Diving with Bull Sharks - Playa Del Carmen

[robnbill]

In February I was lucky enough to go diving with Phantom Divers in Playa Del Carmen. The dive master asked if my dive buddy and I wanted to dive with sharks. Of course! We took a boat just a short trip off the beach. Swimming along a small ledge about 100 feet down the bottom was bright white sand that sloped gently off to the deeper water. A bull shark abour 6-7 feet joined us staying mostly out of site in the gloom of the deeper water. Several times he would come in close enough for us to get a good look at him. Magnificent. Unfortunantly he never got close enough for photos. What a great experience.

 

[Randy-S]

I have done over 30 dives in coz and playa i have only seen nurse sharks. your lucky to spot a bull.

 

[hydro12]

I think out of all sharks, bulls frighten me the most. If I saw one, I hope I wouldn't recognize what it was.

 

[robbcayman]

I've been told that bull sharks stay away from the reef for the most part, that is why they aren't seen in cozumel. However, several people have told me they see bull sharks regularly in playa. What is scary is how close that is to Cancun beaches. When we were in Cancun several locals told me they never ever saw sharks near Cancun.

It really gave me a false sense of security. I now realize it would be nothing for a bull shark to make the short swim to Cancun beaches. When I dive I don't fear sharks, but swimming on a beach is another story.

 

[SBP Studios]

GW, Tigers and Bulls are the only thing I hope to never encounter when diving.

 

[Knockneed Man]

Bulls are definitely one of if not the fiercest sharks in the sea, but they are also some of the most tempromental. In Florida, Brazil and many other places, they are extrememly aggresive and rated as the highest probable species to be involved in attacks. However, in Cuba, they're known to be quite docile and even petable for a lot of the divemasters there. Of course that's not recomended! Obviously wherever you go if you see them, treat them with respect! (and feel lucky)

 

[VTECgsr12]

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about pursuing diving and I was wondering if you guys could comment on overcoming the fear and ambiguity of swimming with 6-10 foot killer fish (sharks). Is it just a matter of doing it and becoming more comfortable? I'm prolly gonna go down in a cage and see what it's like first!!

 

[jd950]

VTEC:

It is easy to avoid most sharks simply by choosing locations in which sharks are not commonly encountered. Going in a shark cage means you are intentionally going where there are sharks, which would seem counterproductive. Also, I think (I've never been in a shark cage) it would be a poor introduction to diving.

I don't care about nurse sharks or typical reef sharks, but will not knowingly dive near bulls or tigers, so you are not alone in your apprehension. Most "dangerous" sharks are not found around shallow warm water reefs. You don't need to dive with sharks to dive. Also, the people most at risk from sharks are surface swimmers and surfers. In clear water, such as at almost any depth, few sharks would view you as food.

If you want to dive, learn and dive where there are few or no sharks, then if you want to you can deal with your apprehension later.

 

[dashark]

The best way to tell if there are sharks in the water is to taste the water before you go in.
If it tastes like salt, there are sharks in the water...
as far as choosing a location where ther ar no sharks, you may want to try a lake.
As far as diving with them, it is really no big deal.There is a reason why we all look foward to it. Their behavior is generally non-threatening to divers.
My advice to you is to embrace the possibility of diving with sharks, because like it or not, you will be entering their home.

 

[ScubaJW]

The best way to tell if there are sharks in the water is to taste the water before you go in.
If it tastes like salt, there are sharks in the water...
as far as choosing a location where ther ar no sharks, you may want to try a lake.
As far as diving with them, it is really no big deal.There is a reason why we all look foward to it. Their behavior is generally non-threatening to divers.
My advice to you is to embrace the possibility of diving with sharks, because like it or not, you will be entering their home.

See the bold above, "if it tastes like salt, there are sharks in the water" That's absolutely false. There are sharks in fresh water - many different kind of species that actually live there or just to swim by. Bull sharks are one of them that go to fresh water.