White Shark Diving
This is possibly the greatest thrill that you will ever experience. Just imagine pulling up on the boat in 'Shark Alley', the open stretch of water between the mainland and Dyer Island off Gansbaai, South Africa referred to as the White Shark Diving capital of the world. The wonderful thing about shark diving in Gansbaai is that you only have to take a 20 minute boat ride to Dyer Island. In the winter time we can even see sharks before the shark chum is dropped into the water and it is clear to see why Gansbaai is named as being the most densely populated area for Great White Sharks in the World. We get White Sharks here along the coast all year round but Winter is the best time to come and see these beautiful animals.
The beauty is that in Gansbaai you do not have to be a qualified diver to see the Great White Sharks from the boat or cage. As the cages are mounted next to the boat and floated on the surface it is very easy for inexperienced divers to jump in and take a good look at the Great Whites as they cruise past the cage. For most of the year the divers do not use air or snorkels in the cage as the bubbles tend to make the Great White Sharks nervous and very cautious. We want the shark to be comfortable with the boat and people diving in the cages so that they will come as close as possible. It is not uncommon for a shark's pectoral fin to glide just into the gap in the cage as it swims past.
It is important to stress that you do not have to dive in the cage to see the Great White Sharks. The boat based viewing all year round is exceptional and there are many people who just take the trip to see the Great White Sharks from the boat. Unfortunately there is no difference in price to just view the sharks from the boat. The costs involved are virtually the same with the Chum, Bait, Catering, Crew, Fuel and Environmental taxes. It is simply a bonus if you decide when out there to slip on a wetsuit and jump in the cage to have a closer look.
Your shark tour day...
Upon arrival at your operators crew house, breakfast will be served and you will receive the briefing about the day. You will then take a short walk down to Kleinbaai harbour where 7 of the 8 shark diving boats are based. From here there is a short 15 to 20 minute ride out to Dyer Island where we will find a suitable spot to work with the sharks and anchor.
Once the chum is in the water we must just wait for the first shark to arrive! This could take 2 minutes, 2 hours or in the worst case not at all. The Great White Shark is a wild animal and we are dealing with nature but for most of the year we have a 99% success rate with shark viewings. Once the shark is around the boat divers will kit up and then jump in the cage! No experience is necessary and you can decide to go in the cage when out at sea so there is no pressure. The boat based viewing is exceptional and if you do not want to go in the cage you will still have a memorable day with these beautiful and awesome animals!
All divers will take turns in the cage (4-5 at a time) and it will only take 3 cage rotations for everyone to dive due to the smaller number of clients on the boat compared with some of the boats. This means that you will have ample opportunity to go back into the cage and spend lots of time with the Great White Sharks face to face in their domain.
There is a Videographer on the boat filming the experience and the crew is very experienced and knowledgable about the sharks and area.
Following this ultimate experience with the sharks we will ride back to the harbour (only 15 minutes away) and enjoy lunch at the crew house whilst watching the Video of the Day. You will have the opportunity to buy this on DVD.
