Best Liveaboard Destinations for Sharks

Thresher Shark - Malapascua Philippines — Thresher Shark – Malapascua Philippines

Updated May 9, 2023

This is the forty-sixth in a series that introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris. This one focuses on the best liveaboard destinations for diving with sharks. For other “Best” reviews of liveaboards and destinations, go to “Best Liveaboards & Destinations Lists” on the top menu.

Have you ever been diving in any of the locations described below? If so, I’d love to know about your experience. What liveaboard did you use? How was the diving? Were the services and accommodations good? Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

On the first encounter with a shark, there is a wave of excitement and awe at the grace and power that happens continues to a certain extent every time you meet up with one. We always hope to add to our repertoire of shark experiences, be it a timid thresher coming up from the deep, swimming amongst a shoal of hammerheads, or just checking out a group of whitetip reef sharks during their rest under a ledge.

Below is an introduction to 10 of the very best locations where you can dive from a liveaboard and assuredly meet up with sharks. You’ll find that they rarely approach divers and only under the most extreme of circumstances will the approach be aggressive. Make sure to follow the guidelines of the diving staff to ensure a fruitful experience for you and the sharks.

Best Liveaboard Destinations for Diving with Sharks

Malapascua, Philippines
Bahamas
French Polynesia
Galapagos Islands
Australia
Socorro Islands, Mexico
Red Sea
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Fiji
Banda Sea, Indonesia

Malapascua, Philippines

In the north of the Visayas off the island of Cebu, Malapascua is probably the most reliable location in the world to see thresher sharks. In the morning on Monad Shoal at 100 feet (30 meters) of depth, threshers come to cleaning stations at Shark Wall and Shark point where divers can watch them at close range until they head back out to the depths. At nearby Kimud Shoal, shoals of hammerheads often appear from December through April. Around Gato Island, nurse, whitetip reef, and bamboo sharks are residents. In addition, whale sharks sometimes make an appearance, and mantas also come during the plankton bloom in December and January. Other highlights include the MV Dona Marilyn wreck at around 60-100 feet (18-35 meters) where 389 people perished in 1988, and the WWII wreck, Magami Maru, at 170 feet (50 meters).

Dive Season: year-round, best from November through June
Skill Level: intermediate to advanced and technical (minimum of advanced open water recommended)
Water Temperature: 77- 86° F (25-30° C), lows in December-January
Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) dropping to 16-33 feet (5-10 meters) during plankton blooms in December and January
Sharks: thresher, hammerhead, whitetip reef, nurse, bamboo, whale

For reviews of Malapascua and the Visayas Liveaboards and locations, check out these posts:

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Bahamas

The Bahamas have a variety of dive sites over its 700 islands with sandy areas and a diversity of undersea terrain and marine life. It has developed a level of fame for the numerous shark species some appearing naturally and some in great numbers through feeding programs. It is possible to rest in the sand with tiger sharks, bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and hammerheads all swimming around you simultaneously. In the Exumas and Bimini and numerous sites around the Bahamas, many of them will appear without feeding. Schools of blacknose sharks are seen in large schools on the sandy base of the Lost Blue Hole in the Spring. Lemon sharks are also residents along with eagle rays, stingrays, dolphins, and pelagics.

Dive Season: year-round, best from October through June
Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate
Water Temperature: 72-82° F (22-28° C), lows in January, highs in August
Visibility: 100-150 feet (30-46 meters)
Sharks: Caribbean reef, tiger, hammerhead, lemon, bull, blacknose, nurse

For reviews of Bahamas and Caribbean Liveaboards and locations, check out these posts:

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French Polynesia

The 118 remote islands of French Polynesia cover a broad area and have a variety of subsea terrain and beautiful, diverse coral reefs, with channels between the islands that can have substantial current. Such conditions harbor a multitude of marine life including green and hawksbill turtles, eagle and manta rays, humpback whales, and a variety of pelagics. It is also a great place to get up close to resident whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks in shoals, as well as silky and tiger sharks.

Dive Season: year-round
Skill Level: intermediate to advanced (minimum of advanced open water recommended
Water Temperature: 77- 86° F (25-30° C), lows in December-January
Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) dropping to 16-33 feet (5-10 meters) during plankton blooms in December and January
Sharks: blacktip, whitetip, grey reef, tiger, silky

For a review of French Polynesia Liveaboards, check out this post:

Best Scuba Diving in French Polynesia Liveaboards

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Galapagos Islands

The iconic site of the Marine Preserve with numerous endemic species is blessed with unparalleled megafauna fueled by strong currents and its equatorial position. Divers delight in getting up close and personal with iguanas, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, orcas, mantas, mobulas, Mola Mola, schools of reef tropicals, and a variety of pelagics. But the Galapagos also holds a place as a great location for sharks, as well, which include groups of silky and Galapagos sharks, shoals of hammerheads, resident whitetip reef sharks, and the occasional tiger or whale shark.

Dive Season: year-round
Skill Level: intermediate to advanced (minimum of advanced open water recommended)
Water Temperature: 71-77° F (22-25° C), lows in the dry season in June-December
Visibility: 33-70 feet (10-21 meters), it can be lower, especially during the plankton blooms
Sharks: hammerhead, silky, Galapagos, whitetip reef, tiger, whale

For reviews of the Galapagos Island liveaboards and scuba diving, check out these posts:

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Australia

When most people think of Australian liveaboards, the Great Barrier Reef comes to mind. The diving is great there, of course, and when you are talking about sharks, grey, whitetip, and blacktip reef sharks are commonly sighted, and other possibilities are silvertip, bull, and tiger sharks, and wobbegongs. There are also dolphins, and humpback and minke whales from June through August to further entice.

Australian liveaboards also include safaris on the west side to Rowley Shoals, where you can dive with black and whitetip reef sharks, bull sharks, wobbegongs, and the possibility of great whites making an appearance, and Ningaloo Reef with reef sharks. Both locations can also boast manta rays.

Further, on the south coast around Neptune Island, it is possible to do great white shark cage diving. The best time to see the greatest number is from April through August when the females arrive to feast on seal pups.

Dive Season: year-round on the GBR and Neptune Island, March-April on Ningaloo Reef, October on Rowley Shoals
Skill Level: beginner to advanced
Water Temperature: each location has its own range
Visibility: each location has its own range, generally 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) with less during plankton blooms
Sharks: whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef, silvertip, bull, tiger, great white, wobbegongs

For reviews of Great Barrier Reef liveaboards and a location, check out these posts:

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Socorro Islands, Mexico

The four main islands in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, usually called the Socorro Islands are volcanic in origin and bathed in currents and upwelling resulting in a fabulous population of sharks and pelagics. Huge numbers of dolphins along with humpback whales arrive from January through March to join the manta rays. Silky and Galapagos sharks appear individually or in small groups, while hammerheads often cruise in huge shoals. The silkies often come in the spring to feed on bait balls. Whale sharks are common in the late spring and often show little fear of divers. Other frequently-seen species are silvertips, oceanic whitetips, and large numbers of resident whitetip reef sharks hunkered down in groups under shelves or in caverns or free-swimming. Tiger sharks occasionally make an appearance.

Dive Season: November – July
Skill Level: intermediate to advanced, (minimum of advanced open water recommended)
Water Temperature: 70-82°F (21-28°C)
Visibility: variable based on the weather with a range of 30-200 feet (9-60 meters), usually the range is 60-100 feet (18-30 meters)
Sharks: whitetip reef, hammerhead, Galapagos, silky, oceanic whitetip, silvertip, tiger, whale

For reviews of Socorro Islands liveaboards, check out these posts:

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Red Sea

The reefs of the Red Sea include a variety of subsea terrain and conditions. In the north the liveaboards embarking from Sharm el-sheik dive on beautiful coral reefs rich in reef tropicals with whitetip reef sharks and hammerheads a possibility. There are a number of wrecks like the SS Thistlegorm and the Giannis D to explore. Moving to the south on liveaboards embarking from Hurghada the vessels tend to focus on sites at the Brothers Islands, Elphinstone, Daedalus, and St. John’s where the currents are greater and resident oceanic whitetip sharks and hammerheads are the major shark attractions. Whale sharks are also a possibility. Especially in the south, there are a variety of pelagics, as well. Moving further south, the liveaboards focusing on waters off Sudan will find less traffic from boats and divers, a good volume of sharks, and some deep wrecks. Pricing for many of the liveaboards is extremely low.

Dive Season: year-round
Skill Level: beginner to advanced (advanced open water recommended for wrecks, and deep sites with current)
Water Temperature: highs in summer of 82°F (28°C) and lows in winter of 70°F (21°C)
Visibility: 70-100 feet (21-30 meters), 200 feet (60 meters) is possible on some sites.
Sharks: hammerhead, oceanic whitetip, whale, whitetip reef

For reviews of the Red Sea Egypt liveaboards and locations, check out these posts:

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Cocos Island, Costa Rica

Known to some as a sort of mini Galapagos for its biodiversity and numerous megafauna, Cocos Island is a 36-hour boat ride from Costa Rica. The volcanic terrain, upwelling, and strong currents have provided a rich habitat for a variety of sharks and pelagics. Manta rays, shoals of hammerheads, and whale sharks are common especially from June to December. Other highlights are resident whitetip reef sharks, bull sharks, silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, and tiger sharks, along with huge schools of reef tropicals, and pelagics like big-eye jacks and barracuda.

Dive Season: year-round, surface conditions are rougher during the dry season from December through May
Skill Level: advanced (a minimum of advanced open water recommended)
Water Temperature: 75-86°F (24-30°C), but thermoclines can decrease the temperature significantly
Visibility: 33-80 feet (10-24 meters), heavy rains decrease it to the bottom of the range
Sharks: hammerhead, bull, Galapagos, silky, whitetip reef, whale, tiger

For reviews of the Cocos Island liveaboards and Costa Rican scuba diving, check out these posts:

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Fiji

Known as the soft coral capital of the world, Fiji also has well-rounded rich coral reefs spread throughout the islands on diverse undersea terrain with great macro, wonderful reef tropicals, highlights like eagle and manta rays, and a remarkable number of shark species. It is famous for its staged shark dives in Beqa Lagoon and Pacific Harbor where 8 species come for the feeding including tawny nurse, whitetip reef, blacktip reef, grey reef, sicklefin lemon, silvertip, bull, and tiger sharks. The liveaboards focus on a number of sites in Bligh Water, the Namena Marine Reserve, and the Koro Sea where divers often see hammerheads around seamounts, whitetip, and grey reef sharks, and a little less frequently spot blacktips, bull, and tiger sharks. Note that the pricing for Fiji liveaboards is a little high.

Dive Season: year-round
Skill Level: beginner to intermediate
Water Temperature: 82-86°F (28-30°C)
Visibility: 60-130 feet (15-40 meters)
Sharks: tawny nurse, whitetip reef, blacktip reef, grey reef, sicklefin lemon, silvertip, bull, hammerhead, tiger

For a review of Fiji liveaboards, check out this post:

Best Scuba Diving Fiji

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Banda Sea, Indonesia

In Central Indonesia 14 hours from Ambon and 16 hours from Sorong on West Papua, the Banda Sea dive sites are remote, to say the least. The undersea terrain consists of slopes and steep walls with much of it volcanic in origin. It’s pristine and diverse with rich corals and a multitude of macro critters and reef tropicals. There are often massive, swarming schools of fusiliers and snappers, huge bumphead parrotfish, as well as eagle and manta rays. Seasonal cetaceans include spinner dolphins and possibility of several whale species. Currents can be strong and inconsistent weather year-round often makes surface conditions rough. It is, however, a great place to swim with great shoals of hammerheads, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, silvertip, and whale sharks. 13 liveaboard yachts dive the Banda Sea, with 4 of them making more than 8 tours/year.

Dive Season: year-round (limited liveaboard tours)
Skill Level: intermediate
Water Temperature: 79-84°F (26-29°C)
Visibility: 50-100 feet (15-30 meters)
Sharks: blacktip reef, whitetip reef, silvertip, hammerhead, whale

For a review of Banda Sea Liveaboards, check out this post:

Banda Sea Liveaboard Scuba Diving Indonesia

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Liveaboard Comparisons

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Last Minute Liveaboard Deals & Special Offers

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Last Minute Liveaboard Deals & Special Offers

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Feedback and Comments

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