Shark Diving Holidays

Despite their increasingly vulnerable status, sharks are widespread throughout our oceans and have adapted to countless different habitats, providing divers with some truly exceptional experiences. As the apex predators of our oceans, great white sharks are top of many divers wishlists.

Graceful, gentle whale sharks are the largest fish in our oceans and one of the most iconic species for divers, while hammerhead sharks' unique characteristics and propensity to school in large numbers greatly appeal to many adventurous divers.

Great white shark

Great whites sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are primarily found in temperate coastal waters, although are known to roam far and wide across our seas and oceans.

These powerful predators can reach up to six metres in length and are distinguished by a pointed snout, two large sickle-shaped pectoral fins and a large triangular first dorsal fin. While recent research suggests these animals may also be social animals, they are primarily seen to be solitary or in pairs.

The finest encounters with great whites are the south coast of Australia, Guadalupe, off the west coast of Mexico and in South Africa. Find out more about our diving trips with great white sharks.

Hammerhead shark

Of the 11 species of hammerhead shark, it is schools of scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) and the impressive great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) that provide the greatest allure for divers.

Found in tropical coastal and continental waters, the extraordinary flattened shape of their heads, known as the cephalofoil, is now believed to be linked to enhanced vision and sensory perception.

Socorro, Cocos Island, and the Galapagos Islands form the shark corridor - an area renowned for exceptional encounters not only with large schools of hammerhead sharks, but also Galapagos and silky sharks year-round. Encounters are also possible in Tahiti, Fiji, Malaysia and the Maldives.

The incredible behaviour of great hammerheads, measuring up to five metres in length, in the shallow waters of Bimini in the Bahamas provides outstanding photo opportunities in January to March each year. 

Find out more about diving trips with hammerhead sharks.

Blue shark

Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) are often referred to as the wolves of the sea due to their tendency to gather and hunt in packs. They can grow up to up to four metres in length and feed primarily on small bony fish and squid.

Part of the family of requiem sharks, they are one of the most beautiful and elegant shark species, with slender bodies, distinctive conical snouts and an indigo hue from which their name derives.

They are a prevalent species of shark in the Atlantic ocean and can be seen in the waters around the Azores islands each summer. 

Tiger shark

Named after their body patterns, tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are one of the most famous sharks in our oceans. Found in tropical waters across the globe, whether you’re in the Caribbean, the Southern Pacific or South Africa, tiger sharks are always an exhilarating encounter.

Primarily a solitary hunter, these sharks are often found in the shallower regions of the tropics in all types of typography, such as reefs and wrecks. Although they mostly eat bony fish and marine mammals, tiger sharks are known to eat almost anything. including man-made objects.

The distinctive stripes across these magnificent animals allied to their impressive size makes tiger sharks one of the most highly sought after dive encounters.

Whale shark

One of the most sought after encounters by divers, the gentle, graceful whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in our oceans, reaching up to 18 metres in length.

Found in tropical waters, these huge, docile plankton feeders are characterised by their wide mouths, distinctive blue-grey colouring with white spots and a large, crescent-shaped tail.

Whale sharks can be encountered in many locations worldwide and tend to be solitary. At certain places and certain times, whale sharks aggregate, providing divers with superb opportunities to see them in large numbers. These aggregations are known to occur in the Galapagos between May and November, Mexico from June to September, Mozambique and the Philippines from November through to May.

Find out more about our whale shark diving holidays and locations.

Thresher shark

There aren’t many creatures more beautiful and mesmerising for divers than the thresher shark. The purpose of their long, elegant tails has long been a mystery to biologists, but recent video has shown individuals stunning prey by whipping their tails.

The pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus) is usually a solitary animal, with the best sightings around the waters of Malapascua in the Philippines. Most often found in deeper waters, these striking animals will journey to shallower reefs for cleaning stations and to prowl the steep drop-offs around continental shelves.

Reaching up to three metres in length, thresher sharks are undoubtedly one of the most elegant animals in our oceans.