Shark and BIG 5 Sea Safari Combo

 

The shark cage dive takes place out at Dyer Island, roughly 15 minutes by boat from Kleinbaai Harbour. The island is home to a colony of over 50 000 Cape Fur Seals – the white shark’s favourite food and primary source of nutrition.

Running between Dyer and neighbouring Geyser Rock is a channel of ocean so frequented by great white sharks that it has been dubbed ‘Shark Alley’. This is where we anchor for an up-close encounter with great whites.

The cage is dropped at the diving site and guests are allocated diving gear. Guests take consecutive turns in the eight-man floating cage to experience thrilling underwater views of this majestic apex predator.

When not in the cage, passengers can enjoy sightings of the white sharks and other sea life from the viewing deck of the boat.

Great white sharks are an endangered species in South Africa with the most recent population estimated at 300-500 individuals around the entire South African coastline.

Despite the fact that they have been protected since 1991, their numbers unfortunately continue to decline due to illegal poaching, the depletion of their food resources, beach nets and the most recent threat of orcas.

Gansbaai is one of the only places in the world where these creatures congregate close enough to the coast line to offer a day excursion and allows you the best opportunity of potential sightings. This being said, please bear in mind that seeing a Great White shark is a privilege, not a guarantee.

Big 5 Sea Safari Season - (December to May)

We depart from the harbor of Gansbaai and cruise along the scenic route passing the cliffs of De Kelders and De Platt Beach.  Observe the stunning coast line, contrasting white beach's with the blue skies and chameleon waters that stretch for miles from Gansbaai to Hermanus, we then set course and head out into the middle of the bay in search of our Big 5.

Bottlenose Dolphin are often seen on our trips and if we are lucky enough to encounter a school this is the time to grab the Zoom lens as Dolphins love to entertain and it’s a photographer’s paradise.

On our return to Gansbaai harbour we pay more attention to Danger point, this is often where we find the resident Bryde's whales of the area.

Bryde’s whales are hunters and feed on wide variety of fish, mackerel is common to the waters as well as planktonic, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

On your journey our crew will educate you on all aspects of Marine life, with a qualifying Marine Biologist and a Skipper with over 15yrs experience there is a wealth of knowledge for you to tap. No trip is the same and we can never guarantee what you will see, we hope to spot our local Big 5, but there is also so much more Marine mammal and bird life on offer. It's an avid photographers dream!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE

Danger Point
Where HMS Birkenhead went down
Marine Mammals
Marine Birdlife

YOU MAY ALSO SEE

Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals
Bryde's & Humpback Whales
Minke & False Killer Whales
Sharks & The African Penguin