Scuba Diving with Sharks
Looking for the best place to go scuba diving with sharks? Read below for destinations that nearly guarantee sightings of sharks around the world, and when to go.
Fakarava Atoll, French Polynesia: The Wall of Sharks
With its incredible marine diversity, tropical waters and excellent visibility, French Polynesia offers world-class diving. Several islands throughout this south Pacific destination boast magnificent dives, including Fakarava, Rangiroa, Mo’orea. You can read my French Polynesia Travel Guide here. While I spotted grey and reef sharks on every dive in Rangiroa, diving in Fakarava was the ultimate shark diving experience.
Fakarava, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is the second largest atoll in the Tuamotu atolls. There are two distinct areas: the Garuae Pass, located on the north side, and the Tumakohua Pass, located on the south side. Definitely dive both areas! They offer different experiences, but both feature diving with sharks.
The Tumakohua Pass, located on the south side, is known for its “wall of sharks” and offers a truly amazing experience. You’ll embark on a drift dive where you’ll float by hundreds of grey reef sharks. The Garuae Pass, located on the north side, is the wider pass, offering additional opportunities for pelagic encounters. The shark dives are not baited in Fakarava.
Fakarava is a year-round diving destination, but the weather conditions are best between March and November. I visited in September, and Fakarava quickly made the list of top places to dive with sharks.
- Best Time to Go: March-November
- Type of Dive: Reef, Drift
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Type of Shark: Grey Reef, White Tip Reef, Black Tip Reef
Tiger Beach, Bahamas: Tiger Sharks
The Bahamas offers plenty of dives featuring sharks, and you are nearly guaranteed to see tiger sharks at Tiger Beach. Interestingly, all of the sharks that are seen here are pregnant. Here, you will kneel on the sand and watch as tiger sharks swim around and above you. Tiger sharks can be spotted year-round. These dives are baited.
With a sandy bottom and shallow dives (generally less than 40 feet), this backdrop is one of the best areas for photographing sharks.
- Best Time to Go: October-June, but you can see tiger sharks year-round
- Type of Dive: Sand
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Type of Shark: Tiger, Caribbean Reef, Lemon
Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico: Variety
The Revillagigedo Islands in Mexico, also known as Socorro is a group of four small volcanic islands located 600 kilometers from the Mexico mainland and are only accessible by a liveaboard boat. This remote archipelago attracts a large number of diverse pelagics and quickly became one of my favorite diving destinations. Socorro boasts the most diversity of sharks anywhere I have been – I saw seven different shark species in one day while I was there in February 2024.
- Best Time to Go: November-May
- Type of Dive: Liveaboard
- Skill Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Type of Shark: Hammerheads, Galapagos, Silky, Tiger, Silver Tip, Dusky, White Tip, Black Tip
Cocos Island, Costa Rica: Hammerhead Sharks
Cocos Island is located 550 kilometers from mainland Costa Rica, and is only accessible by liveaboard. Liveaboards depart from Puntarenas and take approximately 36 hours. In addition to hammerheads, manta rays and whale sharks also frequent the area.
- Best Time to Go: May-November
- Type of Dive: Liveaboard
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Type of Shark: Scalloped Hammerhead
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: Hammerhead Sharks
One of the most highly sought out diving destinations in the world, the Galapagos Islands do not disappoint when it comes to diving with sharks.
- Best Time to Go: January-May (Darwin and Wolf sites) June-November (Gordon Rocks)
- Type of Dive: Drift
- Skill Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Type of Shark: Hammerhead
Moloka’i, Hawaii: Hammerhead Sharks
Hawaii has a number of stimulating dives, and the Moloka’i hammerhead shark dive is no exception. While I accessed the site with a wonderful dive shop located on the neighboring island of Maui, the dive site sits off of the coast of Moloka’i, Hawaii’s fifth largest island. Here, you’ll embark on a drift dive to encounter scalloped hammerheads.
This is a seasonal dive, and I was able to catch a school of scalloped hammerheads in July. Due to the difficulty level, you’ll need an advanced certification to participate.
- Best Time to Go: May-October
- Type of Dive: Drift
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Type of Shark: Scalloped Hammerhead