The presence of bull sharks in Playa del Carmen can be intimidating, especially when you know they come close to the coast for several months of the year, from mid-November to mid-March.
Yet no bull shark attack on a diver taking part in a guided bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen has been recorded to date!
Diving with bull sharks has been practiced in Playa del Carmen for several years, in an organized setting with strict safety rules.
Why has there never been a shark attack in Playa del Carmen?
Even though bull sharks are regularly present off Playa del Carmen during the winter season, no bull shark attack has been recorded in Playa del Carmen to date.
The main reason given for their seasonal presence is their reproductive cycle. The bull sharks seen in Playa del Carmen are mostly females, which visit these waters during their pregnancy.
In other words, they don’t come to Playa del Carmen to hunt or feed. Instead, they use this area as an important habitat during part of their reproductive cycle.
This also explains why they are seen most between November and March.
That doesn’t mean a bull shark is completely harmless. It’s a wild animal whose behavior can vary.
That’s why the dives are led by professionals and follow strict rules for observing the sharks.
Can you see bull sharks from the beaches of Playa del Carmen?
In Playa del Carmen, bull sharks are mainly seen at an offshore dive site called “Bull Shark Point” or “Shark Point”, just 5 to 10 minutes by boat from the main beach.
Their presence is mostly tied to the dive sites and the boat trips organized to see them.
So it’s important to distinguish between their presence offshore and the areas where people swim. Bull sharks aren’t constantly present near the beaches.
What are the safety rules for diving with bull sharks?
The best way to reduce the risks is still to follow the instructions of the dive center and the guide.
A safety protocol has been put in place by the dive centers, the SOS association and CONANP (Mexico’s protected areas agency) to regulate bull shark dives. Before getting in the water, a briefing usually covers how to behave during the encounter with the sharks.
Depending on the dive center, the dive is done with or without supervised feeding.
With Triton Diving, we dive without feeding, since the sharks are already there and there’s no need to excite them.
Once underwater, divers stay in position and watch the sharks without trying to approach or touch them. In practice, the safety rules can include wearing a full wetsuit and dark gear, keeping a tight group on the bottom with your arms by your sides, and dive slots limited to about 30 minutes per boat.
Have there ever been shark attacks in Mexico?
It would be wrong to say there has never been a shark attack in Mexico.
Databases record several historical incidents in different parts of the country.
However, this data covers all of Mexico and many different situations, and shouldn’t be used to conclude that a bull shark dive in Playa del Carmen carries the same level of risk.
You also need to distinguish incidents involving swimmers, fishermen or other activities from organized bull shark dives.