mexico – Shark Stewards

Mexico Closes Down Great White Shark Cage Diving

As of January 10, 2023, cage diving with great white sharks at Isla Guadalupe, 400 miles southwest of Ensenada, Mexico, is permanently prohibited. The Mexican Government’s ban covers all tourism inside the reserve, including film production and liveaboard diving.

Not perfect, shark dive ecotourism can have negative impacts on shark behavior, with potential injury and impacts of a threatened species, including energetic and reproductive impacts. However, proper oversight by SEMARNAT, the benefit to the Mexican economy, science, and the ambassadorship that shark tourism provides, exceeds the potential harm to sharks, and may be the best solution to save and better understand them scientifically.

Shark diving can help to save sharks in a number of ways. One way is by raising awareness about the importance of shark conservation. When people have the opportunity to see sharks up close and learn more about their behavior and biology, they may become more invested in protecting these animals. This can lead to increased support for conservation efforts and policies aimed at protecting shark populations.