When it comes to experiencing marine life, the only way we can do it, outside visiting the aquarium, is by scuba diving.
Coral reef diving is one of the most popular types of scuba diving, and beyond that, there’s shark cage diving for the thrills of a close encounter.
It may sound scary, but shark cage diving is very safe. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect if you go shark cage diving.
We will cover essential tips, some of the best places to go, as well as some of the different types of sharks that you may encounter.
What is Shark Cage Diving?
For those who don’t know, this is stationary diving. First, a scuba diver is put inside a large metal cage that protects them from sharks on the outside.
These cages are made of solid metal, thus protecting divers from threats on the outside.
The enclosure is then lowered to a certain depth in the water.
Best Shark Diving Locations
Just to help get you started, this is a list of the best shark cage diving locations around the world.
1. North Carolina – The Crystal Coast
The Crystal Coast, located off of North Carolina, has more than 2,000 shipwrecks, many of which can be dived.
As a result, the marine life is plentiful, and the water is warm due to the currents coming up from the Gulf.
This makes conditions ideal for a wide variety of sharks, including bull, blacktip, Atlantic sharp nose, and bonnet sharks.
2. Mexico – Isla Guadalupe
If you want to see great white sharks, Guadalupe Island is one of the best destinations in the world.
The island is located off Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
There are well over 300 sharks that frequent the area, according to a professional dive company that operates in the area, thus providing excellent opportunities to see these magnificent creatures.
3. San Diego – Pacific Beach
The waters off of Pacific Beach in San Diego are breeding grounds for many different species of sharks. Some of the different types of sharks you may see here include seven-gill, soupfin, leopard, mako, and hammerhead.
4. Plus More…
- Isla Mujeres
- Farallon Islands
- Neptune Islands
- Tiger Beach
- Cocos Island
- Gansbaai
- Galapagos Islands
Sharks You May See
The types of shark you will see when shark cage diving depends on the area you are diving.
However, two of the most common sharks you’ll see when shark cage diving include great whites and bull sharks.
Other types include thresher, hammerhead, and tiger sharks. Although technically not a shark, you may see a whale shark, which is the largest species of shark known.
If you are worried about attacks on humans, great whites are known for attacking humans, but with that being said, not a single attack has occurred to a diver within a shark cage. Shark cages are very tough and highly safe.
At least in terms of being attacked by a shark, the chances of something happening to you are very minimal, if not just nonexistent.
Shark Cage Diving Tips
We’ll discuss some of the most essential tips for your well-being and peace of mind while shark cage diving.
Keep in mind that shark cage diving is stationary, which means that you aren’t moving around very much, which means you’re going to get colder faster.
Therefore, make sure you wear a wetsuit with the right thickness to keep you warm for the duration of your shark experience.
You don’t have to be an experienced scuba diver to go shark cage diving.
Some shark cage diving trips involve snorkeling instead of scuba diving, so shark cage diving experiences can be suitable for all experience levels.
A great tip before you go shark cage diving is to eat well and drink a lot of water.
You need to have the energy and hydration to stay warm while in the water.
Obviously, there are risks involved with shark cage diving, so you must follow all of the instructions that you are given and follow the necessary safety protocols at all times.
Wrapping Up
If shark cage diving sounds intriguing, now that you know a bit about it, you can do a little more research decide whether it is the right kind of diving for you.
