The Best Places to Swim and Cage Dive With Sharks in Hawaii

Best Places to Cage-Free Dive and Swim with Sharks in Hawaii

If you would like to get up close and personal with a variety of sharks, then cage-free diving or swimming with sharks is the way to go.

While cage-free diving, you get to swim closely and freely with sharks and other ocean animals, which can be an amazingly spectacular experience.

Molokai

Molokai is Hawaii's fifth-largest island, and it is home to one of the best places to swim or dive with dozens of Hammerhead sharks.

Hammerhead Shark Dive

The Hammerhead Shark Dive originates in Maui County, but you take a charter to the open ocean near Molokai and dive 40 to 100 feet underwater. Below are a few more reasons that Hammerhead Shark Dive is unique, other than the fact that you're diving with Hammerheads:

• During your dive with Hammerhead Shark Dive, you can expect to see lots of Scalloped Hammerhead sharks.
• Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are not aggressive at all, and they can be spooked easily, so it is recommended to approach them slowly.
• The team at Hammerhead Shark Dive takes pride in protecting the ocean, and they will educate you on how to respect and love the ocean as much as they do.
• The cost of shark diving with this company is about $225 per person.
• With this company, you get to take not one but two fantastic dives, and you can remain underwater for as long as your air tank allows.

Maui

Maui is the second-largest Hawaiian island, and it is here that you can experience free-diving or swimming with many species of sharks in a huge tank.

Maui Undersea Adventures

This company allows you to free dive in an exceptionally large tank with six different species of shark for about 45 minutes, and one person is allowed to watch you swim with the sharks free of charge. These are some more reasons that make Maui Undersea Adventures such a fantastic diving experience:

• During a dive at Maui Undersea Adventures, you can expect to see six different types of shark species which are Sandbar, Whitetip Reef, Gray Reef, Tiger, Blacktip, and Hammerhead.
• Kids ages 12 and up can enjoy the experience of diving with sharks here at Maui Undersea Adventures.
• The team at Maui Undersea Adventures will teach you the true behaviors and cultural significance of sharks.
• It costs roughly $200 to go diving in this company's huge shark tank.
• After your time in the water with the sharks, you will receive a T-shirt and a certificate indicating a successful dive.

Hawaii Island

Otherwise known as the Big Island, Hawaii Island is the largest Hawaiian island, and it is where you can find a fantastic place to swim or dive with a wide variety of sharks.

Kona Shark Diving

This company brings you three miles out to sea and into the shark-filled waters near Kona, Hawaii. Here's what you can expect from Kona Shark Diving:

• You can expect to see a large variety of shark species here at Kona Shark Diving, like Galapagos, Blacktip, Mako, Great White, Sandbar, Hammerhead, Tiger, Reef sharks, and many more.
• Diving certificates or diving experience is not necessary to enjoy diving with the sharks here at Kona Shark Diving.
• All the team members at Kona Shark Diving are experienced shark divers, and they are committed to bringing compassion and awareness to all species of sharks.
• This company promises you will see sharks, but if for some reason you do not, they will give you a full refund.
• It costs about $250 per person to experience swimming with sharks with this company.

Oahu

Oahu is the third-largest island of Hawaii, and it is home to some amazing places to free-dive, cage dive, and swim with a variety of sharks.

One Ocean Diving

This is an amazing place to swim freely with sharks of all kinds because of the team of people that work at One Ocean Diving. They spend a lot of time with sharks, and the team members take the time to teach you about sharks before you swim with them. Here are a few more reasons that make One Ocean Driving one of the best: 

• You can snorkel, swim, and cage-free dive with sharks at One Ocean Diving.
• You may see some different species of sharks, such as Sandbar, Hammerhead, Tiger, Mako, Galapagos, and Whale sharks, just to name a few.
• This company knows where the shark's territory is, so they do not need to use chum, aka dead fish, blood, and offal, to attract the sharks.
• Children must be three years or older to participate in swimming with the sharks.
• The cost to swim with sharks with this company is approximately $155 per person.

Best Places to Cage Dive with Sharks in Hawaii

If you like the thought of diving with sharks but are worried that cage-free diving might not be safe enough, then cage diving is right up your alley.

There are very few places in Hawaii that offer cage diving since it is not the best way to interact with sharks due to needing to use chum to attract the sharks.

Oahu

There are two fantastic companies in Oahu that offer cage diving with sharks, and they seem to be the only cage diving companies available in all of Hawaii.

North Shore Shark Adventures

This company boasts one hundred percent guaranteed shark sightings, and the cage diving site is three miles out to sea on Oahu's North Shore. Beyond the guaranteed shark sighting, there are a few other things that make North Shore the perfect adventure companions:

• North Shore Shark Adventures seems to be the most used cage diving company of the two available in Oahu.
• If you want to bring children with you on this shark diving tour, they must be three years old or older to ride on the boat or participate in cage diving.
• You get to cage dive for about one and a half hours with this company.
• This company charges around $100 to $120 per adult diver and around $60 per child diver.

Hawaii Shark Encounters

This company is also located off the North Shore of Oahu, and it only takes approximately 20 minutes to arrive at the dive site. Here are some things to know before booking with Hawaii Shark Encounters:

• You will get to see three main species of shark when touring with this company, and they include Tiger, Sandbar, and Galapagos. You may also see Silkies, Blue Sharks, and Hammerheads.
• The team at Hawaii Shark Encounters focuses on educating people about the importance of sharks in our ecosystem.
• All the team members at this company are certified professionals, and this company has a perfect safety record so you can feel safe.
• The cage has plexiglass windows, so you can be assured you are out of harm's way.
• It costs about $116 for adults and about $83 for children 12 and under, and you get to spend roughly 30 minutes in the cage.