25 Great American Adventures

North Carolina Diving

The Trip: Diving with sand tiger sharks and gathering scientific data on them.

Why: These protected fish grow to a length of nine feet and are found hovering above the ocean floor. Beginning this summer, those with Advanced Open Water certification can become the first handful of Sandtiger Specialty Divers—a designation that will allow them to help with hands-on tasks like photographing tagged sharks.

Don’t Miss: The many wrecked ships that serve as a shark habitat.

For more information: Shark Research Institute; from $250 per day.