Bull Shark Dive Fiji

I have no idea why I saw the opportunity to do a bull shark dive in Fiji and thought to myself, I want to do that! Yet not only did I want to do it, I got open water SCUBA certified so I could feel more comfortable during the experience.

So was it worth it? Would I recommend it?

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Was the Bull Shark Dive Worth It? | My Experience

Absolutely yes! It was one of the coolest experiences and one of my fondest memories island hopping in Fiji! I was nervous, but it was only my fourth dive ever so I think the diving made me more nervous than even the sharks. Either way, there were three of us on the dive, and they asked if anyone was nervous. I raised my hand and “Maui” said he’d stay with me. Kuata gave me Moana vibes from the second I saw this beautiful island, so I loved that this man announced himself as “Maui.”

In case you are an experienced diver, it’s worth noting you will not be babysat the way I was. The other two were more experienced divers, so while they were looked after in the general sense, they were able to enjoy the dive with less attention than I received.

Maui held my hand on the descent and we stopped at the afternoon dive spot. There were already bull sharks here! The morning dive that we were on goes to sixty feet I believe. All the divers with Barefoot Kuata grabbed the gear and Maui grabbed my hand again and we made our way down to the rock wall.

Here we stayed at and watched these majestic creatures! The bull sharks did get close. A few times they got very close! But it was amazing watching these creatures and see how they feed.

It was also great to see how non-aggressive they are toward anything not a fish.

It was also great to see how non-aggressive they are toward anything not a fish. They moved with such power when feeding, but when swimming they were graceful. The divers there protecting us never touch the sharks. They have metal poles, but the sharks sense the metal and change direction. The metal never even has to touch them. So watching these powerful creatures easily change direction by just sensing the metal was amazing!

I know bull sharks are known as aggressive but seeing them so close up, it was easy to see how they have been misrepresented.

We were down there a while though I don’t know the exact time. Perhaps twenty minutes or so. As we headed back up, Maui came to my rescue and held my hand on the way back as well. The safety stop was spent admiring the reef and Maui pointed out some really special parts of the reef.

For Any Critics of the Bull Shark Dive

A lot of the divers are Marine Biologists and they are studying the fact that the reef has rejuvenated since they started the bull shark dive in this area! They have determined once the apex predator is around, the whole eco system improves, but they are currently studying to see if this hypothesis is correct.

I asked about the feeding as I had encountered a skeptic regarding feeding the sharks. The marine biologist pointed out the above point about the reef, but also mentioned the tuna heads the sharks are fed, are a small fraction of what they actually eat. So while the sharks are smart enough to show up and enjoy an easy snack, it’s just that, a snack.

And in case you did not read my experience above, the sharks are never touched. The metal rods the divers hold to protect us, never touch the sharks. Instead, the rod is simply held in front of them and when they get too close, they sense the metal and change direction. It’s amazing to see!

Bull Shark Dive Fiji | Where?

Bull Shark Dive at Barefoot Kuata

There are quite a few options around Fiji to scuba dive with sharks! However, I was going to be island hopping Fiji and it was in the planning stages, I discovered that Barefoot Kuata specialized in bull shark dives!

The easiest way to experience the bull shark I did in Fiji is to book a stay at Barefoot Kuata! I’d suggest a couple nights, but one is adequate especially if you are returning to the main island. Kuata is the first and last stop for the Yasawa Flyer Ferry, so even if you only stay one night, you will have most of the day if you are returning to the main island the next day.

Book a Stay at Barefoot Kuata

Barefoot Kuata also has snorkel tours with sharks (not Bull sharks) if you’d prefer the more docile shark species.

Since I stayed at Barefoot Kuata, I just booked the bull shark dive upon arrival. However, if you don’t want to stay for a night or two, there are day trips from the main island if you’d prefer. The day trip gets you to the island, but you would add on the dive experience I think upon arrival, but check with the tour.

Day Trip to Barefoot Kuata

If you stay overnight, the morning dive goes to a greater depth and is more for those who are certified. The afternoons can be busier with the day trippers, so that is another reason to stay overnight and book the morning trip.

Barefoot Kuata Accommodations

I absolutely LOVED Kuata island! There was just something about it that was so rugged and beautiful! During my solo trip in Fiji, I stayed on three different islands in the dorms of three different resorts. Barefoot Kuata was my second favorite for the dorms (Blue Lagoon Beach Resort was my favorite), but the island of Kuata was my favorite island!

Overall, the accommodations are good! Aside from dorms, they have various Bure options.

The “resort fee” you see on Expedia is payable when you arrive and it’s for all the meals of your trip! The food was good, but not impressive. Of the three places I stayed, Barefoot Kuata was my least favorite on food. However, the views from the dining area were my favorite! Food packages at all resorts in the Yasawa Islands are compulsory. The reason is you don’t have other options or you have very limited options. On Kuata, Barefoot Kuata is the only resort. Basically, if you don’t get the meal package, you don’t eat.

Read my full Barefoot Kuata Island Resort Review

Is It Safe To Scuba Dive With Bull Sharks?

Safe is a relative thought. Is it safe to drive? I mean, yes and no, right? There’s risk, but we wear seat belts, we have extra safety features on cars these days and we drive aware of our surroundings.

SCUBA diving has risks and honestly I felt more nervous about the diving than I did the sharks (since it was only my fourth dive ever). The Awakening Shark Dive is very well run. For us three divers, we each had a body guard. The feeder has two body guards. There was a cameraman getting footage of us if we paid extra of course. And then a few more divers as well to guard and protect! So we were very well guarded!

Again, they don’t touch the sharks, but they do have the metal rods that will redirect the sharks. They handle everything and the safety is taken very seriously. If you are nervous like I was, they will look out for you even more and ensure you are comfortable.

Do the Bull Sharks Get Close Enough to Touch?

Yes! If I had reached out I could have touched the bull sharks, but you are not allowed to touch them. No problem for me! I had zero plans on testing that out. When I did my dive, there were about eight to ten sharks or so.

Well I heard the next morning, they had almost DOUBLE that number! I had met a Canadians and he was a former dive instructor. He hoped to get hit by the sharks and he was happy to report a few sharks knocked into him. Not aggressively, but just as they swam around, some ran into the divers.

Again, this did not happen to me or the other two divers on our excursion, but it is a possibility.

Travel Insurance for Fiji

I don’t usually get travel insurance so please don’t feel fear mongered into getting it. However, I’ve had a couple broken bones in more recent years and for this trip to Fiji I would be traveling solo to the other side of the world AND I was planning on doing this scuba diving with bull sharks experience.

So with all those factors in mind, I did purchase travel insurance! If you decide to purchase insurance, make sure it includes coverage for any adventurous things you want to do. For instance, some insurance automatically includes basic sporty things like scuba diving and others don’t.

The nice thing about travel insurance is it can help in an emergency but also will typically include some type of trip protection. As someone who never purchases trip protection, that is an added bonus. VisitorsCoverage is a good search tool to price and find a good option for you, but there are other resources out there as well! You will just put in some basic information like your destination, dates of travel, your age and the current place you live to see what options are available to you.

Again, this is not something I have done for all my trips, but I suppose after a couple medical situations I see it differently now. So depending on your current financial status, health, plans for your trip, it might be something worth looking into.

Fiji Shark Dives

Well I hope this was helpful if you are considering shark diving in Fiji! I loved my experience so much and I’m so glad I went through the hassle of getting certified. It made the experience even better for me!

I wasn’t sure if Fiji would be worth the long travel from Florida, but it is the perfect destination for adventures in paradise! Even if diving with bull sharks isn’t your thing, there is so much offered in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji, much less the hundreds of islands in Fiji! The whole trip was worth me crossing the Pacific Ocean and this shark dive was a massive highlight!

Well I hope you have the best trip to Fiji! Bula!