Is cage diving with sharks ethical? This is an all-time question. Is it morally right to bait sharks into coming close to us? Does it justify a way of “studying” these creatures up close? Is it even a reliable study if they are not left to act “naturally”? Let’s dive in.

The Cage Diving Experience - Do Sharks Want to Bite Us?

Cage diving is essentially the use of submerged cages, at different depths, to view sharks in their natural habitat from a safe space. If that is the only thing that is happening, then there’s nothing unethical with it (in terms of the shark and human interaction). However, this is usually not the case.

Cage diving with sharks is often offered in places where the observed shark species are known to be “aggressive”. However, anyone who has been in open water with a shark, or who has actually studied sharks, will know that they are generally shy creatures that will happily swim away at the sight of any human. They don’t want to be around us!

Sharks have only been misinterpreted as “aggressive” animals because yes, they are apex predators in the natural food chain, but also due to their rather poor eyesight and thus the many times they have mistaken the silhouette of a surfer lying on a surfboard for that of a seal or turtle.

So, why is cage diving a thing when scuba divers look nothing like seals and turtles, and sharks don’t want to be around us?

This comes down to the business behind shark diving. The open ocean is a big place and the likelihood of going on a shark dive and seeing a shark, especially bigger sharks like great whites, is honestly quite low. There’s never really a guarantee of seeing any specific marine life when it comes to the ocean, let alone an animal as elusive as a shark. This is why cage diving unfortunately comes hand in hand with chumming the water, baiting, and using berley to attract the sharks to us.

Yes, this allows for a high success rate when selling shark dives, however, is it right? There have been scientific studies that show chumming the water to attract great whites does in fact change their behaviour. It causes sharks to associate food with humans and boats, and also alters their natural feeding patterns. So if we strip it down, would we even need a cage if we weren’t putting sharks into hunting mode in the first place?

Non-invasive Observation - The Real Shark Experience

To see an apex predator up close is an insane experience. To make eye contact with some of the world’s biggest fish is a moment that cannot be replaced by anything else. But how valuable is the interaction when it has been staged and set up for that purpose? When the sharks are in a state of aggression and you are separated from nature by metal bars?

Would it not be a hundred times more insane if there wasn’t a cage dividing you and the great white? Would the story and the feeling not be a million times wilder if you simply just got lucky? And how much do you really learn about a wild animal when you’ve orchestrated an environment for its interaction?

A point that most dive centers and operators make is that they advocate for environmental sustainability and aim to spread awareness about marine conservation. Bringing people close to an apex predator in the wild can most definitely insight some kind of inspiration for their protection as an endangered species. However how much of this is actually achieved and how much of it is truly a facade when the basis of the service offered and taken is soaked in invading and altering the natural behaviour of sharks?

There are tons of ways to see sharks in their natural habitat, acting with their natural grace, it may just take a little bit of luck and a lot more pre-planning. Research their congregation sites, and their behavioural patterns, and then give yourself time. It’s the ocean, anything can happen. Just know that when you do see one through means that are ethical and non-invasive, it will mean so much more, and make for a much better story.

Check out our guide on the best shark dives in the world.

Written by Kayli Wouters

LinkedIn | Instagram