If you love sharks, perhaps have a fascination with these fantastic predators, then one of the most remarkable things you can do is to actually interact with them in the wild. If you are a SCUBA diver there are lots of places in the world where it is possible to get up close and personal with sharks in their natural habitat – the ocean.
Here, in no particular order, are 5 places where this is possible and some of the highlights you can expect.
As a dive professional for some years now, it still gives me some amusement to notice that some perceptions don’t change so quickly; entry-level student divers especially. Their worries or anxieties remain the same. Besides the usual queries about the diving course, anxieties regarding sharks and the perceived threat to their well-being when they go diving are still very much existent.
To the general public, the mere mention of the word “shark” conjures up imagery of a fierce marine animal with sharp jagged teeth able to tear into flesh and bone easily, constantly on the prowl in the sea, ever ready to pounce on the swimmer, snorkeler or scuba diver who has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Thus, as a dive educator, besides instructing the total newbie diver on the skills and safety aspects of scuba diving, there is an added element of trying to reform misconceptions of the marine environment and sway traditional perceptions of dangerous marine animals, mainly sharks!
Scuba diving is an incredibly exciting and rewarding activity and scuba divers are a privileged group. We have real life access to a world that others can only imagine from pictures and second hand accounts and we also have a responsibility to the oceans. Responsible diving is a part of the overall effort to protect the oceans as diving brings people in contact with marine life and as a result, divers become spokespeople for the marine environment they love.
Obviously, we don’t want to be the ruin of the beautiful oceans that we’re so fond of exploring. Unfortunately, some popular dive spots have become ruined over time because of poor management and irresponsible divers.