Aerial Photo of Sharks in Florida
Shark Cage Diving in Florida: Price, Sharks and Epicness
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You may see hammerhead sharks while shark cage diving in Florida. Photo Credit: Florida Shark Diving/Facebook.com
Shark cage diving in Florida puts you in front of Florida sharks with the protection of a cage. It's a form of shark diving and one of the many ways you can do shark diving in Florida – a state with, arguably, the best diversity of sharks in the world.
You'll generally do this as a half or full day experience, in which you depart a home port on a boat, head to a floating shark cage several miles off shore and do one or two twenty minute dives in which you'll see sharks while you're in the cage.
Sound simple? It is – and while you likely won't see great white sharks in the Sunshine State, shark cage diving in Florida can get you near hammerheads, bull sharks, mako sharks and even the odd tiger shark if you're really lucky. And you can do it in a day or less.
Shark Cage Diving in Florida: Prices
While there are a variety of shark diving options in Florida, for cage diving, you're generally looking at $195 person in the following locations:
Florida Keys – The boat leaves from Marathon, Florida. Sharks you might see include tiger sharks, hammerheads and bull sharks.
If you're in the Keys, this is your tour.
Miami – For shark cage diving in Miami, you can basically take all the trip details of cage diving in the Keys and move them about 115 miles north east. Yup, it's pretty much that simple – when you go shark cage diving in Miami, you'll essentially see the same sharks you would further south. The one big difference? You're in Miami.
Jupiter – Head still an hour north of Miami and you'll end up in Jupiter, Florida. Yup, the cost is $195, and yes, you can do shark cage diving in Jupiter – arguably the epicenter of shark diving in Florida. The benefit of shark cage diving in Jupiter? You may have a higher chance of seeing additional shark species, like both the great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead.
You might also see silky sharks, dusky sharks, spinner sharks, black tips and/or even a mako shark, if you're lucky.
Can I Cage Dive With Great White Sharks in Florida?
No. Florida does not have enough great whites or consistency of seeing them for a white shark diving operation.
That's not to say they're not out there. Great white sharks have indeed been seen in Florida, and there is some evidence to suggest more of them are visiting the waters of South Carolina and Florida as well. But your chances of seeing a white shark in Florida are very low.
If you've got your heart set on white sharks, in the United States, your best best is shark cage diving in California. In particular, think about doing a Guadalupe live aboard boat, which is a five or six day tour and three days of cage diving with white sharks at Guadalupe Island.
How is Shark Cage Diving in Florida Different Than California?
They're completely different.
Shark cage diving in California is with great white sharks, which you can do from San Francisco (at the Farrallon Islands) and from San Diego, which does shark diving at Guadalupe, about 260 miles south of California.
The San Francisco tour is something you can do in a day, although I suggest you read the reviews of any Farallon Island shark dive tour before you book. And the San Diego tour takes you to Guadalupe Island, about 260 miles south of San Diego, on a 5+ day liveaboard dive boat.
In short, shark cage diving in California is done far off shore, and requires more time and money to get there. Your reward: some of the best great white shark diving on the planet – especially at Guadalupe.
When you go shark cage diving in Florida, it's the opposite. You're generally just several miles off your point of departure. The boat takes you to a stationary and free-floating shark cage on the water's surface that stays permanently at this location.
Then you enter the cage for one or two dives, typically 20 minutes per dive, and breathe through a snorkel, rather than surface-supplied air from a boat.
Florida Shark Diving Has Better Shark Diversity
If you want to see white sharks, head to California. But if you want to see Hammerhead sharks, go to Florida. The same goes for tiger sharks, bull sharks, lemon sharks, spinner sharks, black tip sharks, reef sharks, dusky sharks, silky sharks and a variety of other species.
California has great whites. But shark cage diving in Florida puts you in front of a much larger variety of sharks species – and some of the 'sexier' sharks at that (I would kill to dive with tiger sharks or hammerheads!).
Also consider that you can do different Florida shark diving experiences. You can swim with sharks, snorkel, scuba, cage dive and/or simply do shark spotting from a boat.
My point? Shark diving in Florida is some of the best in the world. At $195 per person, from the Keys, Miami and Jupiter, it won't break your bank account either.
Cage Diving in Jupiter: A Closer Look
Jupiter is about 85 miles north of Miami. You could call it the epicenter of shark diving in Florida. The shark diving is good here, with the 'big sharks' you can see in Miami and the Keys, along with, potentially, several others, including blacktips, sandbar and reef sharks.
You may also see two different species of hammerheads (great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead). The cage is about 3 miles off shore.
Bear in mind you can also swim with sharks in Jupiter, along with scuba and snorkeling options. For bulls and tiger shark diving, you'll probably want to stay with the cage.
Trip Length: About Three Hours
Cost: $195 Per Person
What it Brings: Slightly better shark variety and more shark diving options. Objectively speaking, if you want the best shark cage diving in Florida, I'd lean to Jupiter.
Leaves From: Jupiter, Florida
Learn More: Contact Florida Shark Diving and ask about the cage diving tour.
Cage Diving in Miami: A Closer Look
Jupiter has the shark variety. But Miami has, well, Miami. More than that, it's the only shark cage diving operation based within several miles of a large American city (San Francisco and San Diego shark diving takes you 30+ and 260+ miles from their ports, respectively).
When you go shark cage diving in Miami, you simply leave Miami, head out on a roughly 30 minute boat ride, enter the cage and come back again. It's about as convenient as shark cage diving is going to get.
Miami Shark Tours also has shark diving options in Fort Lauderdale, though I'm not sure if they do cage diving there too.
Trip Length: About Three Hours
Cost: $195 Per Person
What it Brings: Miami, baby – and some of the most convenient shark cage diving in the world.
Leaves From: Downtown Miami
Learn More: Speak with Miami Shark Diving
Cage Diving in the Florida Keys: A Closer Look
Shark diving in the Florida Keys may be one of the more enjoyable things you can do while in Florida. Sure, you might have slightly better shark-viewing in Jupiter, and Miami is ultra-convenient. But now we're talking about The Keys, which need no introduction.
The shark diving's not so bad here either. Do shark cage diving in the keys and you've got a good chance of seeing those big sexy sharks we've already talked about (tigers, bulls, hammerheads and makos, among others).
Combine that with the laidback feel of the Florida Keys, and cage diving in the keys should definitely be on your radar if you're in the area.
Trip Length: About Three Hours
Cost: $195 Per Person
What it Brings: Shark cage diving in the Florida Keys. Nuff said.
Leaves From: Marathon, Florida
Learn More: Check out Keys Shark Diving.
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Aerial Photo of Sharks in Florida
Source: https://www.abenakiextreme.com/shark-cage-diving-in-florida-price-shark-all-that-fun-stuff/
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