Where is the best shark dive?

[tphelps]

Hello fellow bubble makers!

I am looking to do some SHARK diving this summer! Where has your favorite shark dive been and with what dive operation? I would greatly appreciate any information/websites on accommodation and prices as well. Cheers, stay wet!

-Tyler

 

[Doc]

The best "Shark dive" is one that is unannounced.

Where you didn't pay $65 to see habituated Sharks come in and chew on frozen fish.

Shark Rodeos are interesting.... until the second time.

Shark encounters, out of the blue, in the wild, you can't beat the pucker factor.

In the Caribbean, for me, this would be the outer-Bahamas. They just seem to show-up.

 

[supergaijin]

French Polynesia- frickn' hundreds of reef sharks in the channels.

 

[drbill]

I've done the Guadalupe great whites, the shark dives in the Bahamas, had sharks on my Great Barrier Reef dives (and elsewhere) and the "unintended" shark encounters in Tahiti. I enjoyed them all but the dives in Tahiti created the most adrenalin although it was the nesting triggerfish there that really gave me something to worry about!

 

[Wingy]

I second French Polynesia...Rangiroa you get sick of looking at sharks, they get in the way of things like the beautiful grand blu parakeet fish
Just please dont dive with any op who baits - there is NO need to there. Ahh yes, the triggerfish

 

[Byte Me]

Agree with Doc on this one - the best shark dive is the one where the sharks aren't paid to be there! I did Cara a Cara in Honduras a few years ago and while it was cool it's not something I'd pay to do again. The adrenaline that I get from seeing a reef, bull, galapagos, etc shark just free swimming (Niihau, Grand Cayman) far outweighs the thrill of watching sharks trying to get a fish head out of a bucket.

 

[danvolker]

Hello fellow bubble makers!

I am looking to do some SHARK diving this summer! Where has your favorite shark dive been and with what dive operation? I would greatly appreciate any information/websites on accommodation and prices as well. Cheers, stay wet!

-Tyler

I think you would find Jim Abernethy Scuba Adventures to be the best Shark dive you are going to find... Huge Tigers and Hammers, and real interaction.... See the trailer from his last movie, shot where he does most of his Shark Trips. This is Your Ocean: Sharks - Official Trailer on Vimeo

And his site is Our Bahamas Liveaboard Boat: M/V Shear Water :: Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures

 

[diversteve]

Turks & Caicos for Reef Sharks. We dove with free-swimming, non-baited sharks on every dive at sites off French Cay. They were completely disinterested in us except to feed one night on the smaller fish attracted by the ships lights. I almost landed on one under the boat one dive. We did the Explorer but you can also get out there with a 45min ride from Provo. Here's a good idea of what to expect. Saudio's Trip Reports - thanks to Mike Southard. It's also really excellent deep wall diving. T-shirt warm in the summer also.

I also agree with Doc, the farther out in the Bahamas you get the more sharks you see. In Cay Sal we always saw several per dive - one afternoon we quietly sat on the bottom (not a feed) while a dozen swam over/near us - As they became familiar they would get pretty close - passing within 3-4'. I don't know if anybody goes out to CaySal now - I think Spree did at one time. Maybe contact Wookie here and see what he's scheduled.

We've also done a Bahamas baited feed and the Cara/Cara dive off Roatan - there's a very different behavior exhibited when they know food is coming. Lots more circling and aggression. When they tell you not to wave your arms around, that's not because the operator knows what to expect. The Cove's feed info is here: http://www.stuartcove.com/DiveBahamasMgmt.aspx?id=2&pageId=65

If you like that sort of thing one of the best is Unexso off Grand Bahama. Cristina currently works there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WK2LpUoqX6A

JASA baits the Tigers/Lemons in also - watch the Youtube videos - you'll see Abernethy do it. I believe other boats do as well. Cove's now runs day trips out there from Grand Bahama - they do also - there's a picture showing it here:
http://www.stuartcove.com/tigerbeachMain.aspx?id=8

I couldn't even tell you where to start looking but there's some sort of Lemon Shark research done off Bimini. I watched Anderson Cooper dive there once with a bunch of them. It seemed more wild - and a lot of sharks in very shallow water.

Best place to dive with Whale Sharks off North America is Gladden Spit off Placencia Belize. Only during the next several full moon cycles - the last one might be mid-june - it changes yearly. My buddies dove with 8 last year. Splash Dive has details on their website.

Pricier would be Cocos Island on Sea Hunter, the Galapagos on any number of boats or the Socorros off Mexico. The Socorros might be winter-spring diving only though - IDK if anybody goes out there in the summer. More sharks of all kinds than you'd think possible. Solmar V or Rocio Del Mar go out there. Watch the video at the bottom of the page: http://solmarv.com/ I'd guess most of those trips are already full for this summer, they're pretty popular destinations. Maybe you could find a space if you're a single diver.

 

[zider]

The sandtigers found on the wrecks off Morehead City, NC are fantastic. You can find them on many of the sites and they are a blast to swim with.

 

[cbm32]

Hi tphelps. I am the US representative for Naigani Resort on Naigani Island in Fiji, and I am based about 40 minutes from you in San Dimas CA.

Blue Lagoon Beach Resort in the Yasawa chain of the Fiji Islands has a shark dive that I love.

There are two operators in Pacific Harbor Fiji that do shark dives in Bega Lagoon. Loads of bull sharks and many other species in addition to a big tiger shark that puts in an appearance several times a month. You cant go for wrong with either Bega Adventure Divers or Aqua-Trek.

I have done very few dives from Naigani Island that didnt produce a shark sighting. Most of our dive sites are a 5 to 15 minute boat ride from the resort. One of our signature dives is to Wakaya. It is a 30-40 minute boat ride but we do 2-3 tanks while there and you would have an excellent chance of diving with great hammerheads and manta rays on that trip. There is an operator working with Aqua-Trek to start a shark dive very close to Naigani and by the latter part of this year we should have access to that shark dive.

If I were leaving from SoCal to dive with sharks I would head for Fiji and spend a 2-3 days in Pacific Harbor doing the shark dives with Bega Adventure Divers or Aqua-Trek and then hop over to Naigani for a week of excellent all around diving and a trip to Wakaya for the hammerheads and mantas. There are many very reasonable places to stay in Pacific Harbor, and Naigani is one of the best values you will find in the South Pacific for an all inclusive dive trip.

If you would like more information or I can help you in any way, feel free to PM me here or you can email me at naiganiusa@gmail.com My phone number is 517-812-4278 (Michigan number that I have had forever, but I am in SoCal most of the year).