In honor of the Discovery Channel’s 2015 Shark Week (began on July 5, 2015), we are profiling the top seven (7) shark encounters for scuba divers around the globe that our clients, and staff, rank as the best up close and personal trips to see a shark in the wild.

As experts in the area of adventure travel, and with several staff PADI certified divers, we love the thrill of scuba diving with the chance to see the magnificent hunters of the sea.  I became PADI certified in Indonesia in the mid-nineties, and have loved diving and shark diving ever since. Any great shark dive starts with the selection of the right dive company.

Check out the Staff’s Favorite
Shark Video & Shark Prank Video

Check out some of the most popular dive companies and their shark encounters below.

Top & Shark Encounters for Scuba Divers Around the Globe

(7)  Grey & White Tip Reef Sharks (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) – For the advanced adventure divers wanting to photograph sharks one of the greatest locations on the planet is the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia.  Drift dive and wall dives are stunning and there is always an abundance of sharks. Check out Mike Ball Dive Expeditions for their Shark Shooter Expeditions (especially the North Horn / Osprey Reef dive departing out of Cairns).

(6)  Whale Sharks (Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru) –  For the luxury diver, few dive companies do it better than the ones with the Four Seasons in the Maldives.  Between June and October is the best time to dive for whale sharks and mantas.  Popular dive sites like the Baa Atoll, Thilas, and Lankan Manta Point on North Male Atoll are awe-inspiring.  Check out the PADI certified divers at the Four Seasons and their Extraordinary Experiences. (Bonus experience – Try the “Manta Ray Scientist for a Day”)

(5)  Bull Sharks (Playa del Carmen, Mexico) – For the experienced thrill-seeking diver, the operators at Phocea Mexico offer a great dive during season each year from November to March to get up close to bull sharks.  The bull shark (or Zambezi shark) is a very curious shark and is about 12 feet in length at its biggest,making this shark dive pure excitement.

(4)  Hammerhead Sharks (Cocos Island, Costa Rica) – Cocos Island is one of the great dive destinations around the world.  With over a dozen great dive sites (check out Dirty Rock and  Manuelita), this destination is known for hammerhead shark diving.  It is not uncommon at Dirty Rock to see dozens, if not more hammerheads along with reef and tiger sharks.  Check out the reviews of the dive masters at Undersea Hunter.  They will help educate you on Proyecto Tiburon, the Costa Rican conservation project.

(3)  Caribbean Reef Sharks (Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas) – Unexso is one of the longstanding dive centers in the Bahamas that has been offering shark dives to both experienced and new divers for over 20 years.  Divers who visit Unexso’s Shark Junction will get a thrilling experience seeing experienced dive masters feed and interact with the Caribbean reef shark.  Unexso is one of our favorite picks for all of the great work it does for conservation measures.

(2)  Basking Sharks (Oban, Scotland) –  The basking shark dives are some of the more adventuresome dives you can do off the coast of Scotland.  This is definitely a dry suit dive for those divers wanting to spend the better part of the day in the water.  Check in with the dive masters at Basking Shark Scotland, not only for their basking shark dives, but some of the great dives they do in Iceland in October.

(1) Great White Sharks (Gansbaai, South Africa) – Of course we couldn’t leave off the great white shark cage dive experience.  From South Australia to South Africa, divers all over the world want to check off this bucket list dive.  It is not inexpensive, but is surely a top dive memory for all those who dare jump into the cage with the legendary shark.  From Shark Alley to Dyer Island, check out the dive masters at Marine Dynamics for an unforgettable experience.

TravelersAlly TIP – It goes without saying that shark diving is an extreme sport.  Make sure that you are covered for Extreme Sports on your Travel Medical Policy before you jump in the water!  Have a Jawsome summer during shark week!

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