Live sharks bring in more money than sharks hunted for food, according to many areas with large shark populations. Shark tourism is a growing segment of ecotourism in which visitors observe sharks without harming them. Tourists can see sharks from the water or from a boat. Shark cages are used to observe sharks that are relatively dangerous, such as great whites, while scuba diving is used to observe other sharks.
In many parts of the world, shark meat is considered a delicacy, and shark hunting was once very popular. Areas with large shark populations, on the other hand, are beginning to recognize that live sharks often bring in more tourists than sharks hunted for meat. Rather than hunting sharks, visitors to shark tourism observe the animals.
Several shark species, including whale, tiger, bull, nurse, and great white sharks, are seen during this type of environmentally friendly tourism. Some shark tourism companies use chum, a mixture of blood and dead fish pieces, to attract sharks. Many areas, however, have outlawed chumming because it is thought to make sharks more aggressive.
Observing sharks from a boat is the safest type of shark tourism. A tourism company will take tourists to a shark-infested area during these trips. Sharks are sometimes lured in with dummy seals. Tourists who are lucky enough may see a shark breaching or launching itself out of the water.
Cage diving with great white sharks is a popular form of great white shark tourism. For these types of adventure tours, scuba equipment is usually required. Tourists can enter a shark cage that is lowered into the water during these excursions. This cage’s top part floats, while the bottom part is submerged in water. Furthermore, the metal used to construct these cages is extremely durable, able to withstand being bitten or even rammed by a large shark.
Tourists who are more daring may choose to swim with sharks. Tourists can do this by using either scuba or snorkeling equipment. Swimming with whale sharks, the world’s largest and most docile sharks, is a popular shark tourism activity. Tourists diving in reefs, on the other hand, may have the opportunity to observe and interact with other sharks such as sand sharks, nurse sharks, and reef sharks. During these underwater tours, more dangerous sharks, such as great whites or hammerheads, may swim up to divers.