News
Sharks: Wonderful Beasts and Where to Find Them
Every Week is Shark Week at Regaldive. We are glad that it is currently Shark Week, as sharks are a firm favourite at the Regaldive office and they deserve to be better protected. Every week we are sending our guests to numerous worldwide locations that are ideal for diving with sharks. The last couple of years have been great for shark encounters and hopefully this trend will continue. If you are a shark fan, Regaldive have a great range of holiday options. Here is a taster of our top locations worldwide for Diving with Sharks…
GUADALUPE ISLAND
Dive to 30 feet and go face to face with great white sharks! Guadalupe Island is a volcanic island 150 miles off the west coast of Baja California and it outperforms every other great white shark destination with shark-seeing consistency and beautiful diving conditions.
Great white shark encounters at Guadalupe Island are nothing short of spectacular. It’s the best destination in the world for calm, clear water and a consistently high probability of multiple shark encounters. The bay itself is home to over 200 recognised individuals, ranging from 12 to 19 feet long. At times, guests have seen as many as nine sharks on one dive!
SOCORRO ISLANDS
The wild, remote and exhilarating Socorro Islands, Mexico are famous for their big animal encounters. Divers will see many species of shark, including Hammerheads, Whitetips, Silvertips, Silkies, Tiger & Galapagos Sharks. Whale sharks can be found between November – December and late April – May.
The area is also famous for close encounters with the Giant Pacific Manta Ray, which can grow to 22 feet across. The Mantas seek out divers to interact with and play in their exhaled bubbles. There’s little doubt that this is the best location for the closest Manta interactions.
SOUTH AFRICA
If you want some great shark action, what could be better than the shark hotspots of South Africa and Mozambique? Although there’s always plenty to see, including Hammerheads, Tigers, Blacktips and Bulls, May is the time that the Ragged Tooth Sharks take up residence on Aliwal Shoals. A shark to impress your non-diving friends, as with their mouth full of big teeth, they look far scarier than they actually are. ‘Raggies’ usually stay until at least the end of November, so now’s the time to plan your visit.
THE MALDIVES
The Maldives is a popular location for seeing a few varieties of shark, most commonly Whitetips and Grey Reef Sharks. Although the Whitetips are usually very calm and lethargic during the day, they certainly get a bit more active at night. Often seen darting around the reef, trying to beat each other to the next unsuspecting fish to snack on.
Our guests returning from Maldives Liveaboards are giving enthusiastic reports from of a very interesting night dive they took part in. Many of them have greatly enjoyed doing a night dive with Nurse Sharks. Although one of the most docile of sharks, it turns into a very exhilarating experience when you get 40 to 50 Nurse Sharks swarming all around you! Just hang onto your gear and prepare for the odd nudge.
THE BAHAMAS
The Bahamas are justifiably famous for their shark diving. Some sharks can be seen very close and personal, mainly Caribbean Reef Sharks, Nurse Sharks and Lemon Sharks, but others such as Bull Sharks, Hammerheads and even Oceanic Whitetips can all be found, with the waters of Nassau and the Exuma Cays being the most easily accessible areas.
A famous location that is worth a visit in June, July and August is Tiger beach. So called because of the numbers of Tiger sharks that turn up in the warm shallow waters at that time. Known for coming in nice and close, some of the individual sharks, such as Emma, are famous the world over. With years of experience the operators that visit the area will provide you with an experience that you will have difficulty finding anywhere else.
SUDAN
Many of Sudan’s varied dive sites hold an almost mythical status with divers from around the world. Sudan’s coastal waters are also recognised as one of the best places in the world for Shark enthusiasts to encounter schools of scalloped hammerheads, alongside many other species of shark.
Our colleague Nigel gave us a taste of the shark action from his recent trip to Sudan and told us: “we were joined by a huge school of hammerhead sharks: above us, below us, in the distance, right next to us: they were everywhere. We were all trying to look in every direction at once. When we got back on board my partner said it had been ‘raining hammerhead sharks’. We all knew what she meant.”
THE GALAPAGOS
The seas surrounding the Galapagos support a large concentration of the marine life that makes these islands such a superb dive destination. Certainly no dive itinerary to the Galapagos is complete without a visit to the remote outposts of Wolf & Darwin to the north. Schools of hammerheads, as well as dolphins and rays make these islands a real highlight for divers. The whale shark aggregation occurs in the warmer water surrounding these islands. Many other shark species also make regular appearances, including species that you are unlikely to see elsewhere, including the Galapagos Shark. Although Hammerheads are seen year round, the biggest aggregations are usually in the Autumn.
THE RED SEA
The Red Sea has always been good for sharks, but the last couple of years have been exceptional, especially on the ‘Simply the Best’ itinerary. Maybe it’s because there are less divers about. We are hearing feedback such as “saw hammerheads on every dive at Daedalus” and “great to get so close to so many Oceanic Whitetips” from those on our Red Sea Liveaboard trips. The best times for these encounters now seems to be starting a bit earlier too, around June, and running right through to November.
COCOS ISLAND
A few years ago Cocos Island was christened ‘The Island of the Sharks’ by documentary makers, and with very good reason. This lush, green, uninhabited island, 340 miles from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, boasts numerous species of shark, including Whitetips (on every dive!), Tigers, Whale Sharks, Silkies and Galapagos Sharks.
But the biggest draw here is the Hammerheads that come into the numerous cleaning stations, allowing easy, close up viewing. Also they can often be seen schooling in their tens or even hundreds, so keep your fingers crossed for that amazing experience.
The UNESCO designated World Heritage Site certainly holds its place at the pinnacle of the world’s best shark diving locations.
To find out more about our shark diving locations, call the friendly Regaldive team on 01353 659999.
Blogs
EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
News
Charting New Waters; NovoScuba Goes Global with the Launch of their Revolutionary Dive Training Agency!
Discover a New Era of Dive Education: NovoScuba Brings Innovation to the Surface! Fully ISO Certified and Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology.
With a combined experience spanning over a century in the diving industry, a team of accomplished dive store owners, managers, and professionals unveils NovoScuba, a ground-breaking dive training agency poised to redefine the benchmarks of underwater education. Launching in May 2024, NovoScuba promises a revolutionary approach to dive training. Their vision is to make diving accessible to everyone, share success within the dive community and emphasise positive interactions with the planet.
NovoScuba’s global debut marks a significant milestone in the dive industry. Driven by a vision to challenge convention and harness the power of technology, NovoScuba aims to revolutionise the dive training landscape through its innovative business model, which is digitally native, making it the most technologically advanced dive training agency to date.
“We recognised the need for change in the dive training industry and saw an opportunity to leverage technology, and redefine existing business models to create something truly innovative,” said Mark Spiers, CEO of NovoScuba.
NovoScuba’s platform offers state of the art training programmes ranging from introductory up to professional diving, including various specialties. All programmes meet international standards and ISO certifications are in place. This commitment to shared success, accessibility and positive results for the planet, all at a cost effective and affordable level, is what will make NovoScuba stand out.
“Our deep understanding of traditional pain points for the industry, combined with our digitally native approach positions NovoScuba as a game-changer in dive education. Offering unparalleled initiatives such as student subscription, open access to all course materials, pay as you certify, no stock required, monthly membership payments, payment in local currencies, one-click certifications, and membership freezing, NovoScuba is set to redefine the industry. Available in 13 languages, at launch, the NovoScuba courses are written for the modern divers, with a focus on up-to-date content, interactive learning, and an engaging platform,” Mark Spiers concluded.
NovoScuba is challenging a change in the industry, redefining established traditional systems, and ushering in a new standard of excellence, support, and partnership. Their collaborations with dive stores, pros and underwater enthusiasts won’t demand exclusivity, prioritising earned loyalty, and an understanding that their Member’s success is key to their own.
NovoScuba
Diving Redefined.
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