This is a form of eco-tourism rooted in educating communities toward understanding that sharks are more valuable alive than dead. Instead of opting for a one-time economic benefit of harvesting sharks for their body parts, local dive communities offer conscientious tourists the opportunity for close up encounters with live sharks.
At Scuba10 we are proud of our pioneer membership in Playa del Carmen’s first Shark Protection Association- S.O.S. We are working with the fisherman and local dive shops to ensure the protection of our bull shark population. Our work benefits all; fishermen get a percentage of the money collected from Bull Shark dives, diving promotes the local tourist industry, and in turn the tourism generates a stronger tax base for our local government. Most importantly, the sharks themselves are free to thrive and fulfill their invaluable role in the local ecosystem. The association and the diving community have created a manual of Safe Shark Diving Practices aiming to show tourists and locals that shark diving benefits the local economy without harming the shark population.