Shark Diving On Oahu Without A Cage: Everything You Need To Know

Diving with sharks is the type of activity that you do once in a lifetime. Your friends simply won’t believe it and your mother will call you crazy. However, here on Oahu, it is one of the most popular activities for tourists to experience swimming with sharks up on the North Shore. In this guide, I will share with you all of the best places to go shark diving without a cage on Oahu (and with a cage) and what each different tour operator has to offer compared to the others.

NORTH SHORE SHARK ADVENTURES: CAGE DIVING EXPERIENCE

The North Shore Shark Adventures company is one of the biggest on the island and they have an impeccable record and high professionalism. This tour takes you out from the harbor at the North Shore for an incredible shark cave diving experience on Oahu.

This tour by North Shore Shark Adventure is by far the most affordable on the island and the only tour under $100 per person. The tour runs for two hours and the experienced crew will lead you through the following itinerary.

• Head off from the North Shore boat harbor to the shark-viewing spot.
• Along the way, it’s likely to spot dolphins, turtles and whales depending on the season.
• Listen to the briefing about how to behave in the cage and a short overview of shark behavior.
• Enter into the shark cage with your snorkel on and enjoy an observing the sharks.

The cage is half in the water and half out so you can always raise your head above water. You never need to swim and simply hold onto the cage while breathing through your snorkel. It’s not difficult at all and very easy even if you aren’t a good swimmer. With unbelievable water clarity, you will be able to see Sandbar, Galapagos, and maybe even Hammerhead Sharks.

HAWAII SHARK ENCOUNTERS

The final tour I will recommend in this blog post is with Hawaii Shark Encounters for their Oahu Shark Cage-Diving experience.

This 2-hour experience up on the North Shore is an adrenaline-filled activity where the experienced team takes you out from the harbor to their permanent cage site. Here, with depths of more than 200ft, you will be submerged into the cage with snorkel gear on.

Don’t be afraid, but sharks will be circling the cage right around you in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You might not expect me to say this but it is actually quite a peaceful experience rather than a scary activity. You can get some seriously cool photos and videos from inside the cage with the sharks coming right up close to investigate.

IS SHARK DIVING SAFE ON OAHU?

Shark diving on Oahu and in general is a relatively safe experience. The sharks you are likely to encounter in Hawaii and specifically on these tours are Sandbar Sharks and Galapagos Sharks, which are less aggressive. While it is possible to see Hammerhead Sharks and even a rare sighting of a Great White Shark, it is uncommon.

One Ocean and North Shore Shark adventures have a perfect safety record and despite what you see in the movies, sharks are relatively peaceful and just going about their business in the ocean. They aren’t naturally aggressive towards humans and that’s why the guides are important to monitor the behavior of the sharks and the tourists to make sure both sides are calm and staying that way.

WHAT SPECIES MIGHT YOU SEE WHILE DIVING WITH SHARKS ON OAHU?

• Sandbar Shark: This is the most commonly sighted shark year-round and is quite peaceful. Don’t be surprised to see thirty or more of these sharks circling below.
• Galapagos Shark: It is relateivley common to come across a Galapgos Shark while diving with sharks on Oahu.
• Hammerhead Shark: This species is a little less common but not something unusual to Oahu
• Great White Shark: Each year there are Great White Shark sightings in Hawaiian waters, which are most likely to occur in the winter months.
• Whale Shark: Oahu doesn’t see many whale sharks but sightings do happen. It’s much more likely to spot a whale shark on other Hawaiian Islands such as Niihau, Lanai and the Molokini Islet.

GEAR YOU NEED FOR SWIMMING WITH SHARKS ON OAHU

Your tour operator will provide you with a mask, snorkel, and fins and may even be able to provide you with a wetsuit. Most snorkelers will just wear boardshorts, bikinis, or bathers as you will only be in the water for 20-30 minutes whether in the cage or out of the cage. They will also provide you with a towel for after you get out of the water.

Just wear your flip-flops and bathers and don’t forget to bring reef-safe sunscreen.

SHARK MYTHOLOGY IN HAWAII

Shark or “Mano” in Hawaiian, is still central to the culture of the native Hawaiians and is featured in many legends. Hawaiians today still revere the shark and honor them as ancestral familial Gods of long ago. They are one of many central figures in Hawaiian mythology and are featured in countless legends throughout the Pacific. The shark God Kamohoali`i guided his sister Fire Goddess Pele on her journey as she escaped a feud with her sister which resulted in the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. This tour takes you on a journey to see one of the many forms of sharks, the descendants of Hawaiian folklore, and witness their agility and gracefulness as they glide by just inches away from you. All this and a breathtaking view of Oahu’s North Shore are part of the Hawaii shark tour.

Source: North Shore Shark Adventures

HOW TO GET TO THE NORTH SHORE BOAT HARBOR

No matter which tour you choose, they will both begin from the North Shore boat harbor. There is usually enough parking there but I wouldn’t leave any valuables in the car. The check-in station is at the harbor and they will load you up into the boat. To get to the harbor on the Haleiwa Harbor it takes about an hour depending on traffic. Make sure you give yourself some breathing room because if there is a jam or an accident it could increase your transit time by thirty minutes or more. I’ve included a map below with a pin location of the Haleiwa Harbor.