10 Ways to Get Up Close and Personal with Sharks

Cage Dive with Sharks, South Africa

Adventure is the name of the game in South Africa, where a select group of government-approved operators take hardy souls out into the ocean, lure great white sharks into the vicinity, and then drop people into floating cages for some serious face time with sharks. One company, Great White Shark Tours, even offers a money-back guarantee if participants don't see a shark. The company charges about $150 per person for the three- to four-hour tour, which includes breakfast, gear, and about 20 minutes in the cage. Amazingly, no experience (with sharks or diving) is necessary to brave the cage, since it floats right next to the boat. It's best to go between March and September, since that's when visibility tends to be optimal.

Free Dive with Sharks, Azores

Prefer more shark and less cage? The Azores, a cluster of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic, is an up-and-coming destination for free diving with sharks. Summer is prime time for close encounters with blue sharks (and even the occasional whale shark, mako, or hammerhead). It's also the time of year when ocean temperatures rise and pelagic fish like tuna and barracuda ply the islands' waters. Even non-scuba divers can swim with the sharks in the Azores—Pico Sport offers snorkeling with sharks as an add-on to its eight-day SharkSchool course. Prices start at €290 (about $388; check XE.com for current exchange rates).

Dive or Snorkel with Sharks in an Aquarium, Colorado and Georgia

Some aquariums offer visitors the chance to dive or snorkel in the shark tanks. At Denver's Downtown Aquarium, certified divers ages 10 and up can explore the Sunken Shipwreck exhibit with sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, zebra sharks, and other sea life. The aquarium charges $185 per person for the two-hour experience. The Georgia Aquarium's Journey with Gentle Giants program gives visitors the chance to swim or dive with whale sharks. The immersion package, which also includes aquarium admission and souvenirs, is $206 for aquarium members and $225 for non-members.

Visit a Shark Nursery, Bali

Indonesia is home to about 250 species of shark. Unfortunately, it's also a hub of the world's shark-fining industry, with more than 3,000 tons of fins exported annually from the country. The Bali Sharks conservation program offers an alternative, encouraging local fishermen to save sharks instead of killing them. The organization has a floating nursery that houses up to 20 young sharks, including blacktip and whitetip reef sharks and carpet sharks. Its three-hour ecotour includes a shark feeding, a shark swim, a visit to a turtle conservation center, plus a meal and transportation. The cost is $99 for adults and $89 for children (kids five and under are free). Bali Sharks earns high marks among TripAdvisor reviewers, who cite the organization's friendly staff and conservation focus and rave about the chance to get so close to sharks in a nonthreatening environment.

Perfect Your Shark Photography, Bahamas

This is definitely not your average photography course, but it affords experienced divers and aspiring photographers the chance to capture sharks in all their glory. Led by professional underwater photographers Takaji Ochi and Gregory Sweeney, the weeklong trip offers participants the chance to dive with tiger, lemon, reef, bull, nurse, and great hammerhead sharks. Bright Caribbean days and the clear, shallow water of the Bahamas provide the perfect setting for students to hone their underwater-photography skills, and diving without a cage provides unimpeded views of the sharks. The small-group workshops run $2,900 and include all food, gear, accommodations (aboard the boat), and experienced guides.

Go Shark Watching, California

Not quite up to swimming in shark-infested waters? No problem, you can still see them up close on a shark-watching boat trip. The waters around the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco are the starting point of the great white shark's Pacific migration. In the fall months, the sharks fatten up, feasting on sea lions and other marine life in the islands' rich waters. A number of operators run boat trips to the Farallons, so it's best to check departure dates and user reviews to find the best one for your needs.

Snorkel with Whale Sharks, Mexico

Each summer, massive whale sharks gather in the waters off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, offering people a unique chance to snorkel alongside the polka-dotted beauties that can grow to be up to 45 feet long. As the spot becomes well-known, the influx of tourists has become a concern. So when you look for a tour operator (most launch from Cancun, Isla Mujeres, or Isla Holbox), make sure you sign up with one that abides by the Mexican government's code of conduct for whale shark encounters (a code that prohibits touching or chasing sharks and using flash photography). We found prices starting at around $140 for whale shark snorkeling expeditions.

Night Dive With Sharks, Mexico

For intensity times two, try a cage dive in pitch-black waters. On its multi-day trips to Mexico's Guadalupe Island, Great White Adventures offers nighttime cage diving with white sharks. Calling it both eerie and exciting, the company explains, "Unlike the daytime dives, you won't see the shark approach the cage until the last moment. Although perfectly safe, being in a cage in the dark as sharks circle close by certainly might not be for everyone."

Swim with Nurse Sharks, Florida

For a low-key shark-diving adventure, consider a swim with nurse sharks. These so-called "couch potatoes" of the shark world belong, according to the National Park Service, to a category of "laid-back, easygoing sharks"—though of course, they're still wild animals that can bite if provoked. The nurse shark's range spans both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, but a great place for a glimpse is Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. Made up of seven small islands, Dry Tortugas is best known for clear blue waters, vibrant coral reefs, and a 19th-century fort. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the remote park is a great place to spot nurse sharks as well as other marine and bird life. Lucky divers can see nurse sharks swimming among the tropical fish and coral in the waters around Fort Jefferson.

Celebrate Sharks On Dry Land, Florida

Celebrate sharks from the safety and comfort of dry land during the annual Shark's Tooth Festival in Venice, Florida. The town calls itself the "Shark's Tooth Capital of the World" because of the millions of sharks' teeth that have washed up on its beaches. Each spring, Venice hosts a three-day festival that includes sharks' teeth displays, arts and crafts vendors, a 10K run, and plenty of food and live entertainment.

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