Great White Shark CAGE DIVING GANSBAAI

You step into the cage, acclimatising to the surroundings, peering through the steel bars into the deep blue for the hint of a shadow. This is it – the moment you have been waiting for all your life. The prospect of coming face to face with the razor-sharp teeth of a Great white shark sends shivers down your spine. You control your breathing, fighting both anticipation and trepidation, scanning the blue, pleading for its arrival, watching the bait fish scatter as a shadow slowly materialises. The Great white’s approach is measured, cautious, totally befitting an apex predator of such incredible majesty, and wholly contrary to the sensationalist clips on TV.

The commercial hub of shark diving with eight operators working in the area, choosing the best company can be confusing, and this is where we can assist you – by booking you in with the most reputable operator that offers an environmentally-friendly and educational experience. Your trip will be hosted by a marine biologist, plus other experienced guides, ensuring you receive a fascinating insight into these wonderful animals. And should you wish to capture the whole experience on video, an experienced videographer accompanies the trip and can capture your most cherished of memories at a minimal cost. 

Whilst the diversity of species and their behaviour make the sharks of False Bay a must-see part of your tour, shark cage diving in Gansbaai is diving in the Great White Shark Capital of the world and complements a full Great white experience.

• Location
  Kleinbaai in Gansbaai 3 hours from Cape Town
• Meeting
  From 06h00
  The meeting times are subject to change
• Transfers
  Door to door transfers arranged upon request
• Duration
  Half day trips – 3 to 4 hours at sea
• Travel time return
  6 hours via road
• Guest Numbers
  35 guests +-
• Surface Cage
  9 guests
• Diving
  Breath – hold. No experience needed.
• Age Restrictions
  None
• Water Temperature
  53 – 68 ºF – Don’t worry! Our wetsuit will keep you toasty warm
• Water Visibility
  7 – 65 feet
• Videographer
  Yes
• Includes
  Light breakfast, tea/coffee, light lunch, snacks and refreshments
  Dive gear
  Towel

• Meet and greet for breakfast or brunch and an informative talk on the sharks and area
• Spend 3 to 4 hours at sea depending on shark activity and sea conditions. All dives are breath-hold which is comfortable and safe. This is common practice among Gansbaai shark cage diving operators
• During the cage diving activity, divers will be supervised by a dive master.
• Return to shore for tea /coffee /soup and a sandwich
• Watch the DVD of your trip

All itineraries are subject to change and are based on tides, weather and sea conditions as well as how many departures are scheduled for the day.

The boat that we use for Gansbaai shark tours is the first of its kind. Designed specifically for shark cage diving, she is built for stability, speed, safety and comfort. The vessel can comfortably accommodate 40 passengers however trips are usually limited to 35 plus crew.

Facilities include designated toilets for males and females; a staircase on either side of the boat provides easy access and a smooth flow of traffic to the upper viewing deck.

Gansbaai Shark Cage Diving operates year round.

There are two species of sharks that we cage dive with, the Great white shark and Bronze Whaler aka Copper shark. The low season for the Great white shark is December / January and the peak being June, July and August.

Great white shark sightings at both Gansbaai and Seal Island have been well below normal in the past couple of years with sightings of these rare animals unpredictable and sporadic. When there are no Great white sharks, the Bronze Whaler sharks put in a lively appearance. The Bronze Whaler shark can attain a length of over 3meters. The sleek body has a bronze-grey sheen dorsally with an off-white underside and is slightly arched above the gills.

Other wildlife species such as Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, African Penguins and Whales (July to November) are also likely to be sighted.

• Guided Shark Cage Diving Tour
  Qualified shark cage diving guides and a marine biologist will accompany you on your tour. They are passionate and eager to share their knowledge with you, of not only the sharks, but all the marine wildlife you will encounter.
• Light Meals
  Light breakfast, fruit juice and mineral water are on tap with a variety of snacks. All food is hygienically prepared.
• Dive Gear
  We guarantee a clean dry wetsuit for every guest.
  Each guest will receive dive equipment and a wetsuit that has been thoroughly disinfected and rinsed with fresh water and dried before use. Every piece of squeaky clean dive equipment will be used by one guest only per day. They say sharing is caring but we’ll leave that to Barney.
• Towels
  We do provide clean, dry towels however it is our goal is to reduce the consumption of natural resources in laundry and therefore we ask where possible, to provide your own towel.
• Waterproof / windproof jackets

  We pride ourselves on offering sustainable eco-friendly marine tourism and adventure with conservation, research and education taking place on every tour we are fortunate to operate.

• Dress in layers as it can get very chilly at sea.  We advise a warm weather jacket, sneakers or closed shoes, a beanie and a hat/cap.
• Polarized sunglasses – these really help to block the glare thereby increasing sightings of the sharks from the boat. They also provide protection from harmful UV rays.
• Swimsuit. If you are prone to the cold. a rash vest will help with extra insulation
• Towel
• Water Bottle
• Lip-ice and Sunscreen SPF 50 – the African sun is beautiful but harsh
• Camera of course! GoPro’s are great for stills and video and are easy to handle in the shark cage. Bring an extra SD card. You’re going to need it!
• For those with poor eyesight, we advise wearing contact lens whilst cage diving with sharks. If you own a prescription mask, please bring it with you.
• If you are prone to motion sickness, we recommend Sturgeon or Dramamine. Take one the night before your trip and another an hour before the meet time.
• For your own enjoyment of the trip, we recommend that you do not over indulge in alcohol the night before as this may result in being very sea sick the next day.