Shark Dive Xtreme — Attraction in Sydney

A Special Occasion Let Down by Disappointing Extras

My partner and I spent months saving for the Shark Dive Xtreme at SEA LIFE Sydney. This wasn’t a casual outing—it was a carefully planned anniversary experience. We spent close to $1000, including $200 for the photography/videography package, to make it truly memorable.

While the core dive was fantastic, the media package and lack of personal touches left us disappointed—especially given how much this experience meant to us.

✅ The Positives: The pre-dive briefing was friendly and informative, covering safety, diving basics, and facts about the marine life. During the dive, the instructors were professional, ensuring safety and pointing out different shark species. Being underwater with these creatures was unforgettable.

❌ Where It Fell Short:

1. The Media Package ($200) This was the biggest letdown—especially for a special occasion.

There was no effort to capture us together until my partner had to firmly request a couple photo as we were being asked to exit.

Without that, we’d have no decent shot marking our anniversary.

The footage felt rushed, repetitive, and poorly framed—despite only 3 participants (2 experienced divers).

No guidance on posing, no communication about filming, and no attention to details like removing hoods for better photos.

The final content looked nothing like SEA LIFE’s polished promotional images. For $200, it felt like a tick-the-box task, not a service designed to capture meaningful memories.

For context, I’ve attached a short video example—just as I looked up and engaged with the shark, the videographer held the shot for barely two seconds before panning away to film a nearby Wobbegong shark. Instead of capturing what could’ve been a great moment, the focus quickly shifted away. It’s a small example, but it reflects how little attention was placed on the guests in a package meant to capture our experience.

With personal cameras prohibited, we expected better care. Sadly, the poor media quality overshadowed what should have been a highlight.

2. A Missed Opportunity for a Thoughtful Gesture Before the dive, instructors showed us shark teeth they’d found that morning. As we were part of the first session (with up to three daily), it was clear this wasn’t uncommon.

My partner was excited by the idea of finding one, and when we asked if guests could keep any, they said yes.

We weren’t expecting a keepsake and were content without one—until we saw how disappointing the media package was. Only then did we reflect that offering one of the three teeth found that morning could’ve softened the experience and made it feel more personal.

For staff, these moments are routine. For us, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience we’d saved for. Small gestures like that can make a huge difference when other areas fall short.

It’s not about expecting extras—it’s about recognising simple ways to turn a transactional experience into a memorable one.

Final Thoughts & Suggestion: • The dive itself was fantastic—safe, exciting, and well-run. • The media package lacked care and didn’t match the premium price. • The experience felt procedural, missing opportunities to make guests feel valued—especially when celebrating something special.

Suggestion for SEA LIFE Sydney: You deliver a great core experience, but focusing more on guest care—whether through consistent, thoughtful photography or small gestures—would elevate this significantly. When guests mention a special occasion, a little extra attention leaves a lasting impression.

For future guests: The dive is worth it for the thrill, but be cautious about paying extra for photos/videos—unless...

Sorry to say but this experience was very disappointing. Bought this as a Father's day gift for my husband who was looking forward to it. And myself and the kids were waiting to see him inches from sharks and rays! Firstly, the website says no previous diving experience required. The 90 minutes of prep includes a half hour video, getting your wetsuits on and then just about 30 minutes of practice in the water on the platform before you get in with the sharks. One of the participants in my husband's group, who was a more experienced diver, herself said the whole training seemed rushed for people with no prior experience. My husband, being new to diving, surfaced twice before the instructor told him it might be better for him to not continue with the shark dive. This was very disappointing given that this whole experience is expensive and it would have been good if the instructor had been a bit more patient bit with him and given him some time to get comfortable. Especially after advertising that there is no prior diving experience necessary. Despite the above, my husband said he would have still ventured into the water if he was given a more conformable wetsuit. He let the instructor know right at the beginning that his wetsuit was extremely tight. He was told that this was normal. When he mentioned again that he couldn't breathe properly, they still wouldn't give him a new one. With a tight wet suit, plus the weight of the oxygen tank and other kit, my husband was breathing too fast and in the end he was told to snorkel off another platform. We were all very deflated after spending two hours in the place only to see him snorkel off a platform with sharks in the distance. He would have got a much better view of the sharks being a regular visitor to the aquarium - and he would have been dry! He said the whole thing ended up being a waste. Lastly, I watched the whole diving experience and it is far from 'extreme'. The first 10 minutes was of the divers sitting on the ocean floor while the instructor was taking tons of pictures of the fish. I would recommend that inexperienced divers please consider this carefully...

100/10. The SDX and Sea Life Aquarium staff sure know how to give the best customer service special to you. As my cousin is visiting overseas, we had booked the SDX for 8am with the bridgeclimb at 1pm. Unfortunately, due to time restraints, we emailed ahead and notified the staff if we were able to return at a later time, of which an exception was very kindly arranged by Tiffany.

On the day (today), my brother and cousin's shark dive turned into a private scuba diving lesson with the sharks as the other 2 guests failed to attend and were uncontactable. Harry was very kind and gifted them a shark tooth each as a souvenir. Laurie coincidentally spoke our language and customised their tour. Both did one on one time during the dive, including taking their photos/videos with the sea creatures. Jasmine led my mum and I in behind the scenes, constantly checking our safety due to wet floor (understandably as an aquarium) and any uneven floor surfaces. Another SDX team member then attended to us as a supervisor and was very knowledgeable as a dedicated decade-long shark guru (whose name I failed to catch - I apologise). We were also then led to the viewing tunnel, landing dock(?) and briefing room for purchase of the photos/videos. Unfortunately, we were unable to ultimately return in the afternoon due to the climb lasting much longer than expected. Regardless as we understand that the exception cannot be further extended as we respect your policy, we sincerely thank you for your kindness. We hope to...