharks—all without the confines of cages or obstructions. No prior experience or special certifications are necessary.