Permits for White Shark Educational Tourism

An important goal of GFNMS is to help the public better understand and appreciate the importance of White Sharks that visit the Sanctuary. GFNMS issues permits for educational tours in order to provide the public the opportunity to change their misperceptions about White Sharks, learn about the role that both White Sharks and the sanctuaries play in creating a healthy, balanced marine ecosystem, and get a better understanding of White Shark conservation and protection efforts.

White Shark education permits typically involve cage diving operations or boat-based viewing. These activities require a permit if the tour operators are planning to actively attract White Sharks to their vessels using decoys to increase the chances their customers will see a shark. Applicants seeking a sanctuary education permit for educational tourism activities are asked to provide information about their lesson plans and the qualifications of their naturalists. All naturalists working on the tour boats are required to complete the annual White Shark Naturalist Training hosted by GFNMS.