Tips for Respectful Shark Encounters
Experiencing wildlife encounters is something we live for! In recent years, shark awareness has increased, and it’s a joy to see that more and more people are getting over the extreme fear of sharks the media has generated for decades.
As shark encounters gain popularity in the tourism and diving industry, it’s essential to highlight the importance of having safe shark encounters as a way to help shark conservation efforts. A minor shark attack - even during a high-risk interaction like spearfishing in shark feeding grounds - can have devastating effects on the local shark population. The fear of sharks increases once again, and local governments and fishermen often turn to indiscriminate revenge culling of all sharks.
This is why we have a few tips for you to consider for your next shark adventure!
Choose wisely! Your tour operator should have the safety of you and the sharks as their main priority at all times. This means being able to read animal behavior, weather patterns, and any other external factor and make the call of when to begin or end a shark encounter. This brings us to an important second point…
Listen to your guide! We know it can get very exciting in the water, but with adrenaline pumping and the thrill of sharing space with one or multiple sharks, it’s very easy to get caught up in the moment. However, the tour operator’s primary concern is that the encounter occurs safely, which is why it’s vital for you to be attentive and responsive when they give you instructions.
Experience is key! Make sure to go in the water with someone with sufficient expertise in shark encounters. This means they know about the species you will be encountering, how to read the shark’s body language, and determine when is the moment to step in or out of the water.
Be respectful! Trust us; we’ve been there… We see their silky body, their mesmerizing movement, and a part of us just wants to reach out and touch them (almost like a baby’s instinct to touch everything new!). But, alas, we are not babies, and we must control that urge to have direct physical contact with sharks (or any wildlife, for that matter). You may see guides or tour operators sometimes touching or pushing the sharks away, but this should only happen to divert the animal in case they get a bit too curious.
Dress (and behave) the part! Sharks are curious animals, but unlike us, they can’t use their fins to touch something. They use their head and mouth to explore instead. Wearing outfits with high contrast or shiny jewelry can confuse sharks into thinking they’re shiny scales. Making sudden movements and splashing around can make them think you are an animal in distress and potential prey. So wear dark colors, remove your jewelry, and move slowly in the water.
Ask and speak up! If you see your tour operator or guide excessively touching sharks, trying to force them to interact with you or other clients, ask them why. It may be with their best intentions to give customers a ‘good’ experience, but this should never be a priority over a respectful interaction with sharks that doesn’t alter their natural behavior. If you feel something is not OK with how things are being handled, speak up!
Enjoy and educate! Be present, enjoy the moment, and embrace the humility that encounters with apex predators give us. Share your experience with others without glamorizing sharks as if they were cuddly pets but showing that they are not the man-killing machines mainstream media makes them out to be. The more people learn about sharks and how simple daily actions can affect shark populations, the more positive impact we can have on conservation efforts worldwide!
If after reading this you’ve got the itch to experience a shark encounter, make sure to join us on a Shark Safari departing from Cabo San Lucas!
