Diving in Playa del Carmen is unique! Not only are the impressive and colorful reef dives worth a visit, but also the seasonal highlights are top bucket list dives.
Bull shark diving is one of the local diver’s special activities. It’s a seasonal aquatic adventure that takes place around the Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen every year. From November to March approximately you have the chance to see bull sharks around this area.
Learn more about the yearly bull shark migration to Playa del Carmen, the requirements for this dive, and the dive site in this blog!
Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen
This dive site lives up to its name for some months every year. It is located in the Caribbean and near the coast of Playa del Carmen. The Bull Shark Point is where divers spot many bull sharks during the season. Most of them are female, pregnant bull sharks spending their gestation period here. We’ll tell you what it’s all about!
Quick Info
Location
A short 5-minute boat ride off Coco Beach, you’ll find a small buoy during the season. It’s marking the descent line leading down to the bull shark point.
What’s the Maximum Depth During A Bull Shark Dive?
The Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen has an average depth of 25 meters (82 ft). The area where the Bull Sharks are found is larger than only this dive site, but most of them concentrate around this point. This makes it ideal for sightings during the season.
When Is The Bull Shark Season in Playa del Carmen?
Every year from mid-November until early March we have the unique opportunity to observe bull sharks in the waters in front of Playa del Carmen. This is what we call the Bull Shark Season.
Dive Time
As we find the bull sharks in deeper waters, our dives here usually last around 30-40 minutes. You can choose to increase your first dive’s bottom time by diving with nitrox during the bull shark dive.
Dive Site Conformation
The Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen is prepared for shark sightings. It features fixed-installed ropes and a permanent line to descend.
After descending to the bottom of the dive site, your guide will assign you a place to stay stationary during most of the dive. You can hold on to the ropes if the current is strong, to avoid being taken away.
Requirements to Dive with Bull Sharks in Playa del Carmen
This unique dive is definitely a bucket list item for divers visiting the Riviera Maya. Many even plan their vacation and visit to coincide with the bull shark season to ensure the possibility of sightings throughout their stay.
To participate in this adventurous experience and go diving with the bull sharks you have to meet some requirements. As this is a deep dive and not near a reef, we have a moderate to strong current around the Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen.
Diver Requirements
Divers looking to join a bull shark dive need an advanced open water certification and have dived recently. It’s important to feel comfortable in the water and descend directly to a depth of 25 meters, as this is where most of the dive takes place.
It’s not a complex or very challenging dive itself. During the dive, you will stay mostly stationary in one place and observe the bull sharks swimming around the area.
Equipment Requirements
Local and marine park authorities have set certain rules and requirements for dive equipment during the bull shark season at the Shark Point in Playa del Carmen.
It is not allowed to take any bright and neon-colored dive gear to the Bull Shark Point. Prohibited colors are white, red, yellow, pink, neon green, orange, and such. It’s recommended to use only black or dark blue equipment for bull shark dives in Playa del Carmen.
All participants have to wear long wetsuits during bull shark dives, and divers with long hair can use a hood to prevent their hair from floating around and keep them in place.
For the photographers among divers visiting the Bull Shark Point, there are some extra rules set. It’s not allowed to use big camera rigs, with extra arms and mounts. You can surely take your camera with housing, professional or not, to dive and take pictures during shark dives. But don’t bring any sturdy extra equipment or flashes, as you won’t be allowed to take it underwater.
Also, divers are prohibited from bringing flashlights to this dive. Flashes or flashlights can confuse the bull sharks, or if used without care blind other divers. Both of these situations are undesirable when diving around bull sharks.
Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen – Two Different Modalities
Whether you prefer to just hang out and observe the bull sharks in their natural habitat, or seek the absolute thrill, there are options for you.
Bull Shark Observation Dive
The first modality is an observation dive. During this dive you are grouped with a guide and a few other divers, visiting the bull sharks in their home without any physical interaction.
You’ll descend as a group, stay close to each other, and end the dive following your guide away from the Bull Shark Point towards the end of the dive to ascend safely.
Bull Shark Attraction Dive
For the ultimate thrill-seekers in the diving community, this modality is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Bull Shark Attraction dive is conducted by a shark specialist, dressed in a full-body chainmail suit.
The shark specialist will descend separately from the divers’ group and stay with his/her safety diver throughout the dive. During these dives, the bull sharks are attracted by being fed small amounts of fish.
It’s a unique show but splits the diving community into two parties. Some say this procedure alters the shark’s behavior, while others argue that the amount of food is too small to affect the bull shark’s behavioral patterns.
Whether you prefer to encounter bull sharks in an observation or attraction dive, both are offered daily during Playa del Carmen’s bull shark season. Boat capacities are reduced and a fixed schedule for boats and groups is set, to avoid too many divers at the Bull Shark Point at a time.
What to Expect From A Dive At Bull Shark Point Playa del Carmen
Signing up for a bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen will open the doors for a unique and exciting underwater adventure.
You can expect to see bull sharks on all days during the season, swimming close by peacefully and calmly. They’re not interested in divers at all; rather, they take their distance when there are too many divers around. So they don’t pose any threat to divers adhering to the rules stated in the pre-dive briefing.
You might cross some sting rays and schools of fish at the Bull Shark Point. If you choose to participate in an attraction dive, you can expect to witness some impressive interactions between the bull sharks and the shark specialist. Having a bull shark swim right above you or passing in front of you is without a doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many divers call this dive one of the most impressive dives they have ever done!
Dive At the Bull Shark Point With BlueLife Diving
Hooked? Get in touch and check in for your bull shark dive with BlueLife this season. We offer daily tours to the Bull Shark Point in Playa del Carmen and a closeby reef as a second dive. You can join our professional guides to this exceptional experience and enjoy the unique feeling of diving with sharks in Playa del Carmen.
We’re looking forward to having you on board and are happy to clarify any questions or doubts prior to your dives. Our dive shop is located close to where the boats depart to the Bull Shark Point. We provide all the necessary logistics to make you enjoy your dives to the fullest.
Reserve your dive at the Bull Shark Point online or send us an email for further information or booking.
Also, you can choose to create a custom multi-day package or upgrade our existing “Taste of the Riviera Maya Package” or Playa del Carmen Reef dives to include a bull shark dive during your visit.