Shark Addicts runs shark excursions from Jupiter on Florida’s Atlantic coast into the Gulf Stream. The experience is aimed at confident swimmers who want to observe free-swimming sharks while snorkeling or freediving in small groups in open water.
Diving with sharks
No scuba certification is required. Participants must be strong swimmers and comfortable in the open ocean; masks and snorkels are used in the water. Guests who prefer not to enter the water may remain aboard as observers.
Possible encounters include bull, silky, blacktip, sandbar, dusky, spinner, tiger and lemon sharks. Hammerhead and reef sharks may also appear, without the available information supporting a more specific identification. Which animals arrive depends on weather, current, visibility, water temperature and the route taken that day.
Earlier excursions used a bait crate and direct hand-feeding. The current procedure is not described publicly in detail. Guests who care about a particular feeding method or want a trip without baiting should ask how the tour is currently conducted before booking.
Seasonal shark species
Bull and lemon sharks may occur throughout the year, with larger lemon-shark aggregations especially possible in winter. Silky sharks mainly pass through from May to September and sandbar sharks from March to October. Blacktip sharks usually peak from January to March, while spinner sharks are most prominent from November to April. February through May are considered especially favorable months for tiger sharks.
Dusky sharks may also appear, but no clearly defined monthly window is available for them. Even within the periods listed above, every encounter depends on daily conditions and the animals’ behavior; neither a particular species nor a specific number of sharks can be guaranteed.
Small groups and trip details
A trip lasts about two and a half to three hours and includes up to 75–90 minutes in the water. Each tour carries no more than six guests. Usual time slots are 8–11 a.m. and noon–3 p.m., with arrival 30 minutes before departure. Masks, snorkels, fins, gloves and rashguards are available, and guests may use their own dark-colored equipment. The minimum age is ten; minors need a parent or legal guardian’s consent and supervision. Private charters and photo or video packages are also available.
