6 Amazing Shark Encounters

Mention that you've swam with sharks, and you'll immediately have the attention of anyone within earshot. But bragging rights aren't the real reason why you should consider a meet up with sharks. These apex predators are among the most fascinating creatures in the ocean, and they are a far cry from the mildness eating machines portrayed by pop culture. If you are ready to see sharks in a different light, here are six experiences you'll never forget.

With their small mouths, tiny teeth and docile demeanor, nurse sharks live up to their name. These mid-sized fish are most often found resting out under ledges on coral reefs after a night of foraging on the sea floor. But there certain places where they can be out and about in daylight hours, making for memorable but entirely non-threatening encounters. The most famous nurse shark encounter in the Caribbean takes place near Belize's Ambergris Caye, at a site known as Shark Ray Alley. Here, these normally solitary animals congregate to slurp up fishy offerings provided by local fishermen and dive operators. Participants are surrounded by a swirling school of nurse sharks, with the bonus of an equally active group of southern stingrays. The action takes place year-round in just 15 feet of water, and snorkel gear is preferred to scuba. The combination of warm, clear water, easy access from Ambergris Caye and the inviting nature of the sharks make this a fantastic first-time shark encounter for the whole family.

What could be more thrilling than coming face-to-face with the biggest fish in the sea? Especially when you know that that gaping mouth in front of you has zero interest in eating you and is instead scooping up tons of tiny plankton. Whale sharks grow to lengths of 40 feet and are found in tropical oceans around the world. Because the often feed near the surface and move relativity slowly, they are ideal candidates for snorkeling encounters. Of the various global hot spots for whale shark encounters, North Americans have easy access to one of the most consistent and famous. Each summer, more than 100 of these large sharks congregate in waters off the northern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Day trips from Cancun and Isla Mujeres put swimmers in the heart of the action, which runs from Early June to mid-September. Other favorite whale shark encounters around the world include Oslob in the Philippines, Ari Atoll in the Maldives, La Paz on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, and Indonesia's Cenderawasih Bay.

Dive operators have been luring Caribbean reef sharks to the dinner table for decades, but while lively, these feedings are not the lurid, manic feeding frenzies portrayed in B movies. Typically, participating divers are instructed to settle into a sandy area of the sea bed, forming a semi-circle around a bait crate. It doesn't take long for the sharks to arrive, and they soon fall into a pattern that has them circling like airplanes waiting for landing clearance, swooping in every so often to grab a fishy treat offered from on the tip of a spear, or from the chainmail-clad glove of a dive master. Tens of thousands of divers have participated in these feeds, and there are a number of islands in the Bahamas known for shark feeds, including Grand Bahama, New Providence and Long Island. For a different take on Reef Sharks, divers with a sense of adventure can travel to the Islands of Tahiti and head to Rangiroa for a dive in Tiputa Pass. When tidal currents sweep through the pass, dozens to hundreds of gray reef sharks congregate to wait for morsels brought by the moving water. Divers have described the experience of drifting the pass as flying towards a virtual wall of sharks.

In the islands of the South Pacific, traditional fishermen consider hammerhead sharks to be guardian spirits, and a sighting is considered a good omen. Any diver who enjoys a chance sighting of a hammerhead is indeed lucky, but there are certain times and places where the odds are in their favor. Just north of the small Bahamian island of Bimini, great hammerhead sharks congregate in water depths of 30 feet or less. The white-sand bottoms and shallow depths make these encounters a favorite with photographers and suitable for even novice divers. Peak hammerhead season runs from December to March. A different type of hammerhead encounter takes place in the waters of the Eastern Pacific, where scalloped hammerheads make seasonal gatherings. Two destinations, in particular, are famous for these encounters. Sitting some 350 miles west of Costa Rica and accessible only by liveaboard, the waters of Cocos Island attract schools of scalloped hammerheads numbering into the hundreds, and there's also a good chance of sighting mantas and whale sharks. To the north, and a day-plus boat trip from Cabo San Lucas, the Socorro Islands are also famous for hammerhead gatherings, plus a half dozen additional species.

An open-water swim with bull sharks may seem outside some diver's comfort zone. But there are places in the world where bull sharks and humans come together without problems. The most famous of these is in Fiji's Beqa Lagoon, where the bulls are both large and plentiful. Following well-established protocols, dive masters stage a feed that can attract as many as 40 to 50 large bull sharks, along with up to eight additional species, including the occasional tiger shark. The site was carefully chosen to provide divers with a theater-like seating area that puts them close to the action, but safely away from the shark's feeding patterns. For bull shark encounters closer to home, North American divers can head to Mexico's Rivera Maya during the winter. There, just off the shores of the town of Playa del Carmen, large female bull sharks come out of mangrove lagoons to gather on a sandy plain where underwater visibility can reach upwards of 100 feet.

For shark lovers, a meeting with a great white is the equivalent of courtside seating at the NBA finals. Divers know that these sharks are no the mindless eating machines of Hollywood lore, but it's still best to have a cage on hand when you enter the water with a big animal that is at the top of the food chain. The cooler waters of South Africa and Australia were long considered the places to go for white shark viewing, but in recent years, an island 150 miles off the coast of Baja Mexico has emerged as the premier destination for encounters. The waters around Guadalupe Island are both warmer and clearer than most other great white destinations. Visibility can reach upwards of 100 feet, and water temperatures are often in the high 60s to 70 degrees. In addition to viewing conditions, there is an abundance of sharks. During the months from July to November, more than 150 sharks may make an appearance. The faster-moving males arrive early, while the big females begin to show up by October.

Ready for some shark encounters of your own? Our agents work with the top operators and resorts and can plan every detail of your adventure. To learn more, call us at 800-330-6611 or send a note to sales@caradonna.com.