Bull Shark Diving In Playa Del Carmen Everything You Need To Know

Thinking of going bull shark diving in Playa del Carmen Mexico? In this post, you are going to learn everything you need to know about diving with bull sharks in Playa del Carmen.

Before doing the bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen, I had a lot of questions! I did a lot of research so in this post, I have tried to be as thorough as possible and answer all of your bull shark diving-related questions.

Want to enquire about Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen? 

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When is Bull Shark Season Playa del Carmen?

This is probably the most important thing to know: When is bull shark season Playa del Carmen? Bull shark season in Playa del Carmen generally starts in November and ends in February. Sometimes it can vary a little.

Actually, in 2019 the bull sharks only came for 2 weeks and then left again, so nothing is guaranteed. No one is sure why this happened in 2019, but as the sharks in Mexico are not protected, one theory is that someone was fishing them. When this happens they release a hormone that alerts the other to the danger posed. So they all left.

Where Are The Bull Sharks In Playa Del Carmen

This was the thing that shocked me most of all, the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen are so close to the public beach that it only takes 5 minutes on the boat! Seriously, like 400 meters from the shore of the public beach near my house.

It would be pretty easy to swim out to the area where they are and many people I’m sure pass over them on jet skis etc. So now you know this, you may be wondering about the chances of a shark attack in Playa del Carmen. Well, you really don’t need to be, because in all the years the bull sharks have been coming to Playa del Carmen there has never been a shark attack.

This brings me nicely to my next question…

Is it Safe to Dive With Bull Sharks in Playa del Carmen?

Yes! I actually didn’t feel scared about the dive, which maybe I should have, but because I’ve lived in Playa del Carmen for 3 years and never once heard anything about any issues of safety with the dive, I assumed it was safe. But speaking to other people about how aggressive bull sharks can be, did make me second guess my calmness towards the whole thing!

That said, bull shark diving in Mexico shouldn’t be taken lightly. Bull sharks are predators and because of their tendencies to prefer shallow water, they often come into contact with humans and can be very aggressive. In fact, they are considered to be the most dangerous sharks to humans. 

So what makes Playa del Carmen so different? Why is diving with bull sharks in Playa del Carmen so safe?

Simply, the bull sharks that come to Playa del Carmen are actually pregnant female sharks. There are no males here, and it’s the males that are often much more aggressive. They arrive to chill out before they continue on their journey to the place where they give birth.

In addition, water visibility here is also very good.

News Flash: Sharks don’t like eating human meat, we are not their idea of a tasty meal. They only take a bite out of us if they think we are food they actually like. More often than not the sharks think we are seals because they can’t see well. The visibility here is so good, they don’t get confused.

That’s not to say that there is no risk when shark diving in Mexico. There are things you need to do to stay safe, which I’ll talk about a little later. As long as you listen to your divemaster and do what they tell you, you will be fine.

 

Quick Tip: I highly recommend booking all of your Mexico transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and Flights on their website. What I love most about them is their customer service. I know these guys personally from living in Guatemala, and they look after their customers.

If anything happens and you get delayed and miss your bus, you can just call them, and they are always there to help. If you book through them, you will pay a little more than booking in person at the bus station. But it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Mexico.

Do You Need To Be A Certified Diver To Dive With Bull Sharks In Playa del Carmen?

Wondering if you need to be a certified diver to do the bull shark dive? The answer is yes. If you want to go bull shark diving Playa del Carmen you are going to need to be a certified diver for a few very good reasons.

Firstly it’s a pretty deep dive. Generally, you go down to 20 – 25 meters and stay there. On an open water course, this is the deepest you go down to. To be safe, you need to feel comfortable descending pretty quickly to 20 meters as the current can be strong and you need to stay together.

Because you are going deep, your air consumption will be affected, i.e. you are going to use more air.

You need to feel confident descending quickly and being able to equalize, you need to feel good about your air consumption, and most of all you need to not be worried about diving technique because you are going to be too excited by the bull sharks!

For all of those reasons, you are going to have a much better experience if you are a more experienced diver. Ideally, you should hold an Advanced Open Water, or have at least 20 dives. But this is really going to depend on how you feel and who you decide to dive with.

Some companies may want to see you dive before taking you down there, others will be happy to take inexperienced divers down. It really depends so it’s better to ask. But if you want my advice, do a few reef dives first to get yourself comfortable underwater, and then do the bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen.

I actually did this dive with my friend Alyssa, who had a diving accident and was still feeling a little shaky under the water. To prepare we went diving in Cozumel the weekend before. She also spoke in depth to our Dive Instructor Kim Jaloustre before the dive and she was fully aware of her fears. Because we all knew she was feeling nervous we were all able to support her before and during the bull shark dive.

If you are worried, find a good company to go with that you trust, and make sure you have good dive buddies watching your back.

Not certified yet? If you are in the Riviera Maya you can get scuba certified in Playa del Carmen with K & K Diving the Open water course is just 2-3 days.

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

Is It Okay To Feed The Bull Sharks In Playa del Carmen?

Time to get controversial- is it okay to feed the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen? Like many people, I’m on the fence about this. The dive I chose to do was a nonfeeding dive, known as an observation dive. I deliberately chose this as I’m against promoting any animal encounter that could be seen as harmful to the animals. 

Seen is the operative word here, as it’s not so black and white.

It’s important to know the context of the bull shark’s arrival in Playa del Carmen. They actually started coming here to Playa to this particular spot because that is where the fishermen were cleaning the fish. So in actual fact, the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen have always been fed by humans here.

In addition, before these bated dives started to happen the bull sharks here in Playa del Carmen were fished. The only reason they aren’t being fished anymore is because every time anyone does a bull shark dive the company has to pay the local fisherman a fee. This keeps him from fishing them. So in actual fact, these dives are helping to conserve the sharks. 

The main reason against feeding marine life is that it will alter their behavior. While this is true in most cases, many marine biologists are dead against feeding. It seems it’s a bit of a gray area in Playa as after many years of observation the behavior actually hasn’t changed, nor have their migration patterns. Not all of the companies feed the sharks and the ones that do only take a few fish down per dive.

This is very different from other places in the world, like Fiji, where it’s very common to throw a big bucket of fish down which can be dangerous.

So why do they feed them then? If you ask a shark feeder they will tell you that it’s about raising awareness that sharks aren’t the great danger we seem to think they are. Doing an observation dive does this, yes. But doing a feeding dive, when you can see them taking the fish and not the feeder’s arm, it makes the point even stronger.

So in conclusion:

• I’m not a marine biologist.
• I am against feeding in general.
• I’m still on the fence about feeding the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen.

You do you.

QUICK TIP: Book your tours, rental cars, and transfers through my local contacts

I’ve been working with Living Dreams Mexico for years and they are who I send all my family and friends to when they visit the Riviera Maya. I really can recommend them enough for private tours and experiences. They have solid 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and Google from almost 4000 reviewers! You can view all their tours here.

If you’re looking for private airport transfers and rental cars then Vanessa and Oliver from Turismo Channel are personal friends of mine and I can 100% recommend them to make an inquiry click here and complete the form. Someone will be in touch within 24 hours.

Should You Do An Observation Dive Or A Feeding Dive?

I have only done an observation dive, but after learning more about the feeding dives, I’m now curious to do one so I can judge for myself. I spoke to Kim Jaloustre from K&K Diving who is a marine biologist as well as a diving instructor and she explained that on an observation dive, it’s very calm. You go down and chill watching the sharks swimming around. A feeding dive is very different. It’s much more of a show. You get to see the bull sharks feeding and see that aggressive side of them.

She suggested that it’s always better to first do an observation dive, and then if you feel comfortable, do a feeding dive to get a totally different experience. Kim actually wrote her dissertation on why feeding Whale Sharks is bad (obviously it was a bit more complex than this haha), and was very anti-feeding. She still is 99% of the time, but she has changed her mind about the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen.

So once again, I suggest if you are unsure you should first do your research and go with a company like K&K Diving which gives you the option, and who have a good reputation. Do your research. I would also recommend doing an observation dive first, then a feeding dive if you still want to later.

The Best Company To Go Bull Shark Diving In Playa del Carmen With

Let’s face it, there aren’t that many amazing dive sites in Playa del Carmen. So when bull shark season comes around every dive shop wants a piece of the action. Bull shark diving in Playa del Carmen is popular and people travel here from all over the world to go bull shark diving in Mexico. So how do you know the best company to go bull shark diving with?

I contacted Kim from K & K Diving for a few reasons, and it’s these reasons that they are my number one choice for bull shark diving in Playa del Carmen:

• Kim is a marine biologist and is obsessed with sharks. She was able to go into a lot of detail answering all of our questions (and we had a lot). Going on this dive with someone who has her knowledge about these majestic creatures was priceless.
• They do observational dives. As I already mentioned, I didn’t want to do a feeding dive this time. Not all companies give you an option.
• K & K Diving is a small female-run dive company in Playa del Carmen. I’m all about supporting other women, and especially women in male-dominated industries.
• Photos – Although I took my GoPro, Kim took her underwater camera and took some amazing shots of us which she gave us included in the cost. This is a big thing, the cost of professional underwater photos is normally around $80-$100 USD.
• Because K & K Diving is a small organization, the groups are smaller. This means you get a more personal and private service. There were just 3 of us plus Kim on the dive so it was pretty much a private tour. Of course, this isn’t always the case. But if you do want to do a private bull shark tour, you can just let them know and for a small additional fee, they can block out other bookings.
• They also do cenote dives and reef dives in Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Akumal, and Cozumel. This means you can just go to one company for all of your diving during your vacation.

What Is The Cost Of Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen

The cost of bull shark diving in Mexico can vary. The cost of doing the dive with Double K is $145 USD and that for the bull shark dive and a reef dive (2 tanks). If you need to rent equipment that’s an extra $15 USD. This is the average cost of doing the bull shark dive. Be wary of anyone charging under $100 USD as they may not be a legal operation or have well-maintained rental gear.

Is Bull Shark Diving in Playa Del Carmen Scary?

I mean, I didn’t think so.

But I’m not scared of sharks soooooo…

I dive a lot in Cozumel and we see nurse sharks all the time. I think this changed my perception a lot. I’ve also watched a lot of shark documentaries. So I see sharks as peaceful, misunderstood creatures. If you have been watching Jaws and are scared of swimming in open water in case a shark decides you’re a snack, then you’re probably going to find this dive a bit scary.

For me, the scariest part of the dive (which wasn’t actually that scary) was when we were descending. My adrenalin was going a little because the current was strong so we needed to stick together and all decent quickly to get out of the drift.

Other than that, the whole dive was super chill.

Tips For Diving With Bull Sharks Playa del Carmen

If you are thinking of diving with the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen then there are a few things you can do to make sure you are as prepared as you can be, and therefore have the best experience possible:

1. Choose your divemaster carefully – This is so important. Going with a sub-standard company really will have a great impact on your experience. I wanted to do this dive with K & K Diving as I wanted to go with a company I trust, and who really knows about sharks. Kim’s marine biology degree really gave them the edge for me. I wasn’t disappointed.
2. Get some bottom time in – If it’s been a while since your last dive book in a few fun reef dives before you do the bull shark dive. That way you will be feeling much more relaxed and confident.
3. Go with a buddy – I normally dive alone but I loved doing this dive with my buddy Alyssa. Not only do you have someone to share the experience with, but you also have someone to take some pictures and videos of you haha.
4. Listen to your Dive Master – Diving with the bull sharks is perfectly safe. But there are always risks. You will get a full safety brief from your divemaster. Listen and follow their guidance. This will include not flapping about too much, which could provoke the sharks. Listen and pay attention and you’ll be fine.
5. Charge up your GoPro – Did you even go diving with bull sharks in Playa del Carmen if you don’t have an SD card full of shaky GoPro footage of the dive? But seriously, you’re going to want to remember this experience… and bore your family and friends to death with your shark selfies.
6. Do your research – and by do your research I mean spend at least one evening Netflix and Chilling watching shark documentaries and eating ice cream. It’s the perfect build-up to seeing your first bull shark. Playa del Carmen actually features in a documentary I watched called Mexico Pelagico. Here is a whole post of recommendations.

Is It Possible To Go Swimming With Bull Sharks?

Swimming with bull sharks isn’t really a thing as they stay pretty deep. They don’t often come up to the surface, so swimming with bull sharks isn’t going to happen. I checked online although some companies offer this you would need to be at a very high level, so it’s not something offered a lot. I’d stick to diving if I were you!

Cozumel Bull Shark Dive?

Nope, sorry, there is no Cozumel shark dive. Well, you can see nurse sharks in Cozumel. That’s very common, but they are mostly sleeping. There are no Cozumel bull shark dive trips though. If you want to see the bull sharks while you are in Cozumel, then you will need to hop on the ferry and travel to Playa del Carmen. Take a read of these instructions for getting to Playa from Cozumel. You can book the bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen in the afternoon so you will have plenty of time to get to Playa before your dive.

Shark Attack Playa del Carmen

When I found out how close the bull sharks were to swimmers in Playa del Carmen, my first question was, what are the chances of a shark attacking in Playa del Carmen? To which I was told it’s never happened. Yes, there have been lots of bull shark attacks in other parts of the world, but not in Playa. I’ve already gone into detail as to why, but it’s mostly because of the water clarity and the fact the bull sharks in Playa del Carmen as docile pregnant females.

So yeah, no risk of bull shark attacks in Playa del Carmen.

Where Can I Dive With Bull Sharks?

Playa del Carmen is the best place in the world to dive with bull sharks and the safest. But of course, there are other places where you can see bull sharks in the wild. The most popular places are Fiji, Jupiter in Florida, and in Baja California in Mexico.

Playa del Carmen is the only place you can dive with them in this way though. And it’s also the safest place.

Quick Tip: Check out my other diving posts all over the world here
Best Scuba Diving In Europe: Top Dive Sites Europe
The Best Maldives Diving: Where To Dive And Stay For The Perfect Dive Vacation
Experience The Ultimate Dive Adventure: A Guide To Liveaboard Diving
The Best Scuba Diving In Florida

What To Take Bull Shark Diving In Mexico

You really don’t need to take much with you to do the bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen. You can borrow a wetsuit and all the dive gear from the dive shop. But if you want to take some good photos and videos you are going to need at a minimum a GoPro with a red filter and a floaty wrist band. It also doesn’t hurt to pack a cute bathing suit and rashguard!

I personally travel with all of my own dive gear now including my wetsuit, dive computer, BCD, regulator, and of course my mask and fins!

I’ve added all my diving gear below feel free to click the links so you can check out prices. Yes, they are all affiliate links (it’s how I can afford to keep this site going), but I do actually have these things and love them.

Camera gear

For this dive, I took my GoPro in the dive housing, with a red filter, and my floaty wrist strap. I wish I’d brought the stabilizer, but I’m still happy with the way things turned out. If you don’t have a GoPro then I recommend getting a diving housing for your iPhone. The picture and video quality are outstanding.

Cute swimsuits

You may need to wear a full wetsuit for the bull shark dive, but that doesn’t;t mean you can’t look cute under the wetsuit! 

For your mask

Even if you haven’t invested in a mask yet, these boxes are super handy for keeping your sunglasses, phone, and other valuables in to make sure they are dry and easily accessible. I also love my mask strap which keeps my hair from getting caught in the rubber strap!

To keep all your stuff dry on the boat

There is nothing worst than putting on wet clothes to travel home in. Buy a dry bag.

Final Thoughts

I really hope this blog post has been helpful to you. I’ve written a lot about other Playa del Carmen things you can read here. If you are looking for accommodation, check out this blog post. Want to know more about diving in Mexico? Read this.

QUICK TIP: Book your tours, rental cars, and transfers through my local contacts

I’ve been working with Living Dreams Mexico for years and they are who I send all my family and friends to when they visit the Riviera Maya. I really can recommend them enough for private tours and experiences. They have solid 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and Google from almost 4000 reviewers! You can view all their tours here.

If you’re looking for private airport transfers and rental cars then Vanessa and Oliver from Turismo Channel are personal friends of mine and I can 100% recommend them to make an inquiry click here and complete the form. Someone will be in touch within 24 hours.

Bull-Shark Diving Travel Guide Planning

⛴️ Where can I book Liveaboard Diving trips?

You can book your liveaboard diving trips in here. They have a lot of dates available and a lot of countries you can choose from.

🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m traveling?

I strongly recommend using Bookaway. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.

🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours?

I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!

👩‍⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?

I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.

I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here

✈️ Any flight recommendations?

WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.

📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?

I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.

With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.

🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?

The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.

🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?

I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack. 

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