SHARK DIVING NEWS FROM CAPE TOWN
Seal Island
From mid-September onwards, we enter what has historically been our off-season at Seal Island. If you have been keeping up to speed with our news you’ll know that the presence of Seven-gill sharks at Seal Island has meant that we are now operating Shark cage diving in Cape Town in november 2018 and shark viewing trips year-round.
As we head into summer we are expecting hot weather and warmer water on these new shark diving trips and as this is something we are not used to we are very excited about these great conditions! On top of this, our trips over the last 2 months have had a 100% success rate with seeing the Seven gills. These sharks are also highly interactive around the boat so for all those cage diving the quality of the shark sightings has been very good and for the surface viewers the experience has also been very enjoyable.
Seven-gill sharks are the second oldest order of sharks and their lineage dates back around 180 million years, essentially meaning they were around roughly the same time dinosaurs evolved but the sharks have long since outlived them. A dive with a Sevengill is truly like diving with a dinosaur.
They are highly predatory sharks and the Apex team and guests have already documented the first known kill on a live seal. These sharks grow to over 10 feet in length and are really different-looking sharks with a very recessed dorsal fin, crazy hexacomb teeth, and a massive head. What is also fascinating about them is their back spotted body patterning coupled with white spots that are apparently a fungus of all things. The sharks are very interactive with the cage divers and it really makes for an amazing diving opportunity to be enjoyed by all skill levels.
Gansbaai and Dyer Island
As with False Bay, Great White shark cage diving in Gansbaai has experienced very unpredictable Great white shark sightings in 2018.
In early November the infamous shark-eating Orca’s, Port and Starboard, were spotted in Walker Bay and in the Dyer Island area. The unfortunate result of their presence has been zero Great white shark sightings since this time. The good news is that no shark carcasses have been found so hopefully, these orcas have not had success on any great whites but they do seem to have caused a flight response.
However, with the arrival of the warmer water here, the shark trips operating from Gansbaai are having good success with seeing Bronze whaler sharks.
I guess just like the sharks, shark tourists have also become adaptable and we are finding that everyone booked in either False Bay or Gansbaai are equally happy with seeing and cage diving with other species of shark. If you are visiting Cape Town over December and January we really look forward to hosting you for an exciting shark experience.
SHARK EXPEDITIONS
Apex has a number of different shark specialty expeditions. At Apex we are extremely passionate about sharks and marine wildlife and we know that there are many of you out there that feel the same way we do. By offering these specialty expeditions our aim is for participants to get the very most out of what we know is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with sharks, shared with like-minded people.
Shark Week in South Africa
If you are a Shark Week Fan, this trip is for you!
Follow the coastline as we look for Great white sharks as well as meeting various Shark Week personalities along the way.
Natural Predation Specialty
This is our premiere Apex Expedition and is limited to 6 people only. Our focus of course will be on natural predation events between Great white sharks and Cape fur seals as well as decoy breaches in Mossel Bay.
The Great White Trail
Follow the Great White Trail as we search for Great whites at all three of South Africa’s Great White Shark hotspots. Seal Island, Gansbaai and Mossel Bay.