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Why not experience the opportunity of a lifetime? If you've ever wanted to dive with sharks and other amazing marine creatures it is easy to get up close and personal with these monsters of the deep. Shark dives give you an amazing perspective of these fascinating creatures and are available for first time and experienced divers. These are the Top 5 places to swim with sharks around the world.
For thrill-seekers who want to come face-to-face with fear - diving cage less with reef sharks is perhaps the most powerful shot of adrenalin on earth. Nassau attracts thousands of tourists every year who come to enjoy the corals and beautiful fish - but the desire to see something big has been increasingly on the rise. To satisfy the shark seekers, many dive operations now guide curious travellers to locations where, after dropping chum to attract a crowd of White or Black Tip Reef Sharks, divers jump in as a group and observe the feeding frenzy above them.
With the visibility of the Caribbean combined with the unpredictability of the visitors you might encounter - from small Reef Sharks to the Great White - it is no wonder that the Bahamas is pitched as one of the number one shark diving destinations in the world.
Out on the ocean, away from the glare of the lights of LA, the real stars of the ocean swim. California shark dives are offered by operators from the Los Angeles area, Catalina Island, and San Diego. The dives vary, but all involve long boat rides out to deep water.
From the safety of a steel cage and armed with only a camera, experience Great White sharks, jaws extended and hungry from just a few feet away. Witness Blues and Makos, Hammerheads and Tiger Sharks devouring sardines in a feeding frenzy. This is an unbelievable diving experience where you'll get to encounter the underwater creatures most divers will never see in a lifetime. Generally, you'll be in a cage, though one operator offers floating cages that snorkelers can use.
The fictional "Jaws" was actually inspired by real shark attacks along the New Jersey shore in 1916. In present day you're more likely to find Blue Sharks there than man eaters.
Pull on that wet suit and jump overboard into the frigid waters off Rhode Island - about three hours offshore along the edge of New England's continental shelf. It is here that the migratory Blue Sharks prefer to linger. This is their preferred pit stop before shifting southward to Cape Hatteras and as far away as Africa. These fascinating sharks hold the long-distance record - they have been known to journey nearly 4,000 miles. Sharks (Mako, Thresher and Blue), dolphin, tuna, whales, ocean sunfish, porpoise and sea turtles are among the creatures you could see on this type of adventure.
From Gansbaai, the 'World Capital of the Great White Shark', you can get on a dive boat to the infamous Shark Alley. Rumour has it that there are more Great Whites in this part of the ocean than anywhere else in the world. And at nearby Seal Island, you might even get to witness the astonishing sight of Great White sharks leaping out of the water as they hunt seals.
A variety of diving operations offer the chance to see the sharks underwater in a cage, or to enjoy them from the relative safety of the boat. And many operators don't require you to be a certified diver either, so snorkelers are welcome.
This is one of the best places in the world to see the biggest fish in the ocean, and the gentlest shark of them all, the Whale Shark. Called 'Dominos' by the locals - due to the distinctive white spots on their backs - these huge fish can grow up to 30 feet long. But they only eat plankton, so swimmers need not be concerned.
To protect the sharks, the Mexican government only allows snorkelers, accompanied by a guide, to swim with them. For travellers looking to try something different, there is nothing quite like swimming in front of one of the biggest mouths in the sea.
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