Shark Feeder Ramon explainging to new shark divers the safety rules when diving with bull sharks. On the TV screen is Chino.
We left Baja and flew to Playa del Carmen, MX. to celebrate the life of Carlos, Chino’s son.
While in town, I went for a dive to say hi to the bull sharks here.
Chino, the owner of Phantom Divers, is someone I’m proud to call a friend. I’ve known him and his crew for years. We’ve shared water, stories, long nights, and a mission that has never really been about business, it’s been about protecting sharks.
When we first began telling the story of Playa’s bull sharks, it wasn’t obvious that this could become what it is today.
There was pressure. Fishing. Misunderstanding. Fear.
Over time, through relentless effort and heart, Chino and the crew of Phantom Diver’s worked to build something different, a conservation model rooted in education and sustainable eco-tourism.
This evolved into the SOS: Saving Our Sharks Organization.
shark fishermen turning in their tools of the trade in hopes of creating a better life for themselves and their families. July 14, 2022.
They worked relentlessly to protect Playa’s bull shark population and when they succeeded in helping these sharks, they set their sights elsewhere.
More recently, their conservation work off Isla Mujeres, is helping shift the culture from shark fishing toward shark eco-tourism.
That project has been in motion for four years now, and the signs of success are real.
What’s happening is the growing shark populations around Isla Mujeres are beginning to ripple outward, toward Cancun, and especially toward Playa del Carmen.
Talking to the Shark Fishermen on July 14, 2022, that first meeting sharing my thoughts on eco-tourism and how they can all benefit from live sharks, vs dead ones.
And the proof is in the water.
For the past four years, the shark fishermen have stopped catching sharks commercially and now the amount of sharks that are being seen in Playa has more than doubled.
I had the chance to spend a day diving with the bulls and see this for myself.
I’ve been diving here since 2009. I know what these dives used to look like.
This time? I was blown away.
We had 17 bull sharks on this dive… 17!
It wasn’t subtle. It was a hell of a show.
The Wild Minute Episode 43
The water was alive with sharks. Big sharks were everywhere.
It was awesome.
Seeing that many sharks on this dive consistently doesn’t happen by accident.
That happens because people fought for it.
It was so amazing to see the results and work of so many people.
When shark fishing turns into shark eco-tourism, everyone benefits.
Not just the divers.
Hotels. Airports. Restaurants. Taxi drivers. Tourist shops.
Entire communities benefit.
Conservation done right doesn’t take away income… it creates better income.
And the sharks live.
The bulls of Playa are not just animals to us.
They are part of a story that spans years, and friendships that run deep.
Diving that day felt different.
Full…
Grateful…
Proud.
There is still so much work to do.
But when you see that many sharks in the water, you know something is working.
And that’s worth fighting for.