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Meet at the Great
White House in Kleinbaai before your trip. There are bathroom facilities, as
well as a restaurant and gift shop here. Kleinbaai is a residential suburb of
Gansbaai, with its own slipway. We are situated approximately 180km south east
of Cape Town (driving time about 2 hrs).
Dyer Island is a
25 minute boat ride off shore.
What is a typical trip?
Breakfast (included in the price) is provided at the restaurant before the boat
launch. Every trip is preceded by a brief introductory talk about the route and
what to look to out for. Passengers are fitted with comfortable inflatable
life-jackets. Safety is of the utmost importance. We have extensive public
liability insurance
Launch around
9:00 am in the morning (note that launching times may vary due to tide and
weather conditions), arriving at the anchoring spot in 20 to 25 minutes. The
anchor is lowered, the cage goes into the water, a scent trial is made, and we
settle down. Final preparations for the diving are made, and the rest of the day
is spent watching, diving and enjoying the day.
After spending
time with the sharks, on to Dyer Island. At Dyer Island one can approach close
enough to view African penguins, Cape cormorants and many other species. Often
giant petrels, Cape gannets, whitechinned petrels and storm petrels can be seen.
Neighboring Dyer Island is Geyser Rock, home to 60,000 Cape Fur Seals. The
stretch of water between the two islands is Shark Alley. Visit Shark Alley
to view the seals. The colony is thriving and there is always lots of activity,
especially around November time when the tiny pups are born.
At about 16:00, depending on the day, head back to land. Should you wish to
return to shore earlier, a transfer can be arranged.
The price:
Contact African Classic Encounters for a quote for this unforgettable
experience.
What is included in the price?
· Snacks and soft drinks
· Required diving equipment such as wetsuits, weight belts & masks.
· Waterproof/windproof jackets.
· Towels
What should you bring?
Can sharks be viewed
throughout the year?
Great white shark viewing is better at certain times of the year. When dealing
with wild animals every day is different and even in low season it is possible
to have amazing shark sightings.
Boat trips are dependent on
weather conditions and it is advisable to have more than one day set aside for
shark viewing. We recommend serious shark enthusiasts and photographers/videographers
book for a few boat trips.
Best sightings are May to September.
The chances of seeing sharks are 90% or more. During winter stormy weather is a
fact of life, and this can prevent us from going out to sea.
December to March is considered the “low” season. Sightings can vary daily from
very good to below average. With wildlife there are no guarantees.
Water and weather conditions
The water temperature can be anywhere between 53º F and 68º F
Visibility is usually 22 - 26 feet, but it can go up to 39 – 49 feet on a good
day and down to 6 -9 feet on a bad day.
The Cage
The cage is made out of a 25 mm galvanized mild steel frame and covered with 10
mm galvanized mild steel security mesh.
It has no sharp edges on which a shark can injure itself.
The cage is secured to the side of the boat. Buoys keep the top of the cage
above the water surface.
The sharks do not try and attack the cages or try to bite the divers inside the
cage. They do sometimes bite the cages in an exploratory manner, and sometimes
also have a good look at the divers inside the cage. It is not in the nature of
the shark to attack the cage or the diver inside.
How are the
sharks attracted to the boat?
Zero impact diving, to enjoy the magnificent sharks, yet to be environmentally
responsible is the objective. In order to attract the sharks to the boat
it is necessary to lay down a scent trail for them to follow. “Chumming"
consists out of a bait bag (chumsicle) containing only fish products. This makes
a very light scent trail for the sharks to follow. Fish is attached to a bait
line to lure the sharks to the boat. The sharks are not fed as the bait is
pulled away as they approach.
Photography and film making
Particularly sensitive to the needs of serious underwater photographers and film
makers, the crew is familiar with special requirements and always prepared to
help get that special shot or footage.
Diving equipment is supplied, however, serious photographers and filmmakers
usually bring their own drysuits.
Something to think about
SHARK
DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA WAS chosen by:
National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, Granada Films, Amos Nachoum, Tom
Campbell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Steve Irwin, Charles Maxwell, Doug Perrine,
Erich Ritter, David Doubilet, Peter Benchley, Klaus Jost, Rob Torelli, Jeff
Rottman, Thomas Behrend, Nigel Marvin, Rodney Fox, Kurt Amsler, Jeff Kurr (Shark
Productions), Stuart & Michelle Westmorland (Time Magazine), Peter Cook, ZDF
Films, Peter Schoons, Steve Lichtag, Jim Watt & Oktupus.
Water temperatures
vary between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the high season and
between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the intermediate and low
seasons.
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