Shark Cage Diving
General overview of Shark Cage Diving
Would you like to be face-to-face with sharks twice the size of you? If so, you should take part in a once in a lifetime experience, shark cage diving.
Cape Town, Gansbaai and Mosselbay are three places within South Africa which offer this astonishing and adrenaline pumping activity. Diving for South Africa’s great white sharks is the main desire for shark cage divers. You will have the opportunity to view these mighty creatures at the surface of the water, from the comfort of a boat as well as two meters below the surface of the water from a secure metal cage.
White shark diving is definitely one experience everyone should add to their bucketlist when visiting South Africa.
Where you can dive with the sharks
Ready to take the plunge? Cape Town, Gansbaai and Mosselbay are the three places within South Africa which offer this astonishing and adrenaline pumping activity. All of these three locations are easily accessible – Gansbaai is located very near to Cape Town, and Mossebay is a small town, located in the Southern Cape, along the Garden Route, roughly 400km East of Cape Town. Diving for South Africa’s great white sharks is the main desire for shark cage divers. You will have the opportunity to view these mighty creatures at the surface of the water, from the comfort of a boat as well as two meters below the surface of the water from a secure metal cage.
False Bay and Sea Island in Cape Town, Diaz Beach in Mosselbay as well as Gansbaai are great places to participate in shark cage diving as many great white sharks roam the waters in those areas. However, if you do not plan on travelling to Cape Town, Mosselbay or Gansbaai but plan on visiting KwaZulu Natal, you will still have many opportunities to shark cage dive in the Indian ocean. Here you will encounter different sharks such as the tiger, Zambezi and blacktip shark.
The best time of the year for shark cage diving
For white shark diving, it is best to dive during the winter months in South Africa, between March and September. There is a greater chance of witnessing shark activity in the waters in winter as water visibility is greater. Water visibility declines in the summer months, so if you are looking for the perfect time to dive we strongly suggest between March & September (with optimal viewing between June & September).
What you should bring on your shark dive
You should bring with you a bathing suit, warm clothes for after your dive, as well as some sunscreen and a cap/hat as the sun can really be harsh when you’re on the boat. Sunglasses are also recommended. All the necessary diving-gear (wetsuits, booties, masks and weight belts) are usually provided. It is recommended to take anti-nausea or anti-motion sickness tablets prior to the dive if you suffer from motion sickness.
You can take some amazing photographs & video of your dive, so it would be a great idea to get that Go Pro out and bring it along with you.
Most shark cage tour operators will provide food and drinks for you, so it its not necessary to bring with – however please check beforehand that your tour operator does in fact do this.
Additional information
Prior scuba diving and shark cage diving is not required in order to take part in shark cage diving however, it is preferable to have prior snorkel experience.
Operators who specialize in shark cage diving are required to adhere to strict guidelines which protect both the divers as well as the sharks. Shark cage diving aims to promote the conservation of sharks as well as providing education to the public.
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