Bull shark diving: where and when
Coastal and estuarine (tolerates freshwater). 5 known encounter sites across 5 countries: Fiji, Mexico, Costa Rica, South Africa and Thailand. Best single site: Beqa Lagoon (Shark Reef Marine Reserve), Fiji — very high reliability, peak year-round. Minimum certification across sites varies; the easiest access points need only no certification, the deepest need Open Water.
- Sites
- 5
- IUCN status
- Vulnerable
- Min. certification
- Open Water
- Typical depth
- 15–40 m
5 countries
Every known bull shark site
Very high reliability
Beqa Lagoon (Shark Reef Marine Reserve)
Fiji
Peak Year-round · 15-30 m
Needs: Open Water
High reliability
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Mexico
Peak Nov-Mar · 20-30 m
Needs: Advanced
High reliability
Bat Islands (Islas Murcielago)
Costa Rica
Peak Jun-Nov · 15-30 m
Needs: Experienced
High reliability
Protea Banks (Shelly Beach)
South Africa
Peak Year-round · 25-40 m
Needs: Experienced
Low reliability
Koh Tao: Chumphon Pinnacle & Sail Rock
Thailand
Peak Year-round · 18-40 m
Needs: Advanced
Other shark encounters
Explore it on the globe
Pick a species, a month or a certification level and see every real encounter site plotted live, ranked by how likely you are to actually see it.
Open Atlas Diving