Basking Shark Map

FAQ’s

Swimming Fingal's cave

Swimming & Snorkelling


Do I need any qualifications or experience?

No qualifications are necessary to come on our trips. All interactions are snorkel based so no SCUBA qualifications are required.

Snorkel experience is not required but would be advantageous in order to get the best from the trip. The more confident you are the better.

You MUST be able to swim at least 100m in open water unaided. Our shark interactions are in open exposed water. Your wetsuit will aid your buoyancy but you should be comfortable in these conditions.

See our “Who Is This Suitable For?” FAQ for more info.

Can I come if I don't want to get in the water?

You are very welcome on our tours. You will have a great experience watching all of the action from the boat without getting wet. You will be able to help us collate wildlife sightings which will help with our on-going research. You are able to participate in all other activities offered during our excursion such as island landings to see puffins and Fingal’s cave. You will still need to book a space on the boat – please comment that you are not going to swim.

We also run full, non-swimming charters, island landings, passenger transport and more so please get in touch if you have bespoke requests.

What is the water temperature & visibility?

Sea temperatures can range from around 8-16°C in spring, summer & autumn. Visibility in the water can vary – our sharks like to swim in plankton soup, so sharks swims might not offer clear water. Average underwater visibility would be 4-10m inshore and 10-30m offshore. Shark swims are usually 4-10m

Sea conditions are closely monitored by skippers and guides – we we will only swim when safe to do so. However this will depend on a lot of different factors.

Can I swim instead of snorkel?

Yes! Many of the bay areas that we visit are perfect for wild swimming. There will be some wildlife encounters where we will encourage you to snorkel to get the best out of the experience, however this is always totally up to you.

Do you offer snorkel training?

We run occasional snorkel courses for complete beginners – contact us for more details.

We don’t provide training on our tours but you will be guided by our experienced staff. Our Seal & Lagoon Tour is great for beginners – the bay is very sheltered and shallow, great to test the waters!

Who are the guides?

All of our guides have marine science and professional diving qualifications along with a passion for ocean conservation.

Meet our team.