There are two types of new divers – those who cannot wait for their first shark encounter, and those who show up to a dive boat with a shark repellent they’ve purchased on Amazon. Depending on which type of new diver you are, this article can be used in two ways: as the top 5 places to add to your bucket list immediately, or the top 5 places to avoid at all costs. Either way, we won’t judge you… to your face.
We’ve created this list based on average depth, amount of current, and visibility. If any of those destinations pique your interest, get in touch with us to get more information.
Tiger Beach, Bahamas.
Types of sharks sighted: although the main attraction here are the tiger sharks, you also have the opportunity to spot Caribbean reef sharks, bull sharks, great hammerheads, and more.
Best time to dive: If your main aim is to see the tiger sharks, you can plan a visit to Tiger Beach year-round. December and March give you the best chance to encounter great hammerhead sharks.
Max depth: 20 feet.
Average visibility: 100 feet.
How to dive: we recommend diving Tiger Beach via liveaboard, although there are a couple of land-based options that offer day trips. Some liveaboard itineraries focus only on Tiger Beach, while others offer longer trips that include other sites.
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.
Types of sharks sighted: great white sharks.
Best time to dive: you can only visit Guadalupe from July to November. Pro tip: the larger pregnant females are usually there end of October and beginning of November.
Max depth: although you are in the open blue, the diving with the great whites in Guadalupe is done only in a cage at a depth of about 10 feet, making it suitable for divers of all levels.
Average visibility: visibility is generally 100-120 feet, sometimes 150 feet.
How to dive: Isla Guadalupe is only accessible via liveaboard.
Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.
Types of sharks sighted: the main attraction here are the bull sharks, but you will have the opportunity to spot some whitetips, blacktips, silvertips, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and if you’re lucky, even a tiger shark.
Best time to dive: peak season to dive Beqa Lagoon runs from March to September.
Max depth: this is a tricky one as the depth at the start of the dive is around 100 feet, but beginner divers are welcome to join as long as they hire a private dive guide.
Average visibility: visibility is at its best between June and August with an average of 100 feet.
How to dive: Beqa Lagoon is dived with land-based operators.
Jupiter, Florida.
Types of sharks sighted: bull sharks, great hammerheads, lemon sharks, silkies, and more.
Best time to dive: you can dive Jupiter year-round, with average temperatures ranging between mid-70s to mid-80s.
Max depth: this is a good option for beginner divers as many operators offer the option to do it from a cage, which would be an average max depth of 10 feet.
Average visibility: it can range between 40 and 100 feet.
How to dive: Jupiter is accessible from land-based operators.
Cabo Pulmo, Mexico.
Types of sharks sighted: bull sharks.
Best time to dive: this is another tricky one as there are more bull sharks when the water is cooler between January in June, but the visibility is much lower. August through November will have better visibility, but less sharks.
Max depth: bull sharks can be spotted on a number of sites in Cabo Pulmo, most of which will have an average max depth of 50 feet.
Average visibility: visibility between August and November is about 100 feet. Throughout the rest of the year, average visibility is 50 to 60 feet.
How to dive: Cabo Pulmo is dived from land-based operators.
