Travel insurance for shark cage diving

Can travel insurance cover shark cage diving?

It may seem odd, but yes - travel insurance can cover shark cage diving. However, you'll need to make sure you pick a travel insurance company that specifically includes it in the product disclosure statement. You'll also need to satisfy a few other requirements - this could include holding a dive license, using a licensed shark diving operator, or more.

Do you need shark cage dive cover in Australia?

Most shark cage dives you're likely to do will be in Australia. Mexico banned it in 2023, and shark numbers have fallen in South Africa due to increased numbers of Orcas in the area. So these days South Australia is the top destination to divers.

You should still get travel insurance for Australian shark cage diving, even if your trip is fully domestic. Any medical bills should be covered for Australians by either Medicare or private health insurance, but other travel insurance bills will not be. Domestic travel insurance still has a lot of value if things go south (excuse the pun).

Is shark cage diving safe?

Shark diving is considered to be generally safe, as long as it's done with a high quality, licensed operator. Because of the risks of both diving and...you know...sharks, operators make a really big effort to make sure their dives are extremely safe.

That said, it is still considered a risky activity, so you shouldn't take it lightly. That's why it's really important to have travel insurance that covers shark cage diving specifically.

Which travel insurance companies cover shark cage diving?

Brand	Additional conditions that apply	Enquire
	Medibank doesn't mention shark cage diving on PDS, but it does cover scuba diving which requires an open water diving certificate or being with a qualified instructor.	Bonus Get quote
	Where your journey is necessarily extended due to an unforeseen circumstance outside your control, your period of insurance will be extended until you are physically able to travel home by the quickest and most direct route. The period of insurance will not be extended for any other reason.	Bonus Get quote
	Shark cage diving under appropriate supervision.	Get quote
	Covered provided you are using an artificial breathing apparatus at a depth no greater than 10 metres and must hold an open water diving licence recognised in Australia or dive with an instructor licensed.	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	Cover is available if the dive is provided by a licensed commercial operator. Unfortunately, cover isn't available in the USA or Canada.	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	Covered, provided that the activity is provided by a licenced commercial operator (please note that cover for these activities is not available in the USA or Canada).	Get quote
	World2Cover's PDS doesn't mention shark cage diving specifically. However, underwater diving using an artificial breathing apparatus is covered, as long as you're with a licensed diver.	Get quote
	There's no mention of shark cage diving on Cover-More's PDS. However, scuba diving done with a diving school or qualified instructor is covered.	Bonus Get quote
	SCTI will cover shark cage diving under certain conditions. Their PDS says of underwater activities "We won't cover any claims, costs or losses or liabilities directly or indirectly arising from, related to or associated with Underwater activities that involve using artificial breathing equipment except if you hold an open-water diving certificate, or you're diving with a qualified instructor." We gave SCTI a call to get more details - we were told that if shark cage diving is done as a leisure activity and with a licensed operator, it will be covered. However, if the dive was associated with training or a business activity, it would be excluded from your cover.	Finder Award Get quote
	AU post doesn't mention shark cage diving on PDS, but it does cover scuba diving which requires an open water diving certificate or being with a qualified instructor.	Get quote
	Easy travel insurance's PDS doesn't cover shark cage diving, but it does cover scuba diving if you have an open water diving certificate or are with a qualified instructor.	Get quote
	The PDS for Travel Insurance Saver doesn't mention shark cage diving, but it does cover scuba diving, provided you have an open water diving certificate or are accompanied by a qualified instructor.	More info
	TID might cover shark cage diving, we couldn't quite get a straight answer. The PDS only refers to scuba diving, saying "We will not cover scuba diving unless you hold an open water diving licence or you were diving under licensed instruction." We gave TID a call to learn more, but we weren't able to get any extra clarification on whether shark cage diving would be covered or not.	More info
	Covered provided you are using an artificial breathing apparatus at a depth no greater than 10 metres, and hold an open water diving licence recognised in Australia or dive with an instructor licensed for these activities.	More info

Note: This information was last updated November 2024

How do insurers cover shark cage diving?

Scuba diving itself is an inherently risky activity with certain conditions and restrictions, and potential risks include decompression sickness or nitrogen poisoning, barotrauma and others. Cage diving alone carries its own set of risks. When cage diving with scuba gear, you must in all cases either hold a recognised open water diving licence or be under the supervision of a licensed instructor while in the water. Even then, some insurers will not cover shark cage diving under any circumstances, while others have additional requirements. These are typical conditions under which insurers cover shark cage diving:

• None means the insurer covers shark cage diving with no conditions other than you either holding an open water diving licence or are under licensed instruction while cage diving. Some insurers may also have specific conditions around the open water licence, such as that it was issued in Australia.
• 10m and 30m are depth limits in certain policies that apply to all scuba diving activities, and not just shark cage diving. Where no depth limit is listed, there is none.
• No cover listed policies do not offer any cover for shark cage diving
• While some insurers will cover your thrilling adventure at no additional cost, others will charge you extra for the privilege. Some won’t cover that part of your trip at all.And when you do find someone to cover you, there will always be certain requirements and exclusions you must adhere to.

Understanding the conditions for shark cage diving travel insurance

To be covered for shark cage diving you must:

• Either hold an open water diving licence or be under the supervision of a licensed diving professional. If you have a licence, some insurers require that it be issued in Australia, while other insurers specify that the licence must be recognised in Australia.
• Choose an insurer that does not exclude it entirely. Of the insurers on finder, some (including Budget Direct, Dodo, InsureandGo, Multitrip and Tick) do not cover shark cage diving at all.
• Be within the depth limits. Many insurers will only cover you while diving up to depths of 10m while others go to 30m, and others still have no depth limits at all.
• Be aware of restrictions that may apply to boating, such as needing to be within 10km of the shore.

Do I need to tell my insurer that I’m going shark diving?

When signing up for an insurance policy, you have a duty of disclosure. This is a legal obligation to tell the insurer about anything they should reasonably know which increases the risk of insuring you. Typically, you can fulfil your duty of disclosure simply by filling out the forms and answering questions honestly. If you are not sure whether or not you will be covered and it is not clear by reading the PDS, it is always best to disclose the activity you will be participating in.

• Your policy does not mention scuba diving or shark diving: you will specifically need to inform the insurer about your plans.
• Your policy does mention scuba or shark diving: you will not specifically need to tell the insurer about your plans, because the relevant terms and conditions are already built into the policy, and telling the insurer about it doesn't change anything.
• Cage diving is an optional extra: you will naturally need to opt in, and disclose your plans if you want cover.

You should be able to know exactly how and when your travel insurance policy will cover shark cage diving just by reading the PDS. If it isn't clear, you should raise the issue with your insurer.

Will I pay more for shark cage diving cover?

The cost of including shark cage diving in your travel insurance policy can vary between insurers. It will either be covered free of charge, covered for an additional premium or excluded altogether, for example*:

• For instance, Fast Cover covers shark cage diving at no additional cost.
• Zoom restricts your diving to depths of 10m.
• InsureandGo and Tick do not cover shark cage diving at all.

*The above information was last verified in November 2024. To make sure that you're covered, always read the PDS before buying a policy.

Frequently asked questions

• Is shark diving safe?

  Shark diving is generally considered safe. There is some inherent risk, both because of the diving and because of the sharks. However, licensed operators make large efforts to account for this, and have a generally very good record. That said, it's still a really important to get travel insurance that will cover you for shark cage diving specifically.

• Is shark diving ethical?

  Shark Cage Diving is controversial, for a range of reasons, but it's not necessarily bad for the sharks themselves. In South Australia, for example, the number of operators and the days they can operate have been restricted, which seems to have been effective in supporting the shark population. There are other problems that shark cage diving has, for example berleying and baiting the water to attract sharks.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Jessica Prasida

Publisher

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio