Men's Journal

This island 210 miles south of San Diego is possibly the greatest place on Earth to view great white sharks in action — drop a cage in the water, add some chum, then jump in and watch the show thrash around you. But all of that is changing, and fast: The Mexican government last year banned chumming to protect the sharks. The irony is that no chum means fewer sharks, less tourist interest, and therefore more illegal fishing that the dive boats once held at bay. Outfitters are already alarmed by an increase in poaching and fear the great white population there is on the verge of collapse. “I’m cutting back on the number of trips,” says Patric Douglas, owner of outfitter Shark Diver. “But they’re filling up fast. People want to see these animals while they still have the chance” ($3,100 for five days; sharkdiver.com).