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Snorkeling

How To Snorkel with Sharks in Florida!

Snorkeling With Sharks in Florida is an Unforgettable Experience!

Snorkel with sharks? Yes!

How to create an unforgettable, life-changing experience? Go Shark Snorkeling!!!

Shark snorkeling is a safe and thrilling experience.

Swimming with sharks provides a unique opportunity to see these magnificent creatures up close.

These animals have been on the planet for 400 million years. Most are on the endangered species list.

Snorkeling with sharks is the best way to experience their greatness, respect their right to co-exist and advocate for their conservation!

I started snorkeling and SCUBA diving on a regular basis after moving to Florida 10+ years ago.

At the time my biggest fear was encountering a shark. It took me 7 years to completely get over my fear and go on a shark dive.

Now I happily pay for shark encounters. There are not enough words to describe how incredible and impactful this experience is.

My only regret is that it took me so long to get over my fear of sharks. I missed out on years of amazing shark encounter experiences!

Article Summary

  1. Shark Snorkeling vs. Regular Snorkeling? 
  2. Is Shark Snorkeling Safe?
  3. Types of Florida Sharks
  4. Tips for the Best Snorkeling with Sharks Experience
  5. Recommendations for Finding a Shark Snorkel Operator
  6. Our Experience Snorkeling with Shark Tours Florida
  7. Advice to Remember Before Your First Shark Snorkel 
  8. A Few Area Attractions Not to Miss
  9. Local Food and Lodging Recommendations
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An Amazing Shark Snorkeling Experience, Kaley’s Smile Say’s It All

1. Shark Snorkeling vs. Regular Snorkeling

Florida is well-known for its abundant marine life, and one of the most popular ways to see it is through snorkeling.

“Regular” snorkeling usually centers around a reef, accessed either by beach or boat. You have a chance to see a shark snorkeling but it’s not a typical experience.

Throughout Florida, the most common sharks to encounter snorkeling around a reef are nurse sharks. Plus, large groups of tourists splashing around in the water quickly scare off sharks.

Florida happens to be home to over 6 species of sharks, which can make some people uncomfortable getting in the water.

That is exactly why you should try shark snorkeling!  It is a controlled experience that allows you to safely encounter these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.

Choosing a responsible operator is the most important part of shark snorkeling.

Shark snorkeling takes place a few miles offshore, in areas where there is a diversity of pelagic shark species. Pelagic sharks live in open waters, rather than only around a reef. They prefer warmer water and many species are migratory.

Water is “chummed” with a cut up dead fish to bring in the sharks. Participants are instructed how to behave around the sharks, and usually required to wear all black.

You are surrounded by a professional safety team, who are trained to keep a close eye on both you and the sharks.

At any point if you feel uncomfortable in the water, you can quickly climb back onto the boat.

When I took my niece on this trip, a grandmother stayed on the boat and watched from above while her granddaughter snorkeled with sharks.

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Snorkeling With Silky Sharks

2. Is Swimming with Sharks Safe?

Florida is famous for Snorkeling, SCUBA diving, & Swimming with sharks.

Sharks are wild animals. Although shark dives are typically safe, there is always a small risk involved.

Even though most people think of sharks as dangerous predators, these creatures are quite shy and unlikely to attack humans unless provoked.

Driving a car is more dangerous than swimming with sharks.

Unfortunately, Hollywood movies prey on our fear of sharks & have greatly exaggerated their danger to us. This irrational fear has contributed to the overhunting of these animals when they need our advocacy and protection.

In my snorkeling/diving experiences, sharks want nothing to do with us. They will quickly turn and swim away.

A few years ago, I paid an extra $200.00 to go on a bull shark dive off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Honestly, I was a little nervous. However, the bull sharks got scared off by our SCUBA bubbles and I didn’t see a single shark.

Shark bites are extremely rare, but regularly make the news because the subject generates high ratings.

We are not a part of the shark’s diet or the ocean food web. In general, sharks do not like the taste of us.

Despite their fearsome reputation, fatal shark attacks on humans are incredibly rare, with an average of only six occurrences reported worldwide each year. Humans kill over 100 million sharks a year.

In comparison, there are 800,000 reported dog bites and 300 deaths in the United States (yearly average).

You are more likely to be killed by jellyfish, falling coconuts, roller coasters, vending machines, or falling out of your own bed than by a shark.

Surfers are an accidental shark target, and usually what you hear about in the news.

Surfers float on the top of the water, with arms and legs dangling off a surfboard. From a shark’s perspective they mimic the shape of a seal or sea turtle. A shark might go in for an exploratory bite and when they realize the surfer is not a tasty sea turtle they leave.

Spearfishing can lead to shark encounters. Sharks are opportunistic & intelligent. They recognize the sound of a speargun going off and will swim over to see if they can get a free meal.

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Captain Erin Giving the Pre-Snorkel Safety Briefing

3. Types of Florida Sharks

Florida is home to at least 6 different shark species, plus shark species that migrate seasonally to Florida. The most common sharks I see are nurse and reef sharks.


Sharks in Florida have their favorite places to hang out and they move around depending on the time of year. This means you will find different species in different places depending on the season.

Species such as the nurse, bonnethead, and reef shark stay close to shore where they find homes in our mangroves or coral reefs.

Farther offshore pelagic sharks, such as the lemon and hammerhead shark, tend to stick to open waters. These species can be migratory or resident sharks.

Summer shark season includes:
Silky sharks, sandbar sharks, scalloped hammerheads, smooth hammerheads, bull sharks, dusky sharks, and blacktip sharks.

Winter shark season includes:
Lemon sharks, tiger sharks, great hammerhead sharks, and bull sharks.

“Without sharks, the ocean would be overrun with weak and sickly fish, leading to an overall decline in marine biodiversity.”

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Reef Shark, Florida

4. Tips for the Best Snorkeling with Sharks Experience

While there are no guarantees that you will see a shark in the wild, following these tips will help increase your chances of encountering one.

Don’t wear shiny jewelry or objects that could reflect light and attract sharks.

Wear dark clothing, sharks can see contrasting colors, especially yellow (Hence the SCUBA diving phrase “yum-yum yellow”)

Stay close to the group. Don’t touch or harass the sharks.

Stay still and avoid making sudden movements – this will scare off the sharks.

Listen and follow your shark tour operator’s instructions. They want you to have the best experience possible!

Don’t make this beginner mistake- get too excited when you see your first shark and start chasing it down with your camera or GoPro. You will scare away the sharks and anger the other snorkelers on the boat. 

If you think you might get seasick, I recommend you start taking Bonine or Dramamine Light a couple of nights before you go out on the boat, then again in the morning or afternoon before your snorkel.

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Holding The Safety Line and Watching Sharks

6. Recommendations for Finding a Shark Snorkel Operator

Check out reviews on TripAdvisor and then call a few local SCUBA dive shops and ask for recommendations.

Specifically ask scuba shops that specialize in shark diving if they recommend any shark snorkeling tours in the area. This is how I found Shark Tours Florida. They were recommended by a scuba shop on a day that I was out diving with them. 

When you hear the same operator’s name come up several times, that’s the operator/shop you want to go with.

Choose an operator/shop that is known for emphasizing safety over profit. Once you narrow down your search, call and interview each operator/shop about their safety procedures.

Ask about their safety procedures. A quality operator/shop has strict safety procedures in place to avoid any shark issues from the start.

7. Our Experience Snorkeling with Shark Tours Florida

I am a passionate SCUBA diver but enjoy the simplicity of snorkeling almost as much as SCUBA.

Snorkeling is an easier option for family and friends to participate in together since you do not need a SCUBA certification.

Emerald Charters, a shark-focused SCUBA diving business in Jupiter FL is always a favorite dive trip. I go shark diving with them a few times a year. 

I was looking for a memorable and unique high school graduation gift for my niece, Kaley. Liz (a former divemaster at Emerald Charters) recommended Ryan and his company Shark Tours Florida for its strict safety protocols.

My top priority is always having a safe shark encounter experience. Ryan and his crew do not disappoint! We had an amazing, safe experience. So did the rest of the people on the boat.

One silky shark hung out with us for over an hour and a half!

Shark Tours Florida takes groups of 6 or fewer out on their boat that leaves from a local marina. They typically offer an AM or PM trip. 

It is a three-hour shark snorkel tour (cue the Gilligan’s Island theme song here….). The price is $169.00 a person (even if you choose to watch from the boat). The crew will take photos and videos of your group for an additional charge. 

You are required to wear all black. I have black scuba clothing, but Kaley wore a black rash guard and yoga pants. Sharks can see some colors so wearing all black increases safety.

You are allowed to bring a camera or GoPro, but for safety reasons you must have a handle attached to hold on to. I didn’t read that part of the email and had to leave my GoPro on the boat.

No experience is necessary but to get in the water you must be 12 years or older.

You can always choose to stay and watch from the boat if you decide that you are not comfortable getting in the water, but the price is the same. 

Because the snorkel lines are next to the boat, it’s easy to observe the sharks without getting in the water. We had a grandmother on our trip who was happy to watch her granddaughter from the boat.

What to Expect

After going several miles offshore, the crew set up lines from the boat for snorkelers to hold on to.

It is not required to hold on to the lines the entire time. You are allowed to swim around the lines but are not allowed to go past the two divemasters in the water with you.

Two crew members with years of experience in shark diving are always in the water with you. Plus, the captain is watching from the boat.

Cut up fish is used to chum the water and attract the sharks.

You are in the water for approximately 1-2 hours but do not have to stay in the water the entire time. It is easy to go back and forth from the boat to the water.

Patience is key. It may take some time for the sharks to show up. Different species of sharks will show up at different times of the year.

FL_shark_snorkelingRyan Preparing Fish for the Shark Snorkel

9. Advice to Remember Before Your First Shark Snorkel 

Swimming with pelagic sharks is an incredible experience that is a great group activity.

It is important to remember that these creatures are wild animals and should be treated with respect.

Keep in perspective that you are diving in a natural ocean habitat. Sharks do not show up on command.

I have experienced snorkeling and diving with sharks at Disneyland & several aquariums (including the whale shark dive at Georgia Aquarium). They are good experiences too but feel “manufactured”. 

Nothing inside a theme park or aquarium is as exciting as interacting with sharks in their natural habitat.

If you see one wild shark, I consider it a successful day.

Any more sharks that show up are bonus sharks. If you keep this in mind you will not be disappointed.

5. The Jupiter/North Palm Beach Area

The best shark snorkeling location isn’t in Sharks Cove Hawaii or the Florida Keys. In fact, it’s in a lesser-known area along the southeast coast of Florida. 

The Jupiter/North Palm Beach area is about 2 ½ hours from Orlando and 1 ½ -2 hours from Miami, depending on traffic.

It is a lesser-known area than Orlando or the Florida Keys but a popular local destination for snorkeling and scuba diving.

The waters around Jupiter/North Palm Beach are home to a variety of marine life, including sharks.

While snorkeling is largely associated with the Florida Keys, the Jupiter/North Palm Beach area is the best place to see many different species of sharks.

It’s easy to find tour operators/shops in the area that offer snorkeling trips to the famous Blue Heron Bridge and Peanut Island.

However, to see sharks up close and personal you need to go with an operator that specializes in shark snorkeling.

While in the area I recommend going snorkeling at Blue Heron Bridge. They have a fantastic, free snorkel trail.

Two additional free local attractions (not to miss) are the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Manatee Lagoon

Another shark related adventure, Florida is the best place to find sharks teeth.  If you get the chance to visit the other side of the state, Venice Beach FL is “The shark tooth capital of the world” where you can find sharks teeth on the beach. 

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8. Local Food and Lodging Recommendations

I am a budget traveler.

However, on the southeast coast of Florida, it can be difficult to find budget hotels.

Know your hotel’s cancellation policy. Water activities often get canceled (with short notice) because of bad weather.

I almost always stay at the Super 8 Hotel in North Palm Beach. The address is 757 US 1, North Palm Beach FL. The phone number is (561) 899-6490.

It’s not fancy – but it is clean, in a good location, and has reasonable prices. Their “free” breakfast is still a “covid to go bag” so I bring my own.

However, the biggest benefit this property has to offer is its excellent cancellation policy (24 hours in advance).

The Draft House restaurant is within walking distance. It is convenient, casual, & rarely has a wait even for large groups. I eat here almost every time I stay at the Super 8.

Across the street from Draft House is a Mexican restaurant. I have only eaten there once before, but the fish tacos were good.

My first choice is to stay at the Jupiter Waterfront Inn, but they book up quicker and have a stricter cancellation policy.

The Jupiter Waterfront Inn address is 18903 Southeast Federal Highway, Jupiter, FL 33469. The phone number is (561) 747- 9085.

Restaurants in the area can be underwhelming, overpriced, or have long wait times.

For cheap eating, I find a Publix Grocery Store. Publix is a Florida grocery store chain, with a deli that has quality sandwiches for a good price. You can order online and pick up in store. 

Almost always, I will search for a local Cuban Bakery. I love a good local cafe con leche and Cuban sandwich.  You can’t go wrong with a Cuban sandwich in Florida. Plus, the coffee and guava pastries are always delicious.

Divemaster in Jupiter FL

Liz, an Experienced Shark Divemaster in Jupiter FL

I promise swimming with sharks will be an experience you will never forget. Plus, maybe even add another shark lover and advocate to the planet. 

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