South Africa - Shark diving (including Great White shark cage diving), African safari and cultural tour

This 11-day Shark & Seal Safari is designed to experience the thrill of Great White Shark Cage Diving with the adventure of diving with Ragged Tooth, Bull, Hammerhead, Tiger and several other shark species without cages. The trip includes a free Shark Specialty Diver course and certificate.

An optional 3 days Land Safari to do Big Five game walks and drives is available on request. Bookings must be made well in advance, as the Shark trips are very popular!

is a well-established, South African based company. They have built a reputation for excellence, based on their outstanding knowledge, attention to detail, flexibility, and value for money. Karin & Reon Coetzee, your hosts for this trip, are both DAN instructors. They offer scuba diving, wildlife and cultural experiences beyond your wildest dreams; guaranteed an unforgettable experience!

Itinerary
Ethical & Environmental Principles
Dates & Prices - 2004

Activities

Itinerary

magnificent view of Table Bay and Cape Peninsula

Day 1 - The safaris depart from Cape Town International Airport from where you will be transferred to the guesthouse near Gansbaai on the West Coast. Here you will be welcomed with true and traditional South African hospitality. Many of our clients prefer to arrive a day or two earlier so that they may rest, and also use the opportunity to visit Table Mountain, Robben Island and other Cape Town attractions.

Over a typical South African dinner (lots of meat & wine) you will meet the rest of the crew and brief you on the procedures for the next day.

Days 2 & 3 - Diving time on these two days are divided between Great White cage diving, seal diving and last but certainly not least diving with the many other species of sharks (cat, shy, pajama, etc.) found in the bays next door to Gansbaai. Typically you will do two half day launches searching for the Great Whites, half a day diving with the 50,000 strong Cape Fur Seal colony near Dyer Island, and one dive in Romansbaai.

Dyer Island is one of the best spots in the world to find and see the Great White Sharks. Apart from the sharks, and depending on the time of year, one is also likely to see Cape Fur Seals, Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, Jackass penguins, whales and dolphins. Although we run tours all-year round, the best time of the year is the South African winter (April-Sept), when the sharks are particularly active in their feeding patterns.

On a typical day you will meet the skipper early in the morning, and depending on the conditions, wind direction and currents you proceed to one of numerous holes, put down anchor and set out the bait. Only bait that forms part of the animal's natural diet is used.

You'll then wait for the Great Whites to find the bait. This can take anything from minutes to several hours. In the meantime every one is briefed on the procedures, and the cage is put into the water. The cage is securely attached to a platform on the back of the boat and the top of the cage floats about 20cm above the water. It is constructed of steel bars and is closed off at the top by means of a gate.

Once the first shark is spotted the bait lines are drawn in towards the boat so that everybody has the opportunity to view and admire this magnificent predator. The first cager enters the water and the lines are drawn slowly towards the cage to lure the shark. This is an emotional and heart stopping experience.

Where do we dive the seals? Where they are safe from the white sharks of course! Patches of kelp forest surround Dyer Island, and it is between the openings in the forests that the seals have found their safe haven. The sharks do not like to swim through the kelp, and the water at about 8 m is far from ideal hunting depth. Imagine 100s of playful seals darting around and nipping at your fins and doing mock charges at your head!

Shark charter boat in Gansbaai

Great White from dive cage

Cape fur seals at Dyer island

Diving with seals in kelp forest

Day 4 - After a good sleep-in and a hearty breakfast you'll return to Cape Town via the scenic Boland, where you will board a flight to Durban Airport. We then pay a visit to the premises of the Natal Sharks Board to study their display of the sharks endemic to the area! The audiovisual show and display will give you a new insight into these lovely and much maligned creatures, and also prepare you for the next dives! We then transfer to the lodge where the rest of the afternoon and evening is spent completing the Shark Specialty lectures and videos.

Ragged Tooth shark on Aliwal Shoal

Sodwana potato bass

Days 5 - 10 - Adventure kicks into a higher gear when you spend these days completing a total of 12 dives on the world-famous Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks!

During the months of June through to November you are sure to see the Ragged Tooth Sharks as they congregate on the Shoal and Banks to mate, and it is not uncommon to find 15 to 150 of these ferocious looking but docile animals on a single dive. During the other months you find Tiger, Zambezi and Hammerhead sharks. Depending on conditions you can dive Cathedral, Raggie Cave, Shark Alley or any of a number of spots at Aliwal Shoal. Should you tire of the sharks, we can always dive on any of the wrecks or go hunting for the huge (and I mean huge) Brindle Bass! Other species, depending on the season include Manta, Devil and other Rays, schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many, many more!

Described by Jacques Cousteau as the best shark diving site in the world, Protea offers exciting drift dives with (depending on the season) Ragged Tooth Sharks, three species of Hammerheads, Zambezi (Bull), Tiger, Thresher, Copper, Dusky, Mako, the occasional Great White and many other species of shark. Like on Aliwal the shark dives are done without cages and are quite safe. No diver has ever been attacked by a shark on any of these sites.

To give the adrenaline a chance to subside we will give you one day off diving, and take you on a tour of the area. The last night is obviously never without a good party!

Day 11 - After breakfast you will travel back to Durban, where Dive South will deliver you to the airport and see you through the procedures. Only after they have ensured that you are on your way back will they leave for a well-earned holiday ;-)

Cage diving is strictly regulated by the authorities and conducted in an ethical way in accordance with international standards. It is absolutely safe and you need not have any diving experience at all, only a short course on safety and the use of the equipment.

Ethical & Environmental Principles

Dates & Prices - 2004

Dates for 2004: 1 - 14 February; 22 February – 6 March; 14 – 27 March; 4 – 17 April; 25 April – 8 May; 16 – 29 May; 6 – 19 June; 27 June – 10 July; 18 – 31 July; 8 – 21 August; 29 August – 11 September; 19 September – 2 October; 10- 23 October; 31 October – 13 November; and 21 November - 4 December.

Price: 11 days action-packed Shark & Seal Safari is £1,650 per person (based on 2 people sharing)

What is included?

2 sessions cage diving, 1 seal dive & 1 shark dive with air & equipment, 12 dives with air & weights on around Aliwal Shoal and Protea Bank (use it or lose it basis), Accommodation (based on 2 people sharing), Most meals, soft drinks & alcoholic drinks (beer, wine & spirits) as supplied by Dive South, Excursions to Natal Sharks Board, Shark Specialty certification (lectures, certificates, c-card, registration) and all land transfers and internal flight.

What is not included?

Drinks, snacks or meals that you prefer to buy from bars/restaurants outside of what Dive South supplies, Personal dive gear, any other personal purchases and international flights & visas.