Shark diving is a wonderful ecotourism option to support shark conservation.
You can swim with sharks in many places, primarily in the southern hemisphere. Popular locations include the Philippines, the Bahamas, and Mexico.
75% of all shark species are threatened with extinction and sharks and rays' global population has crashed by more than 70% in the past 50 years. Some would argue that this is a good thing–sharks are man eating killers, right? But not so!! These keystone species are vital to the ocean; without sharks it would be OVER. Not to mention it’s a complete misconception that sharks are dangerous to humans. More people are killed annually by vending machines than shark attacks–10-13 deaths compared to around 5 deaths yearly.
No! The notion that sharks are ravenous monsters that terrorize humans could not be further from the truth. Sharks are gentle giants; just silly guys that like to swim around and eat fish. Of course, with larger, very predatory sharks like white sharks it’s recommended for beginners to cage dive. However, this isn’t to say that they would jump at the opportunity to kill a human–professional, experienced divers that are well versed in their behavior can swim cageless with no issues.
Bradford, Nick. “A Warming Ocean.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), www.neefusa.org/story/water/warming-ocean. Accessed 13 May 2023.
Brown, Hannah. “10 of the Most Endangered Sharks in the World.” Sea Paradise, 20 Sept. 2022, www.seaparadise.com/10-of-the-most-endangered-sharks-in-the-world/.
Denton, Mairead. “12 Things More Likely to Kill You than a Shark.” Healthy Travel Blog, 19 Aug. 2022, www.healthytravelblog.com/2017/06/23/12-things-more-likely-to-kill-you-than-a-shark/.
Dobson, Jim. “Shark Experts Agree, These Are the 5 Best Dive Sites in the World.” Forbes Magazine, 25 Aug. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2021/08/19/shark-experts-agree-these-are-the-5-best-dive-sites-in-the-world/?sh=342730a3790f.
“Ecosystem Services.” Mapping Ocean Wealth, 2022, oceanwealth.org/ecosystem-services/.
“Plastics, Mikroplastics Und Manoplastics.” Shark Foundation, shark.swiss/sharks/hunted-hunters/plastics. Accessed 13 May 2023.
“Save the Sharks Campaign: Possible Solutions to Save Sharks.” Friend of the Sea, 29 Apr. 2022, friendofthesea.org/marine-conservation-projects-and-awareness/save-the-sharks/.
Seitz, Jason C. “Alopias Pelagicus.” Discover Fishes, www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/alopias-pelagicus/. Accessed 13 May 2023. Tandon, Aditi. “The Rare Shark of the Ganga.” Mongabay, 25 June 2020, india.mongabay.com/2020/06/the-rare-shark-of-the-ganga/.
Yirka, Bob. “Study Shows 90% of Marine Species at Risk of Extinction by 2100 If Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Not Curbed.” Phys.Org, 23 Aug. 2022, phys.org/news/2022-08-marine-species-extinction-greenhouse-gas.html.