South Africa Suggested Itinerary - Day Tours Near Cape Town: Great White Shark Cage Diving is an amazing adrenaline experience for all those adventure seekers.

 

What is a typical Great White Shark Cage Diving trip?
Breakfast (included in the price) is provided at the restaurant before the boat launch. Every trip is preceded by a brief introductory talk about the route and what to look to out for. Passengers are fitted with comfortable inflatable life-jackets. Safety is of the utmost importance.

Launching is usually around 9am in the morning (note that launching times may vary due to tide and weather conditions), arriving at the anchoring spot in 20 to 25 minutes. The anchor is lowered, the cage goes into the water, a scent trial is made, and we settle down. Final preparations for the diving are made, and the rest of the day is spent watching, diving and enjoying the day.

After spending time with the sharks, we make our way to Dyer Island - depending on the tide and sea conditions. At Dyer Island we can approach close enough to view African penguins, Cape cormorants and many other species. We also often spot giant petrels, Cape gannets, white chinned petrels and storm petrels.

Neighboring Dyer Island is Geyser Rock, home to 60,000 Cape Fur Seals. The stretch of water between the two islands is Shark Alley. We visit Shark Alley to view the seals. The colony is thriving and there is always lots of activity, especially around November time when the tiny pups are born.

After about 3 to 4 hours, depending on the day, we head back to land. Should you wish to return to shore earlier, a transfer can be arranged.

Can sharks be viewed throughout the year?
Great white shark viewing is better at certain times of the year. When dealing with wild animals every day is different and even in low season it is possible to have amazing shark sightings. Boat trips are dependent on weather conditions and it is advisable to have more than one day set aside for shark viewing. We recommend serious shark enthusiasts and photographers/videographers book for a few boat trips.

Best sightings are May to September.

The chances of seeing sharks are 90% or more. During winter; bad weather is a fact of life, and this can prevent us from going out to sea.

December to March is considered the “low” season. Sightings can vary daily from very good to below average. With wildlife there are no guarantees.

Water and weather conditions
The water temperature can be anywhere between 12º C and 20º C.

Visibility is usually 6 - 8 m, but it can go up to 12 – 15 m on a good day and down to 2-3 m on a bad day.

The Cage
The cage is made out of a 25 mm galvanized mild steel frame and covered with 10 mm galvanized mild steel security mesh.

It has no sharp edges on which a shark can injure itself.

The cage is secured to the side of the boat. Buoys keep the top of the cage above the water surface. The cage can accommodate 5 divers at a time.

The sharks do not try and attack the cages or try to bite the divers inside the cage. They do sometimes bite the cages in an exploratory manner, and sometimes also have a good look at the divers inside the cage. It is not in the nature of the shark to attack the cage or the diver inside.

How are the sharks attracted to the boat?
In order to attract the sharks to the boat it is necessary to lay down a scent trail for them to follow. Our “chumming" consists out of a bait bag (chumsicle) containing only fish products. This makes a very light scent trail for the sharks to follow. Fish is attached to a bait line to lure the sharks to the boat. The sharks are not fed as the bait is pulled away as they approach (when possible).

What should you bring?