Cocos Island
Costa Rica
"Hundreds of scalloped hammerheads school above the scenic sea mounts of Cocos Island," DeHart says. Here, you'll probably spot massive manta rays, bright-orange frogfish and "whitetip reef sharks hunting like packs of wolves for small fish hidden in the reef." The island, often described as "a jungle rising out of the ocean," is one of Costa Rica's many national parks and home to waterfalls and wildlife galore. Note: Getting to this remote spot is tricky; it's more than 300 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica and requires a 36-hour boat ride. visitcostarica.com
Isla Mujeres
Mexico
It's not unheard of to spot 50 whale sharks congregating here in summer, DeHart says. Better yet, you can get close enough to the gentle giants to clearly see the perfectly patterned pale yellow dots and stripes on their skin. "Leave your (scuba) tanks at home, though, as snorkeling is the method for encounters with these huge plankton-feeding sharks," DeHart says. visitmexico.com
Great Barrier Reef
Queensland, Australia
Take a trip to the treasured waters of the Great Barrier Reef, or "GBR" as the locals call it, for a peek at such tropical sharks as blacktip reef sharks and wobbegongs, a carpet shark named for its bold, tapestry-like markings. Plus, with barrier reefs spanning more than 1,400 miles, you'll be drifting through a haven of 360 species of hard coral and 1,500 species of fish. That means seahorses, leopard moray eels and bright-yellow angelfish are bound to make a cameo. destinationqueensland.com
KwaZulu-Natal coast
South Africa
"Best known for its great-white-shark diving, South Africa also has tiger sharks and bull sharks, locally known as Zambezi sharks," DeHart says. "If you are up for a true adventure, plan your trip for the annual sardine run, when copper sharks show up by the hundreds." The phenomenon involves millions of sardines migrating northward along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline from June to August with great whites, copper sharks, dolphins and cape gannets in pursuit. If you're lucky, you'll spot humpback whales, too. southafrica.net
Galapagos Islands
Ecuador
"Made famous by Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are one of the few places on Earth where scalloped hammerheads are listed as one of the 20 most common fish sighted by divers," DeHart says. "This natural wonder has had increased pressure due to tourism; so when visiting, take only pictures and leave only bubbles." govisitgalapagos.com
Palau Shark Sanctuary
Palau
"In response to increased fishing for sharks and, in particular, the practice of 'finning' — removing the sharks' fins and discarding the body — the island nation of Palau established the world's first shark sanctuary," DeHart says. The sanctuary prohibits commercial fishing of any shark species within its 230,000-square-mile area, roughly the size of France. "Palau, along with many other nations, is realizing that sharks are worth more in tourism dollars than as a commercial fishery," DeHart says. sharksanctuary.com
Guadalupe Island
Mexico
Thanks to the area's crystal-clear blue waters, this is "hands-down the best place to photograph and film enormous great white sharks," DeHart says. "The boat ride there is certainly a long one, but the reward is well worth it." Guadalupe Island, 150 miles offshore of Mexico's Pacific coast, is between temperate and subtropical ecozones, which results in an interesting mix of fish, including yellowfin tuna, strange-looking zooplankton and butterflyfish. visitmexico.com
Outer Banks
North Carolina
"This area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic due to its high number of shipwrecks," DeHart says. "These shipwrecks attract numerous fish, which in turn attract the sand tiger sharks. Dozens of these sharks hover like zeppelins around these wrecks. This is one of the few places on earth where shark encounters are almost a guarantee with no chum or bait of any kind." 800-847-4862; visitnc.com
The Bahamas
"With hundreds of islands surrounded by gin-clear water, this is shark central," DeHart says. "The Bahamas offer shark encounters for all adventure levels, from first-timers diving with 30 Caribbean reef sharks at a time in New Providence to face-to-face encounters with the feared tiger shark at the world famous Tiger Beach off Grand Bahama." bahamas.com
Channel Islands
California
"A number of shark species live in and around the dense kelp forests that are as impressive as the state's redwood forests on land," DeHart says. This is a great place to see blue sharks, horn sharks and the Pacific angel shark that uses stealth to ambush its prey." The Channel Islands are known for rich biological diversity, historic shipwrecks and sea caves. 805-658-5730; nps.gov/chis
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