CAPE TOWN DIVING
Cape Town has some great seasonal and year-round diving. with Great White sharks, Mako and Blue sharks, Seven-gill Cowsharks, Shysharks, and Fur Seals.
January to September is excellent for Great White cage diving, and this can be done by people without a diving qualification as you are just below the surface in a cage on a surface-supplied air source. The action from the back deck of the boat can be even more exhilarating.
Mako and Blue Sharks can be dived with offshore from October to June. The sea conditions have to be good as it's a 2 to 2.5 hour ride out to the where these amazing fish like to hang out. The views of the continent as you head 40-odd kilometres offshore are superb too.
Cape Fur Seals are around throughout the year, and diving with these playful pinnipeds is great fun, either on snorkel or on SCUBA. This is a shallow dive, they hang out on a rock in the bay near Simonstown and jump in for a splash and play.
Seven-gill cowsharks are often found throughout the year in the kelp forest close to Simonstown, where a number of endemic small shyshark species also make their homes. Combines perfectly with the Fur Seal dive for a fun-filled morning.
Great White Shark Trips – Rates 2017
- Mid Season (15 Jan – 15 May) & (15 Sept – 15 Oct) AM trip: R1950 per person
- Mid Season (15 Jan – 15 May) & (15 Sept – 15 Oct) PM trip: R1750 per person
- High Season (16 May – 14 September) AM trip: R2750 per person
- High Season (16 May – 14 September) PM trip: R1950 per person
Provisional Daily program:
- Meet between 6h15 and 6h45.
- Board boat and receive boat safety briefing and general information.
- Leave pier between 6h30 and 7h00.
- Arrive at island between 6h50 and 7h25.
- Brief clients on shark hunting behaviour and what they can expect.
- View natural predatory interactions between sharks and seals.
- Tow a seal decoy to entice a breach so clients can get a picture.
- Anchor boat at 9am and start chumming to get sharks to boat.
- Drop cage and brief clients on the cage dive and shark behaviour around the boat.
- Cage dive and view sharks from 9h00 to 12h00.
- Return to Simons Town harbor.
- Back by 13h00
What to bring:
- Warm Jacket
- Sun block
- Polarised Sunglasses
- Camera
Who we use
Many people, when first choosing a shark company tend to shop for the cheapest operator, and then do not look any further. The trips we provide are operated by Morne Hardenberg's Shark Explorers, the premier shark diving operator in the Cape. We believe that this way we are able to provide our clients with the best Great White Shark experience in South Africa.
Here are a few reasons that make Apex so unique and different in their approach and our partner of choice.
- They operate at Seal Island in False Bay and are the original False Bay operators and the first group to document the now famous breaching great white sharks. This activity is unique to False Bay and the area is now world-famous for the most intense predator/prey interactions with great white sharks and Cape fur seals. A trip to Seal Island will give you the best opportunity to see a breaching great white shark, perhaps one of nature's’ most awesome spectacles.
- There are only three great white shark permits for Seal Island giving you a far less commercial experience than at other sites in South Africa.
- They have been have worked with international documentary crews and famous documentaries for the BBC and National Geographic specials have been filmed with them.
- They are one of the few companies where the owner personally goes out to sea on a high number of trips. . By operating this way, they attract serious shark lovers, as well as guests wanting a quality trip.
- Their motto has always been sharks first, and we are dedicated to conservation, research, and education of the Great White Shark.
- Many of their observations of the Great white shark are completely natural predatory interactions with Cape fur seals. On anchor they do not chum to attract great white sharks to the boat and gain their interest using a tuna head only. No shark livers are used. This is a standard practise with other operators and we are highly opposed to this.
- Simon’s Town, the launch site, is ideally situated being only 45 minutes from Cape Town and is only a two-minute drive from the Boulders Penguin Colony and 15 minutes from Cape Point nature reserve. This makes Simon's Town an ideal venue from which to see these three great attractions all in one day rather than spending an entire day just doing one or the other activity.
Seasons
Great white sharks are highly seasonal animals as their movements are mostly dictated by what they are feeding on at the time. Even during the high season at Seal Island you tend to see different behaviour during different months.
When making a booking for Great white shark cage-diving it is important that you have realistic expectations. If you are wishing to see a specific behaviour, you need to make sure you book over the right time period.
For example July is a fantastic month to see natural predation at Seal Island with the great whites hunting the seals, it is however not the best month for seeing dolphins or Southern Right whales. If you chose mid to late August you would still have a very good chance to see natural predation but also an outstanding chance to see Southern Right whales.
Please remember that the below is a guideline only. Sightings on any Great white shark cage diving trip can never be guaranteed as working with sharks is as wild as it comes!
The Great White's congregate here in large numbers each winter to feed on Cape fur seals. The arrival of the sharks at Seal Island coincides with the young of the year cape fur seals heading out to feed for the first time. They are weaned off their mothers at about six months of age and these well fed pups provide a high energy yielding meal for the Great white. On all Great white shark attacks on cape fur seals at Seal Island nearly 90% of their prey items fall in this size range and age group. High season is therefore February to end September.
The peak season for Great White Sharks at Seal Island, False Bay are June, July to mid-August. June is usually better for seeing sharks around the boat which is great for cage diving. July and August are the two better months for seeing intense natural predation (sharks attempting to catch seals).
Although it is possible to see all behaviour throughout the season each month can be better for seeing certain aspects of Great white shark behaviour.
At the start and the end of the season sightings on a Great white shark cage diving trip can go either way. Some years the sharks arrive a little earlier, sometimes a little later. Likewise at the end of the season the sharks will depart Seal Island in search of other prey items a little earlier or a little later.
From mid-March to early May the sharks are interested in coming up to the boat so it can be good for Great white shark cage diving. They are not normally in full hunting mode yet and most feeding events that we see are scavenges on dead seal carcasses. It is less likely to see the breaching behaviour at the start of the season but the close up sight of a great white around the boat will not leave you disappointed.
However, this time of the year False Bay can be alive with activity. There are usually large shoals of bait fish in the bay which in turn attract large schools of common dolphin and Brydes whales. When encountering these marine mammals it is always a highlight!
From mid-May to mid-June the chances of seeing a breach on the decoy start increasing. Natural predation events (sharks hunting seals) have still not peaked but there is still some chance. More and more sharks would have started to frequent Seal Island so sightings around the boat and cage diving can be excellent.
As mid-June approaches the frequency of natural predation events historically increases and a chance of seeing a breach on the decoy is high. Numbers of sharks sighted around the boat start to peak making mid-June to mid-July a great time to see all round behaviour. (Natural Predation, breach on the decoy and sharks around the boat for close up viewing and cage diving). Afternoon trips from mid-May to early August normally produce very good shark activity around the boat and there is a good chance of seeing a breach on the decoy towards the end of each great white shark cage diving trip.
From mid-July to mid/end of August the natural predation activity reaches its peak and we can see multiple events in the mornings. The rate of breaches on the decoy can also be high. The sharks activity around the boat is not as high as the sharks are in full hunting mode, but great white shark cage diving is certainly still good enough over this period.
As the end of the season approaches in mid to late September the sharks are still in hunting mode in the early morning so it is good for seeing natural predation. They do seem to lose interest in coming up to the boat. This can make Great white shark cage diving a little difficult. If cage diving is your main aim we would suggest we book the dive for you in Gansbaai, where seeing sharks around the boat this time of the year is good although water visibility can be low. If you appreciate just seeing a great white from the boat and the diving is not as important as a good all round nature experience then we can still offer you a opportunity for a surface viewing combination of whales , sharks, seals, possibly dolphins and a good mix of marine birds including African Penguins this time of year.
In the late season, around end September the sharks are hunting cape fur seals at Seal Island in the early morning and then moving closer to shore where they will shortly be changing their hunting modus to migratory fish and other shark species.
Southern Right Whales start to appear in False Bay from the middle of August and there is a very good possibility that we will sight these whales during the trip, really making this an added bonus to the day. The warm water currents come into False Bay bringing with it migratory fish and other species of shark. These species make up the majority of the Great white sharks summer diet and as such the sharks leave Seal Island and move closer to shore as they move with this biomass.
Although in the summer months of October to January you can view Great white sharks cruising on the surface inshore in False Bay it is not possible to work as close to shore as is allowed in the Gansbaai area. We therefore book our clients on trips to Gansbaai in this area if Great white shark cage diving is your sole priority.
Gansabaai - October to January
From October to January, the best chance of seeing and shark cage diving with great white sharks is in Gansbaai.
Gansbaai is only 2 hours from Cape Town and door to door transfers can be arranged. Dyer Island and Shark Alley in Gansbaai has become known as one of only two unique areas in the world, where the chances to view the great white shark is exceptionally high. Gansbaai focuses on cage diving and it is unlikely to see the breaching behaviour here.
A colony of approximately 40000 Cape Fur Seals inhabits the smaller Island (Geyser Rock). Other wildlife species such as Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, African Penguins, whales and dolphins are also likely to be sighted. So if you’re shark cage diving in Gansbaai you are assured to have an all-round experience.It is also important to note that there is a huge variety of other marine wildlife in False Bay and many of these animals can be sighted at certain times of the year whilst on our Great white shark cage diving trips. There are also good months for seeing multiple species together but these may be out of peak months for special behaviour.
Gansbaai still provides a very good chance to see the Great whites from October through to January. Please note that as the sharks are found close inshore so water visibility can be poor. Even though water visibility can be low the surface view is still fantastic and offers great close up views of the sharks.
December and January is generally considered low season in Gansbaai but there is still a 95% chance of sightings. The quality of the shark sightings do depend on your luck on the day.
Mako and Blue Sharks - October to June R3000 pp - full day
With Pisces Divers
When searching for the mako and blue sharks they are generally found in the warm Agulhas Current.
During the months October to June the current generally moves closer to the Cape Point area making this the high season for finding these sharks.
The Mako shark is the great white of the open ocean and it is out there that we cage dive with them, giving you an opportunity to glimpse briefly into the life of these beautiful cobalt blue warriors. Our success rate is around 85% in seeing sharks on these pelagic trips, either Blues or Makos, and on many of these shark diving trips in South Africa, we also dive with huge Yellowfin Tuna and other species. These trips allow you to see the majestic Mako and Blue sharks up close and personal. The Mako is not only the fastest shark in the sea but is also the king of the open ocean, a realm that few ever experience. Warm currents and inky blue waters greet you as you dive into water that is 1000m deep and more.
It is alsoan excellent month for combining great whites, mako and blues, and then an inshore dive with seven-gills, endemic cat sharks and shy sharks.
Cape Fur Seals and Seven-Gill Cow Sharks two tank dive trip - All Year Round R1750 or R1850
With Shark Explorers or Pisces DIvers
The masters of the kelp forests, the cow sharks, are present all year round at Pyramid Rock and although the success of the dive does depend on the conditions it is quite rare not to see them.
This is a world class shark dive, only 10 minutes boat ride from the moorings in Simon’s Town, and can easily be combined with a great white shark cage dive with us in the morning and then a sevengill shark dive in the afternoon allowing you to make the most of your day.
The Seven-gill cow shark, or Spotted cow shark, is a prehistoric apex predator and the king of the kelp forest. This dive site is one of the few places in the world where you have a great chance of diving with this rarely-seen shark (an 85% success rate). Thick kelp forest fringes the channel making this ideal habitat. A variety of small endemic cat shark species (brown shy shark, puff adder shy shark, striped cat shark and leopard cat shark) and spotted gulley sharks may also be encountered.
The Cow shark is a social feeder and can be observed in large groups of up to 18 individuals. The size of the sharks range from 1 meter to 3 meters with the females generally being larger than the males. Distinctive features include their seven gill slits and the absence of the front dorsal fin.
The dive boat is positioned in a channel approximately 12m deep. Divers descend to the sandy bottom and wait for the Cow sharks to approach. The sharks swim slowly up and down the channel, which runs roughly north/south and as the sharks are very confident they can pass at arms length from the divers. It’s a great opportunity for underwater photographers and by the end of the dive, you may recognize the individual cow sharks by distinctive bites, scrapes or coloration.
The kelp forest is also an excellent place to see several endemic shy shark species.
With Shark Explorers or Pisces DIvers
The masters of the kelp forests, the cow sharks, are present all year round at Pyramid Rock and although the success of the dive does depend on the conditions it is quite rare not to see them.
This is a world class shark dive, only 10 minutes boat ride from the moorings in Simon’s Town, and can easily be combined with a great white shark cage dive with us in the morning and then a sevengill shark dive in the afternoon allowing you to make the most of your day.
The Seven-gill cow shark, or Spotted cow shark, is a prehistoric apex predator and the king of the kelp forest. This dive site is one of the few places in the world where you have a great chance of diving with this rarely-seen shark (an 85% success rate). Thick kelp forest fringes the channel making this ideal habitat. A variety of small endemic cat shark species (brown shy shark, puff adder shy shark, striped cat shark and leopard cat shark) and spotted gulley sharks may also be encountered.
The Cow shark is a social feeder and can be observed in large groups of up to 18 individuals. The size of the sharks range from 1 meter to 3 meters with the females generally being larger than the males. Distinctive features include their seven gill slits and the absence of the front dorsal fin.
The dive boat is positioned in a channel approximately 12m deep. Divers descend to the sandy bottom and wait for the Cow sharks to approach. The sharks swim slowly up and down the channel, which runs roughly north/south and as the sharks are very confident they can pass at arms length from the divers. It’s a great opportunity for underwater photographers and by the end of the dive, you may recognize the individual cow sharks by distinctive bites, scrapes or coloration.
The kelp forest is also an excellent place to see several endemic shy shark species.