How to get work as a "shark diver"?

It's the time of the year, when we get a steady stream of emails and letters, asking for advise oh how to become a "shark diver"  Do you need a biology degree? Do you have to be a divemaster or diveinstructor? I'm a student, interested in sharks, how do I get a job with you? Shark diving, diving with Great White Sharks, Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks and hammerheads.
How do I answer these questions? After 13 years of diving with sharks for a living, I can't give you a good, general answer. There are so many variables. Where are you from? Where do you want to work? Do you have a work permit for the country you want to work in? These are all things that may be more important than the education you have. Cage diving, swimming with sharks at Guadalupe Islandis our specialty
The most important thing to know is this. You really, really have to want it. There are very few jobs available and thousands of people who want them. Don't be discouraged by the bad odds, in my case, I grew up in Switzerland, failed biology in school and used to be afraid of sharks, so how difficult can it be?

When you do get a job, it may not be exactly what you pictured it to be.  If you work for us, you will be working on a boat. There are long hours, typically 12 hrs. per day. You will be making chum (not as glamorous as it sounds), cleaning heads and pulling midnight watches. There is very little privacy and your quarters on the boat are cramped. How about time off? Ahhh, not so much. We do back to back trips and you may only have a couple of hrs. off, between trips. You could work 30 days, without a day off. Shark week, bucket list, shark adventure, cage diving, Tiger shark, Hammerhead
Still interested? I can't speak for any other shark diving companies, but here is what you need, if you would like to work with us.

First of all, you have to be reliable, safety conscious and mature! We are working with Great White Sharks and we can't afford to have someone goof off! We specialize in safe and sane shark diving! Guadalupe Island, Shark diving mexico, swimming with sharks,
You have to be able to legally work in the US. We will not be able to get you a work permit.   

You need the physical ability to handle cages, lines, weights, anchors etc.

Previous work experience on a boat, a DM or SCUBA Instructor rating and a marine biology degree are a plus.

We are working closely with SEACAMP San Diego and have hired many of their staff members in the past. Getting a recommendation from them is a huge plus! Generally, the more experience you have, the better your chances.

When we have an opening, we will post it here and let you know, what the specific qualifications are. Good luck!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO
Shark Diver


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.