Do I need special training for my first shark dive?

No. Open Water certification is sufficient to dive with sharks at Daedalus Reef on the Blue Trail (15–20m). No shark specialty course, no minimum logged dives and no additional certification is required for the Pelagic Trail. Advanced Open Water unlocks the deeper Red Trail (25–40m) — that course is available aboard mid-trip for €280.

Will I definitely see sharks on my first dive?

Encounters cannot be guaranteed — these are wild animals. During the May–October hammerhead season, the vast majority of dives on the Blue Trail produce hammerhead encounters. Oceanic whitetips at Elphinstone are present year-round. Grey reef sharks are seen on virtually every dive at Brothers Islands.

Is it safe to dive with sharks if I am nervous?

Yes. The briefing is specifically designed to address nervousness: not by minimising what you will see, but by giving you a precise understanding of what will happen and exactly what to do. Divers who follow their briefing and stay with the group have a safe dive. Nervousness tends to disappear within the first 60 seconds of the dive.

What is the best month for a first shark dive in the Red Sea?

September and October are the best all-round window for first-time shark divers — hammerheads present, whitetips building toward peak, water 27–29°C. May and June produce the most reliable shallow hammerhead encounters and are best for OWD divers. July and August have the highest numbers but hammerheads hold deeper — AOWD recommended.

What happens if a shark comes very close to me?

Go vertical, make eye contact, move slowly toward the reef or your group. Do not swim away rapidly. The guide will be watching and will position themselves between the shark and the group if necessary. This is covered in detail in the pre-dive briefing.

Which itinerary should I choose for my first shark dive?

The Pelagic Trail is the right choice for most first-time shark divers — open to OWD, covers Daedalus hammerheads, Elphinstone whitetips and Sataya dolphins in one 7-night week, from €813 all-inclusive. AOWD divers wanting deeper access and the full southern circuit should consider the Golden Mix (from €813, final season 2026).

⚓ First shark dive in the Red Sea — Open Water certified, from €813 — check available dates →

What to Expect from Your First Shark Dive — Complete Guide

Preparation, the briefing, behaviour underwater, what you will see and how the day actually runs — everything a first-time shark diver needs to know before getting in the water.

From 813 € pp

OWD+

Min. certification

Shark species possible

Full briefing

Before every shark dive

Year-round

Season at Daedalus

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Before you go — preparation and certification

The most common question before a first shark dive is whether it requires special training or experience. In the Red Sea, the answer is straightforward: Open Water certification is enough to dive with sharks at Daedalus Reef on the Blue Trail at 15–20m. No shark specialty, no extra course, no minimum number of logged dives — just a valid OWD card and a willingness to follow the briefing.

What you need	OWD (Open Water)	AOWD (Advanced Open Water)
Certification required	✔ OWD card valid	✔ AOWD card valid
Minimum logged dives	No minimum for Pelagic Trail	50 dives for BDE itinerary
Daedalus Blue Trail (15–20m)	✔ Hammerheads, whitetips	✔ Yes
Daedalus Red Trail (25–40m)	✘ Exceeds OWD depth limit	✔ Schooling formations
Shark specialty course needed	✔ No — not required	✔ No — not required
AOWD upgrade aboard	Available mid-trip — €280	Already certified

Before departure, there is nothing special to prepare beyond what you would pack for any liveaboard trip. No extra reading is required. No underwater exercises. The preparation that matters happens on the boat — in the briefing room, on the morning of the first shark dive.

“

“I was nervous the whole night before. Then I was in the water and there were forty of them below us — and the only feeling I had was that I didn’t want it to end.”

— Laura, first-time shark diver, Pelagic Trail 2025

The shark briefing — what happens on deck

Every shark dive at Daedalus, Elphinstone and Brothers Islands begins with a full species briefing on deck. This is not a safety disclaimer read from a laminated card. It is a specific, operational preparation for the exact dive you are about to do — and it is the most important 15 minutes of the day.

Briefing element	What the guide covers
Species present	Which sharks were seen at this site on the last dive — not a generic list but real, current sightings from the previous day or that morning.
Where they will be	Depth, position on the reef — whether hammerheads are on the north plateau or deeper, whether whitetips are mid-water or near the wall.
How they behave	Species-specific behaviour — hammerheads pass and school, whitetips approach and circle, threshers appear briefly at dawn, grey reef sharks may display. What each means and what to do.
Correct diver response	Body position (vertical not horizontal), eye contact, movement speed, what to do if a shark approaches closely. Rehearsed before descent — not improvised underwater.
Hand signals	Guide signals specific to that dive — shark sighted, direction, immediate ascent required. Every diver knows what each signal means before entering the water.
HEPCA site rules	Marine park regulations specific to that site — no surface swimming, group size on the plateau, descent sequence. These are mandatory, not advisory.

First-time shark divers consistently report that the briefing removes the anxiety — not by telling you there is nothing to worry about, but by giving you a clear picture of exactly what will happen and exactly what you will do. Uncertainty is what makes people nervous. The briefing removes the uncertainty.

Underwater — what to expect dive by dive

A typical shark dive at Daedalus Reef on the Pelagic Trail runs as follows. Times are approximate — the dive follows the animals, not a schedule.

Phase	What happens	Depth
Descent	Zodiac drops group at the north plateau. Descent is fast and clean — no hanging at the surface. Guide leads down. First sharks may appear during descent.	Surface → 15m
Plateau position	Group settles on the plateau edge, kneeling or hovering. Stay still. Hammerheads typically appear within the first 5 minutes — passing below or at eye level in formation.	15–20m
Main encounter	Schools pass in formation — 10 to 100+ individuals depending on season. Oceanic whitetips may approach the group directly. Stay vertical. Maintain eye contact. Follow guide.	15–20m
Reef section	Guide leads group along the wall — grey reef sharks patrol here year-round. Additional pelagic species (silkies, occasional threshers) in the blue beyond the wall edge.	10–20m
Ascent & safety stop	Guide signals ascent. Safety stop at 5m in vertical position, scanning 360°. Do not ascend on the anchor line — ascend in open water. Zodiac picks up group at the surface.	5m → surface

On a 7-night Pelagic Trail, Daedalus Reef receives two full days of diving — typically 3 dives per day, dawn dive plus two daytime dives. The dawn dive is consistently the best for hammerhead encounters: schools are shallower, larger and the light in the water is extraordinary. First-time shark divers who have done the dawn dive at Daedalus uniformly describe it as the best dive of their life.

Ready to book your first shark dive?

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How to behave around sharks — the five rules

These five rules cover the vast majority of situations a first-time shark diver will encounter at Daedalus or Elphinstone. The guide will cover all of them in the briefing — this is a reference, not a replacement for the briefing.

01 Stay vertical

✔ Do

Fins down, body upright — especially when a shark approaches

✖ Don’t

Float horizontal — this mimics prey posture

02 Maintain eye contact

✔ Do

Face the shark, watch it calmly — this signals awareness

✖ Don’t

Turn your back — signals you are unaware of it

03 Move slowly

✔ Do

Calm, deliberate movements — slow down if you feel anxious

✖ Don’t

Swim rapidly away — the worst possible response

04 Stay with the group

✔ Do

Stay tight to the guide — a group is less interesting to a shark than a lone diver

✖ Don’t

Drift away to follow a shark alone

05 Follow the guide instantly

✔ Do

React to the ascent signal immediately — no hesitation

✖ Don’t

Ignore the signal to get one more photo

The most common mistake on a first shark dive is not fear — it is excitement-driven inattention. A hammerhead appears, the diver tilts horizontal to get a better angle, drifts from the group and stops watching the guide. The guide’s job is to watch for exactly this. Stay with the group, stay vertical, and let the sharks come to you — they will.

Want access to deeper sites?

Upgrade to AOWD During Your Trip

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver courses run aboard MY JPMarine every week. Complete your certification mid-trip and unlock the Red Trail at Daedalus Reef — where the largest hammerhead formations school at 25–40m.

View Courses Aboard →

Life aboard — the full week structure

A 7-night Pelagic Trail liveaboard follows a consistent daily structure. Understanding the rhythm of the week helps set expectations — particularly for divers who have never done a liveaboard before.

Day	Programme	Notes
Saturday	Transfer → check-in aboard → safety briefing → dinner	Airport transfers included within the defined timeframe from Hurghada airport
Sunday	2–3 dives — Marsa Alam area reefs	Warm-up dives — check weights, equipment, buoyancy. No sharks here — that’s what Monday is for.
Mon–Tue	🦈 Daedalus Reef — 3 dives per day including dawn dive	Hammerheads, oceanic whitetips, silky sharks. Dawn dive 06:00 — always the best.
Wednesday	🦈 Elphinstone Reef — 3 dives	Oceanic whitetips — the most direct shark approach of the trip. Different experience to Daedalus.
Thursday	🐬 Sataya Dolphin House — 3 dives	100+ spinner dolphins. Swimming with wild dolphins in the lagoon — not a shark dive but consistently rated the most emotional dive of the week.
Friday	2–3 dives — return transit	Reef dives on the return. Final dive log check. Last dinner aboard.
Saturday	Check-out 08:00 → transfer to airport	Marsa Alam airport ~10:00 · Hurghada airport ~12:00–14:00

✔️ All meals included — breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks between dives
✔️ Free nitrox — 32% available on all dives at no extra cost
✔️ 18–21 dives scheduled across the week
✔️ Equipment rental available aboard — BCD, regulators, wetsuit, mask, fins
✔️ PADI AOWD course available mid-trip — €280, upgrades your depth access from day 3

Which itinerary for a first shark dive

For a first shark dive, the choice is straightforward. Two itineraries include Daedalus Reef as the primary shark site. The difference is certification level and what else the week covers.

Itinerary	Best for	Cert.	From
🦈 Pelagic Trail	First shark dive — OWD welcome, widest species range	OWD+	813 €
Golden Mix Final 2026	AOWD divers wanting maximum depth access + southern circuit	AOWD	813 €
BDE — Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone	Experienced divers — 50+ dives, strong currents, 5 shark species	AOWD + 50 dives	813 €

The Pelagic Trail is the right first shark dive trip for the vast majority of divers reading this article. It is open to OWD, covers Daedalus hammerheads, Elphinstone whitetips and Sataya dolphins in one week, runs year-round, and starts at €813 all-inclusive. If you hold AOWD and want the Red Trail formations at Daedalus plus the complete southern circuit, the Golden Mix is the answer — but book soon, it ends permanently after the 2026 season.