According to a recent report by El Nuevo Día, two companies on Puerto Rico’s southern coast offer trips where guests can dive or snorkel with sharks. The newspaper writes, citing the Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico (CTPR), that Blue Kings PR and Island Scuba currently lack the certification required for nautical tourism activities.
The wording is important: First of all, it concerns the proof of operation required by the Puerto Rican tourism authority. The report does not automatically prove that all other licenses, qualifications or safety credentials from the two providers are missing. Diving association certificates, boat registration, captain’s licenses and tourism law approval are different things.
Certification is not optional
The obligation arises from Law 241 of 2010. Section 4 requires any person or legal entity offering nautical tourism activities to be certified by the CTPR. It is valid for two years and must then be renewed. Section 5 prohibits the offering of such services unless the relevant certification has been applied for and granted.
On its Legal and regulations page of the tourism company, the CTPR also maintains the regulations 8855 for nautical tourism activities and tourist marinas. This is not just a seal of quality for particularly sustainable providers. Certification is part of the legal framework for the operation. Because it is temporary, a company can appear in older directories or recommendations and still not currently have a valid certificate.
What El Nuevo Día reports about the two operators
Blue Kings PR mainly promotes shark-snorkeling trips off Santa Isabel, while Island Scuba departs from Guánica for dive trips along the southwest coast. According to the newspaper, the tourism authority confirmed that neither company currently holds the required certification. Haitauchen.com was unable to verify their status independently in a complete public register; the statement is therefore presented explicitly as information the authority supplied to the newspaper.
The description of the businesses as “pirate companies” comes from the headline of the Puerto Rican report. More precisely, they are operators that, according to the cited authority, are allegedly operating without the required tourism certification. The freely accessible part of the report does not establish whether administrative proceedings, a fine, or a legally binding decision already exist.
The second question: Under what conditions may sharks be attracted?
In addition to the certification status, El Nuevo Día describes a legal gray area regarding practices associated with shark trips. The authorities therefore admitted that their ability to intervene in individual points was limited. The missing CTPR certification must therefore be separated from the ecological and fishing law assessment of the handling of the animals.
The Information from the Ministry of the Environment DRNA for protected natural areas is clear on the matter: wild animals should neither be fed nor attracted with food, noises or other stimuli. This could change natural feeding cycles, accustom animals to people and create health risks. However, these behavioral instructions alone do not answer which specific sanction norm is applicable to every form of shark luring outside of a protected area. This is exactly where the enforcement gap described can arise.
Conflict with fisheries
The report also identifies obstacles to local fisheries. When sharks are regularly tied to a particular location with food or smell, animals can temporarily gather around boats or fishing sites. For fishermen, this can mean that catches are damaged or an area is temporarily less usable. However, it cannot be deduced from this that a single tour changes the behavior of a population in the long term. This would require systematic observations.
From a shark protection perspective, it is also difficult to give a general answer. Responsibly conducted encounters can impart knowledge and make the economic value of live sharks visible. Heavy or uncontrolled feeding, on the other hand, can change behavior, exacerbate conflicts and increase risks for animals, guests and other users of the sea. Clear rules, transparent methods, small groups and effective supervision are crucial.
What travelers should check before booking
For travelers, this case is a good reason to check more than reviews and diving certifications. A reputable operator should be able to explain which official permits apply to the boat, crew, and tourism business and whether they are current. Clear information about whether and how sharks are attracted is equally important.
- Show valid CTPR certification for nautical tourism activities.
- Ask for boat registration, captain qualifications and safety equipment.
- Clarify whether food or other attractants are used.
- Pay attention to safety briefing, group size and termination criteria.
- Avoid vendors who encourage touching, chasing, or harassing sharks.