Why Shark Tourism is important for their conservation ?

Sharks are crucial to our marine ecosystems, yet many shark populations are in decline as a result of fishing (particularly for shark fin soup), fisheries bycatch, habitat destruction, and climate change. To survive, sharks need a coordinated global conservation effort.

Unfortunately, sharks are feared by many members of the public, demonised by the media, treated as human-hunting monsters, and cast as the villains in some blockbuster movies. In many places, government-funded programs actively cull sharks in the name of beachgoers’ safety.

Shark ecotourism can change people’s attitudes about sharks and make them more likely to support conservation projects. Shark ecotourism provides an opportunity to learn about sharks’ role in ocean ecosystems, and to view and interact with them in their natural environment. At the end, people realize the importance of creating sanctuaries and conservation programs for sharks like the huge Sanctuary of French Polynesia. In turn, that could help to build political and social pressure to conserve sharks.

Moorea Ocean Adventures contributes to the shark conservation by teaching every guest on our tours about the importance of sharks in the ocean, by sharing all our sharks data with the Shark Observatory of French Polynesia and by following a strict protocol with no huge shark feeding.