Question Indo-Pacific destination to see Blacktip Reef Sharks

[STEMI]

Hello Scubaboard! I've been lurking here for a while and appreciate everything I've learned just from reading the forums from the sidelines. My girlfriend and I are new divers (OW, Nitrox) with 23 dives logged. We live on the east coast of the US, and so far we have only dove the Caribbean. We finished our certification dives on a trip to Cozumel in October last year, and spent the rest of the vacation diving. This year, we spent a week in Curacao and loved it. We both have the bug bad and now that we are back, its time for me to plan our next trip.

A little background: Ever since I was a kid I have been OBSESSED with sharks, and always knew that I would learn to dive. Unfortunately, life got in the way and last year was the first time I was really able to slow down and make time for a new hobby. Fast forward to now, my big 30th is coming up in January and I am looking to plan a trip around then. My favorite shark has always been the Blacktip reef shark. So I figured what better present to myself than to finally get to meet those adorable lil guys in person. It seems pretty clear that French Polynesia is a no brainer. We live on the east coast of the US, so I understand this next trip will be expensive. I added up the ballpark total cost of a trip there. There are plenty of reasonable packages with hotel and flight from LA, but once I started adding food and drink the numbers became less realistic for me. I'll be paying for both me and my girlfriend, I decided to at least explore some other options.

Are there any slightly more affordable indo-pacific destinations where you can consistently see Blacktip reef sharks while both diving and snorkeling? I have looked into Maldives, Red Sea, Fiji, and the Philippines. Maldives has some great all-inclusive packages in January and February but from what I've read, I may want to wait until we have a few more dives under our belts to travel there. Or is our diving experience not a big deal? Red Sea seems very hit or miss for blacktip reef sharks from what I can tell. When looking into Fiji, every Google/Reddit/Scubaboard/Youtube search with the word "shark" included is flooded with Beqa Lagoon shark dive results. Is there anywhere in Fiji with large amounts of Blacktip reef sharks? I have also considered liveaboards but my girlfriend gets seasick easily so that is a less desirable option for her.

I'm sure someone knows of some Blacktip reef Hotspots! Thank you and happy diving!

 

[scubaozy]

Hello Scubaboard! I've been lurking here for a while and appreciate everything I've learned just from reading the forums from the sidelines. My girlfriend and I are new divers (OW, Nitrox) with 23 dives logged. We live on the east coast of the US, and so far we have only dove the Caribbean. We finished our certification dives on a trip to Cozumel in October last year, and spent the rest of the vacation diving. This year, we spent a week in Curacao and loved it. We both have the bug bad and now that we are back, its time for me to plan our next trip.

A little background: Ever since I was a kid I have been OBSESSED with sharks, and always knew that I would learn to dive. Unfortunately, life got in the way and last year was the first time I was really able to slow down and make time for a new hobby. Fast forward to now, my big 30th is coming up in January and I am looking to plan a trip around then. My favorite shark has always been the Blacktip reef shark. So I figured what better present to myself than to finally get to meet those adorable lil guys in person. It seems pretty clear that French Polynesia is a no brainer. We live on the east coast of the US, so I understand this next trip will be expensive. I added up the ballpark total cost of a trip there. There are plenty of reasonable packages with hotel and flight from LA, but once I started adding food and drink the numbers became less realistic for me. I'll be paying for both me and my girlfriend, I decided to at least explore some other options.

Are there any slightly more affordable indo-pacific destinations where you can consistently see Blacktip reef sharks while both diving and snorkeling? I have looked into Maldives, Red Sea, Fiji, and the Philippines. Maldives has some great all-inclusive packages in January and February but from what I've read, I may want to wait until we have a few more dives under our belts to travel there. Or is our diving experience not a big deal? Red Sea seems very hit or miss for blacktip reef sharks from what I can tell. When looking into Fiji, every Google/Reddit/Scubaboard/Youtube search with the word "shark" included is flooded with Beqa Lagoon shark dive results. Is there anywhere in Fiji with large amounts of Blacktip reef sharks? I have also considered liveaboards but my girlfriend gets seasick easily so that is a less desirable option for her.

I'm sure someone knows of some Blacktip reef Hotspots! Thank you and happy diving!

For blacktips, it is hard to beat Maldives. Diving there can be a little more difficult for the inexperienced but you will see BT during snorkeling as well. So, I would book a Maldives resort with a decent house reef. Embudu, Bandos, Eriyadu, Ellaidhoo are to name a few.
I am sure there are other islands that are great as well like Top 10 Best House Reefs in Maldives 2022 - 10 Maldives Resorts with Best House Reef for Snorkeling.

 

[Centrals]

How about thresher shark in Malapascua(Philippines).
I believe it is more beautiful than Black tip.

"Thresher Shark" 影像 – 瀏覽 4,446 個素材庫相片、向量圖和影片

為下一個專案搜尋數千個免版稅 "Thresher Shark" 素材庫影像和影片。在 Adobe Stock 下載免版稅素材庫相片、向量圖、HD 高畫質影片片段及更多內容。

stock.adobe.com

But the site(24m) is beyond OW recommended range(18m).

Stay Raja Ampat: The best Raja Ampat accommodation & travel information source

Traditional Papuan accommodation is the best value Raja Ampat accommodation available. Here's all you need to plan a visit and book your stay in paradise.

www.stayrajaampat.com

Economical and highly recommended.

 

[STEMI]

For blacktips, it is hard to beat Maldives. Diving there can be a little more difficult for the inexperienced but you will see BT during snorkeling as well. So, I would book a Maldives resort with a decent house reef. Embudu, Bandos, Eriyadu, Ellaidhoo are to name a few.
I am sure there are other islands that are great as well like Top 10 Best House Reefs in Maldives 2022 - 10 Maldives Resorts with Best House Reef for Snorkeling.

Thank you for the response! If we end up going to Maldives, what is the likelihood of us being the only OW divers? Will this put a damper on the dives or make it less enjoyable for the more experienced divers? We are new, but we have made great progress on our buoyancy and air consumption. We also got certified in Cozumel during a week leading up to a Norte, and were diving in some pretty steady currents. I understand that isn't comparable to the currents that can be experienced in Maldives, but a good amount of our dives have been drift dives. I just hate the thought of taking any enjoyment whatsoever out of someone else's dive trip.

 

[STEMI]

How about thresher shark in Malapascua(Philippines).
I believe it is more beautiful than Black tip.

"Thresher Shark" 影像 – 瀏覽 4,446 個素材庫相片、向量圖和影片

為下一個專案搜尋數千個免版稅 "Thresher Shark" 素材庫影像和影片。在 Adobe Stock 下載免版稅素材庫相片、向量圖、HD 高畫質影片片段及更多內容。

stock.adobe.com

But the site(24m) is beyond OW recommended range(18m).

Stay Raja Ampat: The best Raja Ampat accommodation & travel information source

Traditional Papuan accommodation is the best value Raja Ampat accommodation available. Here's all you need to plan a visit and book your stay in paradise.

www.stayrajaampat.com

Economical and highly recommended.

The Thresher shark dives are definitely on the bucket list as they are my girlfriend's favorite shark. I have always been fascinated by them and can't wait to get to see one. Although I agree that some could reasonably argue that they are more beautiful, my primary goal of this trip is to get my fill of Blacktip reef sharks. Are Blacktip reefs very common on dives/snorkeling in the Philippines? We have briefly visited 24m, and with more experience I'm sure we will grow more comfortable at that depth, so the Thresher sharks would definitely be a HUGE bonus!

 

[Centrals]

The Thresher shark dives are definitely on the bucket list as they are my girlfriend's favorite shark. I have always been fascinated by them and can't wait to get to see one. Although I agree that some could reasonably argue that they are more beautiful, my primary goal of this trip is to get my fill of Blacktip reef sharks. Are Blacktip reefs very common on dives/snorkeling in the Philippines? We have briefly visited 24m, and with more experience I'm sure we will grow more comfortable at that depth, so the Thresher sharks would definitely be a HUGE bonus!

Whitetip is far more common in Philippines. But even then the sighting of them is getting less and less frequent. I think Blacktip is relatively easy to spot in Indonesia eg. Komodo and Raja Ampat.
If you are keen of seeing various type of sharks then Cocos Island in Costa Rica is a good place but the LOB is EXPENSIVE. Done it once and no more.

Good luck for your quench of Blacktip.

 

[scubaozy]

Thank you for the response! If we end up going to Maldives, what is the likelihood of us being the only OW divers? Will this put a damper on the dives or make it less enjoyable for the more experienced divers? We are new, but we have made great progress on our buoyancy and air consumption. We also got certified in Cozumel during a week leading up to a Norte, and were diving in some pretty steady currents. I understand that isn't comparable to the currents that can be experienced in Maldives, but a good amount of our dives have been drift dives. I just hate the thought of taking any enjoyment whatsoever out of someone else's dive trip.

I do not recommend a liveaboard but a resort is ok for the less experienced. At the end, some people do their owd there, those are the only conditions they will know. You will most likely be separated into groups and being just owd can stop you from going to some of the deeper and challenging dives like the channel dives and most of the thila dives. January and February is the high season, it is more likely to be sunny and dry, so, that is positive.
Clearly, more experience you have, the more you will get out of it but if your goal is to see blacktip reef sharks, you do not even have to dive, often juveniles are cruising around in the shallows, so, you will see them snorkeling.

 

[also_anon_dc]

I'll be the naysayer here and chime in that before you book a bucket list trip you should get your AOW certification. You never know how strict a dive op is and you don't want to get shut out of dives because you can't go deeper than 60'. Getting your AOW doesn't make you an advanced diver but it's the gauge of what most dive ops use as to whether you can attempt the more challenging dives or not. You'll definitely miss out on stuff in any of these destinations if you aren't AOW and why waste money on a bucket list trip and not be able to experience all the diving?

 

[STEMI]

I do not recommend a liveaboard but a resort is ok for the less experienced. At the end, some people do their owd there, those are the only conditions they will know. You will most likely be separated into groups and being just owd can stop you from going to some of the deeper and challenging dives like the channel dives and most of the thila dives. January and February is the high season, it is more likely to be sunny and dry, so, that is positive.
Clearly, more experience you have, the more you will get out of it but if your goal is to see blacktip reef sharks, you do not even have to dive, often juveniles are cruising around in the shallows, so, you will see them snorkeling.

A resort is ideal for sure. And thats just what I wanted to here for the Blacktips. Thank you very much. Perhaps I'll talk to my girlfriend about getting our AOW while we are there.

 

[STEMI]

I'll be the naysayer here and chime in that before you book a bucket list trip you should get your AOW certification. You never know how strict a dive op is and you don't want to get shut out of dives because you can't go deeper than 60'. Getting your AOW doesn't make you an advanced diver but it's the gauge of what most dive ops use as to whether you can attempt the more challenging dives or not. You'll definitely miss out on stuff in any of these destinations if you aren't AOW and why waste money on a bucket list trip and not be able to experience all the diving?

I appreciate your feedback. I'm going to look in to getting our AOW on our next trip, regardless of where we go.