Of all the the creatures on this planet Sharks have earned quite the reputation, good and bad. Some admire this fierce predator of the seas while most have a fear of of the creature that even keeps them out of the waters.  For those of you that fall in the second category you may want to read our post on Overcoming The ‘Jaws’ Factor When You Dive cos this post isn’t for the faint hearted. For those of you ready to face your fear or or undertake the seemingly insane pursuit of intentionally taking the plunge in shark infested waters here are the Top 5 Destinations in the World for Diving with Sharks-

1. Gansbaai, South Africa
For what nightmares are made of, there’s no where in the World like South Africa to encounter the so called ‘man-eater’ Great White. 12kms offshore from Gansbaai (160km from Cape Town), there are two islands Dyer Island and Geyser Rock where all the action takes place. The islands covered with seals and jackass penguins are like a ready to eat fast food meal for the sharks who patrol the shallow and narrow channel that runs between the two islands, as if they were at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

Jump in a cage here an all that’ll separate you from the most feared shark in the sea is a few metal bars. It’s a front row seat to watch the dinning frenzy and maybe a closer encounter with a curious great white when it checks out your cage. You’re guaranteed you’re moneys worth and an experience of a lifetime.

2. Nassau, Bahamas
Think cage diving is for wussies? Want a little more thrill and excitement? How about coming face-to-face with tens of reef sharks without the metal protection. Nassau attracts tons of divers every year to witness a swarm of reefies in a feeding frenzy. The difference however is that the sharks are lured by the dive master/operators dressed in chain-mail that feed them while the other divers play spectators down below unnoticed by the hungry sharks.

With no cage or protection the thrill of this high can be described as a powerful dose of prozac. Shark encounters include tens of blacktip or white tip reef sharks circling you feeding on bait and on rare occasion and run in the daddy of all sharks -the great white.

3. Rhode Island, United States
A combination of frigid waters and plenty of sharks makes this one of the top shark diving destinations. Point Judith, three hours offshore of New England may not seem like a great place to dive, especially since the Atlantic’s bone-chilling waters aren’t very inviting. However, the migratory blue sharks have made it their pit stop on a long journey to the coast of South America.

Pulled in by chumming the waters (throwing in bait to lure sharks and fish), the blue sharks are drawn here for the diving which is done from a cage. Their slender bodies and pointed snouts are quite distinguishably different form other shark species. The fearless may opt to go cage-free but this isn’t advisable.

4. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
A must dive site for shark diving enthusiasts, Cocos Island is a unique spot to dive with literally hundreds of hammerhead sharks. Ranked as the 6th Best dive site by the PADI network, it’s a live-aboard only dive destination as it’s situated some 300 miles off the main coast of Costa Rica.

The silhouette view of swirling hammerheads as you gaze up on a dive here is an intense and almost surreal diving experience. The sheer numbers of hammerheads is shocking and makes you wonder if there are any fish left around there. Apart from hammerhead sharks, white tips, bull and whale sharks are frequently spotted in these parts too.

5. Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas), Brazil
A lagoon off the coast of Brazil in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, 260 km (160 mi) northeast of Natal is volcanic formed island. This atoll was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of it’s rich marine and coral life. The warm waters in this area are home to a caucus of brightly colored tropical fishes, coral reefs and it’s predator—the lemon shark.

With a thriving population of lemon sharks here, which pose very little threat to humans it’s possible to dive with a school of about 30 sharks at once making it a tangy experience.

*Photo Credits: photos by manoellemos, Le Grand Portage, underwatertourist, twellsv, AlKok on flickr

For those of you that think Scuba Diving is much to sedate to even be considered a sport, you have definitely not heard of people taking the plunge at these Extreme dive sites.

A far cry from the usual leisurely diving at tropical islands in the Caribbean or the coral reefs around the World, extreme diving is testing new waters to say the least. With many people looking to the sport for an adrenalin rush, divers are pushing the envelope of diving and challenging themselves with some pretty extreme conditions at the most unusual dive sites. Instead of heading to warmer waters they dive beneath the ice, from high visibility clear pristine waters they venture into murky dark caves  and instead of avoiding the most feared creatures of the sea they’re swimming straight for the shark’s mouth.

Here’s our picks for the Top 3 Extreme Dives in the World:

Cave Diving at Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole, Florida

Considered the ‘Mount Everest’  or the ‘Grand Canyon’ of cave diving, the Eagle’s Nest is one of the most intricate and challenging dive sites one can dive. Located on the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area property, near Weeki Wachee, the sinkhole first appears to be a very unimpressive, scummy-looking pond. Hidden below it astounding depths of around 300 feet (91metres), the Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole in Florida has chambers as large as gymnasiums and crystal-clear water. Only for highly experienced cave divers and the technically sound, the descent the Eagle’s nest is similar to that of a chimney and hundreds of feet below it opens up into a large cavern called “the Main Ballroom”, beyond which are longer tunnels and crannies that go even deeper. While cave diving isn’t for everyone, a number of divers have perished attempting to explore this site in particular. The Sinkhole’s challenging caves and and harsh conditions are not to be taken lightly when considering to dive here. [*Above image- Times photo: Maurice Rivenbark]

Ice Diving at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Antarctica Scuba diving? Yes, in extreme temperatures that often drop below -40°C (-40°F), where no insects, plants nor major life exists here above the ground, people do the unthinkable and plunge into it’s icy waters! McMurdo Sound Antarctica is where divers break through the 1.3-3m (4-10ft) thick ice to enter the freezing cold waters, only to be rewarded by stunning visibility of about 300m (990 ft) and a rich marine life like no other anywhere else in the World. For more read: Extreme Diving: Ice Diving in Antarctica (*above image by high hat beaver moustache man on flickr)

Shark Diving in Nassau, the Bahamas

If you think you would pee in your wetsuit if you saw just one shark, then this dive destination is not for you. The warm Caribbean waters of the Bahama’s attracts plenty of sharks. Operators here offer a number of shark adventure dives including cage diving, watching professional shark wranglers hand-feed reef sharks on the ocean floor in front of you and even surface feeding. With dive sites such as ‘Shark Wall’, ‘Shark Arena’, ‘Runway Wall’ and ‘The Runway’ you will encounter dozens Caribbean Reef Sharks. Watching the sharks eat is amazing, but seeing them cruise by at arm’s length is incredible and and experience. Long Island (Southern Bahamas) is another such dive site for shark diving. Cage diving to feed swarms of mako, bull, and reef sharks is what draws adventurous divers here. The Bahamas is also home to the Tiger shark, Great Hammerhead shark, Lemon shark, Silky shark, Nurse shark and the notorious Bull shark all considered among the most dangerous sharks you can encounter.

(*above images by hankplank on flickr)

Scuba Diving at an aquarium is one of the most unique diving experiences you can have as a Scuba diver.  Firstly you have controlled water temperatures, limitless visibility and hundreds of marine specimens to view all in a single location. Aquarium’s also allow divers the opportunity to feed the fish, and get a behind the scenes tour of the aquariums filtration systems and food preparation areas. What makes aquarium diving even more interesting is the interactions you can have with the non-diving visitors through the viewing glass that is rather amusing. The fact that most aquarium fish are used to having divers in their tanks to feed and clean, means you can really observe the marine life up-close. Here is a list we have compiled of some of the Aquariums across America that allow divers this unique experience.

Underwater Adventures Aquarium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Underwater Adventures Aquarium hosed inside the Mall Of America in Minneapolis provides a program for $195 which includes, aquarium admission, a behind-the-scenes tour, a dive into Fisherman’s Hollow and Shark Cove, snacks and refreshments and a souvenir T-shirt to take home. The Aquarium offers two dives the first in a freshwater tank with local fish such as carps, walleye, sturgeon and Bass; and the second in a marine tank with various kinds of sharks and rays.  The Underwater Adventures program does not include rental of Scuba Diving equipment which you need to bring your own or rent locally before you dive.  For more information on this check out our article here.

Great Lakes Aquarium, Duluth, Minnesota

The Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minnesota  on the banks of Lake Superior, only recently opened its doors to scuba divers with the “Dive-N-Feed Experience,” which allows up to three divers to explore the 90,000-gallon freshwater tank set up to emulate the waters off Lake Superior’s Isle Royale. The three hour experience includes an orientation as well as the chance to hand-feed the fish in the 25 foot deep tank, a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium, a souvenir and refreshments . The species of marine life you get to see on this unique dive are, Steelhead rainbow trout, kamloops rainbow trout, brown trout, coaster brook trout, lake trout, siscowet, Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, American eels, lake sturgeon, walleye, longnose and white suckers. The cost of the Dive-N-Feed experience is $79 for divers that use their own scuba gear, and $99 for those that will rent the Aquariums Scuba diving gear. Divers are required to show proof of scuba certification by carrying their C-card.

National Aquarium in Baltimore

The National Aquarium, Baltimore’s Guest Diver Program is an opportunity for scuba divers to experience the best diving in Maryland  by diving in the Aquarium’s most popular exhibits, the Atlantic Coral Reef and Wings in the Water exhibits. The program consists of two 30-minute dives in each of the exhibits and a pre-dive session where the basics of diving in the unfamiliar environment are explained. The Pre-dive also touches upon the role divers can play in reef conservation and is an educative session. The maximum depth that you will get to dive to in these tanks is 13 feet (4m) and sight some remarkable reef life up close such as rays, sharks and over 50 species of fish. The  fee for the Guest Diver program is rather steep at $295 for two 30 minute dives, and divers are required to carry along their C-cards with them at the time of registration.

Downtown Aquarium, Denver, Colorado

Looking to scuba dive in downtown Denver? The Denver Aquarium provides divers with three programs “Dive With the Fish,” “Dive With the Sharks,” and “Swim With the Fish”. The Dive and Swim with the fish programs take place in the Aquariums “Under the Sea” tank, while the “Dive with the Sharks” takes place in the “Depths of the Pacific” exhibit. All divers receive a short presentation on the exhibit, fish biology, fish identification and scuba safety, plus listen to a short dive plan briefing. Overall the duration of the dive is around 40 minutes and will set you back $75 per person for “Swim With the Fish”; and $175 for “Dive With the Fish” and “Dive With the Sharks.” Price includes aquarium admission, T-shirt, fish ID booklet, snacks and a dive guide. Reusable underwater cameras are also available for sale.

The Living Seas at Epcot Disneyworld, Orlando Florida.

Certified scuba divers who are visiting Orlando will find the Living Seas at Disneyworld’s Epcot Center is one of the best aquarium exhibits to dive in. Home to a marine tank that measures over 200 feet in diameter and 25 feet in depth. This tank contains a wide variety of Caribbean in a reef environment including sharks, rays and turtles. The folk at the Living Seas claim that you will probably never see as many species of fish in one go if you actually went diving in the Caribbean. The Center’s Divequest tour allows certified divers to take a special three hour program that includes a forty minute dive in this marine tank. The price for this Caribbean dive experience is $140 and includes a behind the scenes tour of the facilities at The Living Seas.

photos by:  andrew.deci, Brian Wilson , NASA Videographer,Akibubblet, Joshua G R, Joe Penniston

Talk about strange places for Scuba diving and unique experiences and one of the first places that come to mind is diving with sharks in icy Minnesota. Somehow that phrase doesn’t sound right, however it’s true. If you are ever in Minneapolis and visit the Mall of America, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium provides you with the opportunity to do just that, Scuba dive with sharks.

The Underwater Adventures Aquarium is a massive aquarium housed inside the Mall of America, that is extremely well known for its well stocked tanks of several species of marine life. The Aquarium offers several Adventures such as sleeping overnight in the shark tank tunnels, feeding sharks and swimming with them, but for certified scuba divers, Underwater Adventures  provides a program for $195 which includes, aquarium admission, a behind-the-scenes tour, a dive into Fisherman’s Hollow and Shark Cove, snacks and refreshments and a souvenir T-shirt to take home.

The program starts off with an impressive behind-the-scenes tour of restricted areas of the aquarium, where you get to see the food preparation areas, the quarantine tanks and filtration equipment for the massive marine tanks. You are then given a tour of the tanks where the helpful staff guide you through the tanks you will be diving in.

The first dive is a Freshwater tank known as Fisherman’s hollow which is a massive tank housing local Minnesota lake fish such as Sturgeon, Muskie, carp, sunfish, gar, walleye, Bass, Pike and others.  You are provided with weight belts that are heavier than you usually require causing you to become negatively buoyant and sink to the bottom of the tanks. The large Sturgeon in this tank knowing that food is on its way, begin sucking at you constantly trying to find food. This is the reason why you are required to wear a hood, as the frisky Pike, Bass and Sturgeon won’t hesitate to take your ears off. The aquarium staff accompanying you on the dive provide you with worms and other fish feed to provide the hungry fish swarming around you un-afraid.

After snacks and refreshments, you are briefed on your second dive which is in the Shark tank. This tanks houses numerous  nurse sharks, white tip sharks, black tip reef sharks, Woebegone sharks, Saw teeth, sand tigers, guitar fish, rays, turtles and various other Tangs, Stingrays, Remora. You won’t ever get to experience so many varieties of sharks in one place anywhere else in the world. The dive is intimidating with the dive masters providing a protective circle around you at all times, to fend off the constantly approaching curious shark. Feeding these huge toothy creatures is definitely an experience of a life-lime. Apparently sharks constantly loose teeth while eating and the aquarium allows you to collect the teeth of the sharks that have fallen to the bottom and keep as a souvenir of your dive. So with one eye looking downward for shark teeth and the other spinning around keeping an eye on the sharks, you finally end your dive.

There are a few things disappointing about the shark diving experience at Underwater Adventures. The rather substantial cost of $195 does not include essential Scuba diving gear such as BCDs, regulators, Scuba masks, wetsuits, dive booties or fins. The Aquarium provides you with Scuba tanks, weight, weight belts and gloves only. With only two dives, it leaves you wanting to do more, and especially disappointing is the fact that you spend both dives at the bottom of the tanks, not really swimming around.

However overall the Mall of America’s Underwater Adventures Shark Dive is definitely a unique experience, and how many people would believe you when you tell them that you dove with sharks up in Minnesota?

Photos by: b-nik, hoyasmeg, pirate johnny, jpellgen

With close to 450 different species of Sharks that inhabit the oceans, sooner or later a Scuba diver is bound to spot one. To some of us spotting a shark on a dive is a great thrill and to others our worst nightmare. We have compiled a list of some of the more common and interesting shark species to help better identify these intimidating yet magnificent creatures.

Black Tip Reef Shark

One of the more common sightings on a reef dive is the Black-Tip Reef Shark which are found in the shallow coral reefs of tropical waters primarily in the indo-pacific. With a brownish skin color, the tips of the shark’s pectoral fin and dorsal fins are black, with a white underside. It has been recorded at up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in length and over 99 lbs (45 kg) in weight. Black tip reef sharks feed mainly on reef fish and are not known to attack divers.

White Tip Reef Shark

Also a frequent sighted shark, Whitetip reef shark are also found along the indo-pacific coral reefs and sometimes as far east as south Africa and Central America.  The Whitetip shark grows up to 1.6m (5.2ft) in length and is easily recognizable by its white-tipped dorsal and caudal fins. Living off a diet of fish, crustaceans and octopus, this species hunts mainly at night and are seldom aggressive towards humans.

Nurse Sharks

Are found in the shallow tropical and sub tropical waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific regions. Nurse Sharks can grow to a length of 4.3 meters (14ft) and is recognizable by its distinctive mouth which is far ahead of its eyes and made for bottom-feeding. Nocturnal by nature these sharks feed on crustaceans, mollusks stingrays and other fish.  Nurse sharks typically attack humans only if directly threatened.

Whale shark

These colossal creatures grow to a length of 20m and weigh up to 12,000 Kg feeding off zooplankton, squid and small fish. Found in all temperate and tropical regions, whale sharks  are instantly recognizable by its distinct spotted and striped body and wide mouth. Whale sharks are gentle giants and are very popular with divers that enjoy observing and swimming alongside these creatures while feeding. This species, despite its size, does not pose any significant danger to humans.

Blue Shark

All sharks swim very fast, but the blue shark is the fastest. These slender looking blue-skinned sharks can grow up to 12 feet long (4 meters). Inhabiting mainly the tropical and temperate waters of the ocean, the Blue shark is highly migratory. Its diet is mainly composed of squid and small bony fishes. The blue shark is considered to be one of the more dangerous sharks. It has been known to attack humans, which makes it one of species of shark that people most fear, however according to Wikipedia only 4 recorded Blue Shark fatalities have been recorded as of 2008.

Hammerhead Sharks

The most unique species of shark and also one of the more recognizable ones is the Hammerhead shark. Growing to a length of up to 6 m (20ft),it is known for its flat hammer shaped snout. Hammerheads inhabit temperate waters across the world ranging from southern Canada to New Zealand. Known to possess especially well developed electro-receptors  for hunting, hammerheads feed on a variety of fish and bottom dwelling creatures. There have been reported cases where Hammerhead sharks have attacked humans which are why they are feared.

Bull Sharks

Often confused with the great white shark, the bull shark is amongst the top three most dangerous sharks roaming in our oceans. The bull shark has a short, wide, rounded snout and plumper bodies.  Bull sharks are known for their aggressive behavior and the fact that they can live in both freshwater and saltwater. They can live in rivers, estuaries and some lakes in Central America. In fact, some have been found as far as 3000 km up the Amazon and Mississippi rivers. Bull Sharks feed on a wide variety of creatures including turtles, dolphins, seabirds and even other sharks.

Sand Tiger Sharks

Sand Tiger Sharks are also known as Grey nurse sharks are rather slow moving sharks and not aggressive to humans unless provoked. It grows to a length of 3.2 m (about 10.5 ft) and is identifiable by  its grey back and white underside. Found in the coastal waters of tropical and temperate regions, Sand Tiger sharks feed primarily on bony fishes including mackerels, other sharks and rays, squids, crabs and lobsters.

Tiger Sharks

Tiger sharks are perhaps most well known for their aggressive natures and bad reputation as a threat to humans. Second to the Great White, the Tiger Shark is responsible for the second highest number of fatalities related to shark attacks. Growing to a length of 5 meters and reaching a weight of almost 700kg tiger sharks will eat almost anything. They have been known to feed on whales, squid, fish, and turtles and even seabirds.

Great White Sharks

The big daddy of all sharks and also the most feared predator of the seas, the Great White like the Tiger Shark will feed on anything. Averaging about 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) Great Whites diet mainly comprises of seals, dolphins, whale carcasses, seabirds, turtles, squids and other sharks. The Great White Shark is found near the coasts of California, Australia and South Africa. Known to be responsible for almost 10 human fatalities a year, diving with Great Whites must be performed only with highly experienced divers and from the safety of a shark cage. (Also Read: Overcoming The ‘Jaws’ Factor When You Dive)

Photos by:WIlly Volk, StormyDog, richard ling, bryan scott photography, jon hanson, pterantula, Nemo’s great uncle, Thespis377, g-na

For the Best in Scuba Gear and Equipment right from Scuba regulators, Wetsuits,  Buoyancy Compensators, Scuba Accessories, underwater camera housings and more visit LeisurePro.com- The Diver’s Emporium

Many people are unsure about Scuba Diving and claim with certainty that they would never try it. Ask them why? and one of the most common replies is ‘Are you kidding? I’ve seen the movie Jaws!’. So is this fear of sharks and Scuba diving justified?

(*Photo by SF Brit on flickr)

Well, we’d be lying if we said that the chances of seeing and encountering a shark was low or even non existent. Let’s face it, you dive in open waters and as the biggest predators in the ocean, there are over 400 different species of sharks. However, hundreds of thousands of divers encounter them on dives across the world and that’s not counting the daredevil kind who specifically go shark diving wanting to cross it off their ‘list of things to do before I die’ and they don’t become shark bait.

Contrary to popular belief, Jaws and the endless shark attack programs shown on TV, there have been very few shark attacks on Scuba divers.  Let’s just say your chances of getting hit by lightning, dying of a wasp, bee or snake bite are a lot more than becoming a shark’s supper. In the United States the annual risk of death from lightning is 30 times greater than that from shark attack. (*Photo by manoellemos on flickr)

If you think about it logically, Sharks just like most animals are weary of foreign objects (read as humans in the ocean!). Look at it from a shark’s point of view- if you came across a noisy bubble blowing, large strange shaped  creature carrying Scuba gear and equipment on their backs that often flashes bright lights (with dive flashlights or underwater cameras) and not to mention in groups or at least more than one, would you stick around to figure whether they would harm you? If you’re still thinking, the answer is No.

Worldwide there have been probably 70-100 shark attacks annually resulting in about 5-15 deaths as compared to the millions of dives conducted each each. Of these the Scuba diving related shark attack percentage is very low. The majority of this unfortunate incidents occurred to surfers, swimmers, skin divers, kayakers while swimming or surfing in near shore waters. In most instances, these probably are cases of mistaken identity that occur under conditions of poor water visibility and not an intentional to feed on the human. The victim seldom sees its attacker and the shark does not return after inflicting a single bite or slash wound as it soon realizes that it isn’t it’s usual prey.

As bad as a Shark taking a nip at you may sound and with no intention of downplaying the severity of the situation, the shark attack trauma is less common than such beach-related injuries as spinal damage, dehydration, jellyfish and stingray stings and sunburn.

A few stats on your odds of being attacked according to the Florida Museum of Natural History based on data from 68 ocean lifeguard agencies within jurisdiction is
Drowning and other beach-related fatalities - 1 in 2 million
Drowning fatalities -  1 in 3.5 million
Shark attacks -  1 in 11.5 million
Shark attack fatalities - 0 in 264.1 million
(*Photo by c.lathe on flickr)

At first many divers find the thought of sharks quite disturbing mostly cause they tend to have a certain presence that you can’t quite trust. But if you do get the pleasure (yes, it is exhilarating to be in the presence of such a creature) of seeing one, you will find that they tend to be more afraid of you than you of them with the exception of a few types (namely- the Great White Shark, Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks). Sharks are definitely not the evil monsters that you see on TV. They truly are very misunderstood.

If this is still the only unnerving fear you have of Scuba diving, the best and only way of overcoming it is facing it head on. Only by experience will you get over your fears and it won’t take you long to wish you spot a harmless shark on a dive.

For those divers who still get the jitters when they hear the word Shark, look out for our Tips on How to React in the presence of a Shark. (*Photo by StormyDog on flickr)

Ask an avid diver about the creatures they long to encounter on one of their dives and I can almost bet my money that seeing or diving with a whale shark is right up their on their list along with manta rays. Ask a diver who has been lucky enough to encounter one and you’ll be met with a speechless diver fumbling for words or a breathless description. Diving with one of these gentle giants is one of the Top 10 Dives to experience before you die.

Whale sharks are filter feeding sharks that grow to an impressive length of about 12.2 m (40 ft) and can weigh upto 13.6 tonnes. Only called a whale due to it’s massive stature, the whale shark is actually a fish and not a mammal and it holds the record for being the largest living fish on the planet.Whale sharks are believed to have originated about 60 million years ago and have an average life span of 70 years.

With white spot much like stars on the back of this massive yet magnificent fish, whale sharks are gentle and people friendly creatures unlike its other shark relatives. An absolute joy to dive or snorkel with they are quite an attraction to divers. A fan of tropical and warm oceans encounter with these gentle giants are common in places around the world like the Philippines, Thailand, off the Seychelles, Christmas Island, South Africa, Mozambique, Belize, Honduras, Mexico and Western Australia. Many dive operators in these regions offer special whale shark diving tours during the seasons sightings are common. The chances of seeing a whale shark in around Phuket in Thailand is very high between February and May every year.

Swimming with a whale shark is an experience of a lifetime and a must do for any diver. So there next time you’re looking for an adventure holiday put diving with the largest fish on the planet on that list and make sure to check it off in this lifetime!

Armani, Louis Vuitton, Gucci,  Tiger Sharks, Stingrays, Giant Groupers …The Dubai Mall has it all!!

Shop, Dine and Dive?  Trust Dubai to take shopping to a whole new level and to make it more exciting than ever. The World’s largest shopping mall ‘The Dubai Mall’ houses the The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo within its 12 million sq ft (i.e equivalent in size to more than 50 soccer fields) complex, allowing visitors to not only shop with predators of the seas but also scuba dive with them.

As part of this 20-billion dollar shopping mall project the Dubai Aquarium built one of the largest tanks in the world holding more than 10 million liters of water. The aquarium boasts of 33,000 living animals, representing more than 85 species including over 400 sharks and rays combined. The best part is you can dive with them!

The mall offers shoppers a chance to go Shark diving 3 dives a day, with sand tiger sharks, reef sharks, basking sharks, stingrays, giant groupers and a whole lot more in an aquarium environment, for an incredible diving experience. Certified divers can turn up at the mall an hour before the dive (with prior booking) whereas non-certified divers are required to take an introductory scuba-diving course conducted by ‘Al Boom Diving’. A 20-30 minute Shark dive will set you back about $225 (625 Dirhams) for certified divers and $300 (825 Dirhams) for the non-certified. Apart from the diving, the aquarium puts on daily shark and stingray feeding shows entertaining shoppers of the mall.

So the next time you head for the gulf desert wonder that is Dubai, take a trip to the mall and trade in your shopping bags for a wetsuit and Scuba gear to have an experience of a lifetime diving with Sharks!