Great Shark Snapshot Calls Divers to Log Sharks and Rays This July

Divers have a simple job this July: get in the water, pay attention, and help put better shark and ray data on the map.

The Shark Trust’s Great Shark Snapshot 2026 is set for July 18 through July 26. The citizen science project asks dive centres, clubs, boats, and individual divers to record the sharks and rays they see using the Shark Trust app or recording website.

That kind of reporting matters because sharks, skates, and rays are often talked about in slogans while managers and researchers still need hard sighting data from the water. Divers are in places most people never see. They notice what species are present, what is missing, and how conditions change year to year. Turning those observations into records gives conservation work something better than guesswork.

This is also a good reminder that real shark conservation does not have to mean locking everybody out of the ocean. Responsible divers, spearos, anglers, boat crews, and watermen can all be part of the same truth: healthy oceans need predators, honest data, and people who respect the animals enough to manage them with facts.

If you are diving during the snapshot window, take clean notes. Record the species when you can identify them, use the official reporting tools, and do not turn wildlife encounters into circus acts for a camera. Good field behavior and good data go together.

Sharks and rays do not need empty panic or fake hero talk. They need habitat, prey, sensible rules, and better information from people who are actually in the water. This is an easy way for divers to contribute something useful.