Snorkeling with Sharks Across the Globe: What 8 Spots Taught Me

      

Sal, Cape Verde

The first time I was in the water with a shark was on Sal Island in Cape Verde. They were small juvenile lemon sharks, but it was an incredible experience to see them underwater, and they were very close.

The great lesson I learned from this first experience was to stop seeing sharks as a threat, shaped by some myths associated with them, and to start seeing them without this distorted filter.

Omadhoo, Maldives

In the Maldives, I had my second experience of contact with sharks, and it was very enriching for my current perception.

After losing my fear on Sal Island in Cape Verde, here I realized that sharks, as a rule, run a mile from humans. The reality here, as in other countries where shark finning is still active, leads to the fact that we are actually their true predators, and not the other way around, as many people perceive.

Tahiti and Moorea, French Polynesia

In French Polynesia, I had the best experience with sharks, and it was the place where I saw the most, because their reaction to humans is quite different from most places I've visited; that is, here they don't flee and are accustomed to the presence of humans.

This is part of a culture present in the population with a strong connection to nature and conservation, which made me feel that humans and marine species live in harmony. This is not only the case with sharks; I saw the same thing, for example, with stingrays.

Here I learned that humans and sharks can live in harmony.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the sharks I'm most used to seeing is the blacktip reef shark, but the trip to the Great Barrier Reef allowed me to see the whitetip reef shark.

The whitetip reef shark and the blacktip reef shark are distinguished primarily by the markings on their fins, their habitat, and their respiratory physiology.

While the whitetip has well-defined white tips, the blacktip has prominent black spots with a light lower edge. Anatomically, the whitetip has a more slender body, a flattened head, and can pump water through its gills without swimming, allowing it to spend the day motionless resting in crevices, caves, and on the seabed to actively hunt at night. In contrast,

the blacktip is a constant and fast swimmer that needs to keep moving continuously to breathe, actively patrolling more open and sunny waters during the day.

The reason for finding the whitetip in the Great Barrier Reef is related to the unique structure and depth of this ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef is characterized by deep outer reefs, steep walls, and an enormous density of complex coral cavities and crevices, which offer the ideal dark and deep shelter for this species to rest.

The Blacktip reef is more frequently observed in other destinations because it inhabits extremely shallow snorkeling areas, such as lagoons, beaches, and tidal platforms, whereas observing the Whitetip reef requires habitats with mature rock formations and greater depth, typical of the Great Barrier Reef.

Bunaken, Indonesia

In Bunaken, I always dived in front of the 3WILL Bunaken Dive Resort, with the aim of thoroughly exploring this area, as the coral wall dropped to a great depth, which is always a good area to see greater marine diversity.

For four days, I explored this area, always expanding a little in extent, either to the right or to the left, spending many hours in the water.

Despite the resort's instructions stating that this wasn't an area with frequent shark sightings, my intensive exploration yielded results; in other words, the longer and more meticulous your search, the more you see and find.

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

On Mansuar Island, I had been exploring the coral wall in the Nyande area for several days. I was hiding behind the ledges of the rocks and corals, advancing slowly and moving little.

Suddenly, I saw a non-juvenile shark swimming on the surface, but due to its distraction or because I was relatively hidden, it didn't see me and continued towards me.

I remained calm and continued gliding towards it until, very close to me, it saw me and dove down in microseconds, 5 meters below, to avoid crossing paths with me.

Here I learned that it's possible to surprise a shark and be more alert than it underwater.

Boa Vista, Cape Verde

In front of the main village on Boa Vista island, Sal Rei, lies an area that serves as a shark nursery. This area is especially protected by the Sal Rei Islet, located opposite the village.

One of the best snorkeling spots is a reef near the islet, accessible by tour or kayak.

The reef gets very crowded with snorkelers during tours. Therefore, I tried to arrive very early. On one of those early days, I approached the reef slowly, gently, and as quietly as possible.

When I reached it, there was an adult blacktip reef shark, one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, which, as soon as it saw me, began to swim away.

Here I learned that we should always start very early and before the others.

In this area, I also had the opportunity to see a baby hammerhead shark.

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Check out my video about snorkeling in these eight locations: