International Diving Centre Shark's friends

The dive centre (Sharks Friends) is situated in the grounds of our chosen 4*+ all-inclusive hotel, Be Live Brisas Sta Lucia. Home of the famous 'Bull Shark' dives (from June to January), a number of great quality wrecks, and awesome reef and wall diving from the beach make this a perfect base for your diving holiday.

Sharks Friends – a purpose built dive centre on the edge of the powder soft beach, run by a group of really warm and friendly people who are passionate about diving, and passionate about providing a quality service in a relaxed fashion.

Macau, Erik, Jordy, Mikael, Oro and Lazaro will welcome you, check your certification cards and insurance details, issue you your kit where needed, and then plan your dives over a cold drink on the terrace. They all have excellent relationships with the hotel Management, and nothing is too much to ask of these people – just see for yourselves!

Diving here is done from the beachfront, and the 30+ dive sites are accessed by powerboats that are equipped with all of the necessary safety equipment.

The diving is excellent – and because of its offshore reef system, diving in inclement weather is still very possible. Several excellent wrecks, from a 1800 merchant ship to a recently sunk trawler sitting upright and intact on the edge of a great wall, offer the seasoned 'wreckie' some good options. The walls are again stunning – deep, dark and atmospheric, and sightings of turtles, large grouper, tuna, snapper and the like are common. Macro life in the soft coral gardens is again excellent, but the real highlight of diving in Sta Lucia has to be the word famous bull shark dive.

A ten minute coach ride takes you to the inland channel, where you kit up and drop in off the shore based platform. At 5 metres you will see the bows of the Nueva Mortera, a late 1800's wreck sunk in the main port channel. Descend to the stern (24 metres) and drop down to the sea bed – a shelved sandbank – and be prepared for the treat of your life!

5 metres ahead of you, the dive guides and instructors will be feeding bull sharks. There are up to 12 resident females that use the channel as their home for part of their breeding cycle, and even at 3.5 metres long, weighing approximately 300kgs, they sedately swim in procession to take small scraps of fish from the instructors. The wreck is right behind you, and the sharks stay out well in front. For over 15 years this has been a regular event, and the sharks seem to know the rules!

After c.25 minutes (when the very small amount of food runs out), swim up through the wreck, complete your safety stop, and exit the water with your adrenaline still pumping! Don't forget to take your camera, and a fresh set of batteries is imperative for this dive!
This shark experience is simply phenomenal – you will never forget the experience of being so close to such large, powerful yet majestic creatures who behave in such a sedate and relaxed manner.

Please be very aware that this specific dive is only available once per day at slack water (the currents in the channel can run very strongly, and diver-safety is paramount), and whilst the sharks are almost always there, there is no guarantee that they will be in the months of February to June, when they often spend time in deeper waters.

Make sure you plan your trip with this in mind – it is too good an experience to miss! Sta Lucia is a 'must-do' resort, whether it be for a fortnight, week, or even just a couple of days as part of your overall trip. Don't miss out on it!