Many people create lists of things they want to do in life and for many adventurous types, one of those things is swimming with sharks. In this article we will provide a run-down of the best ten places on earth to swim with sharks.
1) Bimini Island, Bahamas
The Bimini Island has been the home of the bull shark for over sixty years.
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Bimini Island in the Bahamas is one of the few places in the world where shark sightings are a daily occurrence. This is due to the marine park’s shark-friendly habitat. There are around forty species of sharks found in the Bahamas waters, but it is the bull shark which is commonly found in the Bimini Bull Run. Most diving companies in the area will allow you to swim with sharks even if you are not a certified diver. You enter the water in a cage which is designed to keep you safe.
2) Aqua Trek Beqa Dive Center, Fiji
If you want to stand the best chance at seeing up to seven species of shark at a time, head to the Aqua Trek Beqa Dive Center in Fiji.
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The Aqua Trek Beqa Dive Center is the perfect place to swim with bull, nurse and reef sharks, as well as lemon and tiger sharks. The sharks are attracted to the area due to its shallow lagoons. The marine park is found amongst local Fijian fishing villages and the fees from the park actually go to the villagers living there.
3) Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Cocos Island is not only famous for its beauty, but its hammerhead sharks too!
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Cocos Island has famously been called ‘the most beautiful island in the world.’ It is located three hundred miles of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and is home to many species of sharks including hammerheads. If you want to swim with sharks around Cocos Island, then you will need to go on a live-aboard boat. The diving companies will provide you with all of the equipment you need including a camera!
4) False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
False Bay is one of the best places to swim with white sharks.
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False Bay in Cape Town, South Africa is one of the best places to visit if you want to view and swim with white sharks. It has been reported that sharks breach more at False Bay than anywhere else in the world. There are a number of diving companies operating in the area, many of which offer early morning tours, when shark breaching is the most common.
5) Red Sea, Egypt
Swimming with sharks in the Red Sea is an experience you’ll never forget!
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In Egypt feeding and baiting is prohibited so all shark sights are natural. If you are holidaying in Egypt, the Red Sea is one of the best places to swim with sharks as it has some of the clearest waters in the world. Experts say that it is one of the best places to see white tip sharks, as well as snaggletooth sharks, which are extremely rare in other parts of the world. If you are looking for a close encounter with a shark in a safe environment, then get in touch with one of the diving companies in the area.
6) Indonesia
Visit one of Indonesia’s many shark sanctuaries and nurseries for the swimming experience of a lifetime.
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Unfortunately Indonesia has a huge market for shark catching and is one of the world’s biggest exporters of shark fin. Due to the rising levels of concern regarding the well-being of sharks in the area, the government there recently announced that they will be conserving part of the coastal and marine waters as a sanctuary for sharks.
One of the best places to swim with sharks is Friese’s nursery in Indonesia. This is a shark sanctuary where you can view sharks up close and personal! Whilst swimming with the sharks, you can also see them being rescued, tagged and released. The nursery not only provides an amazing experience, but an educational one too, with many individuals leaving the nursery as advocates for shark conservation!
7) Malapascua, Philippines
Thresher sharks are usually found in the Philippine’s deep waters, requiring divers to be open water certified.
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Recently Malapascua’s Monad Shoal became a marine park that now protects the thresher sharks that reside there. The marine park in the Philippines is one of the best places to visit if you want to see thresher sharks up close. If you are planning on swimming with sharks in this area you will need to be open water certified.
8) Oahu, Hawaii
Observe reef sharks and hammerheads up close from the safety of a specially designed diving cage.
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If you want to swim with reef sharks, hammerheads and sandbar sharks, then Oahu, Hawaii is a great place to visit! The state is home to more than forty species of shark which vary in shapes and sizes. Many diving companies around the area send divers down in observation cages for their safety.
9) Isla Holbox, Mexico
The waters around the island of Isla Holbox are one of the best places in the world to swim with whale sharks.
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If you fancy swimming with whale sharks then head to Isla Holbox in Mexico. The best time to visit the island is between June and September, as this is the time when the sharks arrive to feed and mate. There are many reputable diving tour operators in the area for you to choose from.
10) Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Fancy swimming with whale sharks in Australia? Visit Ningaloo Reef.
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Ningaloo Reef is located 1200km north of the west coast of Perth and is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Ningaloo is one of the country’s largest fringing coral reefs and is home to over five hundred fish species. If you want to swim with whale sharks, then it is best to visit the area between March and July as this is when the sharks arrive to feed. Some diving tour companies in the area make use of spotter planes which increase your chances of spotting whale sharks and enable you to spend more time swimming with them.
Conclusion
If swimming with sharks is currently unchecked on your bucket list, then what are you waiting for? Visit Mailsports, get yourself some top of the range swimwear and then book your flight, whether that is to Australia, Fiji, Egypt or the Philippines you will find yourself in one of the best places in the world to swim with these stunning creatures.
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