Plunge In — Without Equipment or Special Suits

by Jimmy Im

Maybe it’s the adrenaline thrill. Or simply the appeal of bonding with fellow daredevils over a heart-racing activity. Whatever the reason, swimming with sharks is high on travelers’ radars for outdoors and adventure. Divers have long had their shark moments thanks to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors — in conjunction with the Project AWARE Foundation, PADI offers divers several specialty courses to get up close and personal with sharks.
Now, they’re not the only outfit with the keys to experience the ocean’s most terrifying creature. Plenty of destinations around the world offer visitors the opportunity to plunge right into the sea with a variety of sharks — without equipment or special suits! We rounded up the best places around the world to swim with the ocean’s most popular predators. Thankfully, you won’t be prey.

Paradise Island
Nassau, Bahamas
A trip to the Bahamas wouldn’t be complete without getting in the water, and shark-friendly visitors take an excursion with Stuart Cove’s Shark Adventure to check out the underwater world. Boarding a custom-built snorkel boat, guests are taken out to the crystal-clear sea for a day of snorkeling — but it doesn’t get thrilling until they stop at the final location where Caribbean reef sharks congregate (the sharks tour is optional and weather permitting). Here, a bait box is lowered 40 feet below. The bait’s scent stays close to the ocean floor, and snorkelers can buoy atop the water to watch the sharks.

Stay: British Colonial Hilton. The family-friendly British Colonial Hilton resort works with Stuart Cove’s Shark Adventure on creating great excursions.