CAPE TOWN DIVING
Cape Town has some great seasonal and year-round diving. with Mako and Blue sharks, Seven-gill Cowsharks, Shysharks, and Fur Seals.
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.
Since 2017, there have been no regular Great White shark sightings in False Bay, when four great white carcasses were found washed ashore with their livers missing. It has been hypothesised, correctly in our opinion, that this was done by Orcas, the top APex predators. If you are interested in swimming with Orcas, we run a trip in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, in June.
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.
Since 2017, there have been no regular Great White shark sightings in False Bay, when four great white carcasses were found washed ashore with their livers missing. It has been hypothesised, correctly in our opinion, that this was done by Orcas, the top APex predators. If you are interested in swimming with Orcas, we run a trip in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, in June.
- MAKO & BLUE SHARKS
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 also an excellent month for combining great whites, mako and blues, and then an inshore dive with seven-gills, endemic cat sharks and shy sharks.
The Season is October to July ZAR 3,300 per person
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 also an excellent month for combining great whites, mako and blues, and then an inshore dive with seven-gills, endemic cat sharks and shy sharks.
The Season is October to July ZAR 3,300 per person
CAPE FUR SEAL & KELP FOREST TWO TANK DIVE TRIP
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 good chance of diving with this rarely-seen shark. 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 30 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 Cowsharks aggregate in the shallow channel between Pyramid Rock and the shore. If the sharks are present, there can be up to 30 sharks in the aggregation. Their curious and inquisitive nature means there is no baiting involved and we rely solely on a specific area where these animals are known to aggregate. Aside from the main attraction, the kelp forest is a beautiful environment to explore. There is an abundance of life in the kelp forest.
There are times when the sharks are not present in the area – please enquire about recent sightings when booking to have realistic expectations. If the Cowsharks are not evident, then look out for the Spotted Gully sharks, which attain 1.7 metres in length. This is a timid shark more easily approached by freedivers than SCUBA divers. Then there are several species of catshark: the Pyjama catshark, Puffadder Shyshark, Leopard shyshark and Dark shyshark. These smaller sharks are between 50cm and 1.2 metres in length. The huge Short-tailed rays can occasionally be spotted. These rays grow up to 2 metres across the disk.
All Year Round 2020 - ZAR 2,450 per person
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 good chance of diving with this rarely-seen shark. 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 30 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 Cowsharks aggregate in the shallow channel between Pyramid Rock and the shore. If the sharks are present, there can be up to 30 sharks in the aggregation. Their curious and inquisitive nature means there is no baiting involved and we rely solely on a specific area where these animals are known to aggregate. Aside from the main attraction, the kelp forest is a beautiful environment to explore. There is an abundance of life in the kelp forest.
There are times when the sharks are not present in the area – please enquire about recent sightings when booking to have realistic expectations. If the Cowsharks are not evident, then look out for the Spotted Gully sharks, which attain 1.7 metres in length. This is a timid shark more easily approached by freedivers than SCUBA divers. Then there are several species of catshark: the Pyjama catshark, Puffadder Shyshark, Leopard shyshark and Dark shyshark. These smaller sharks are between 50cm and 1.2 metres in length. The huge Short-tailed rays can occasionally be spotted. These rays grow up to 2 metres across the disk.
All Year Round 2020 - ZAR 2,450 per person
Guided Shore Dives package
with full equipment, two guided shore dives, lunch and transport from dive centre to dive sites.
Cape Town is quite unique in that there is a huge variety of shore entries available on both sides of the peninsula. False Bay has beautiful, thick kelp forests which creates an unusual environment for exploring, as well as a refuge for small animals and schools of reef fish. One will encounter numerous nudibranchs (over 80 species have been documented), crustaceans and lobsters, anemones, feather-stars, brittle-stars, sponges, sea-fans, ocopuses and cuttlefish, as well as many species of interesting fish, such as the Klipvis of which there are 34 known species in False Bay alone.
False Bay falls into a Marine Protected Area where no marine organisms may be removed or disturbed.
Shore diving lends itself to small groups, longer dives, exploration and a more intimate diving experience. Photographers often prefer shallow shore dives due to better light available and shore diving also suits less experienced and confident divers.
This shore diving package includes all diving equipment, transfers from the dive centre to the dive site and back, lunch with hot or cold drink and a good debrief afterwards. There are many marine ID books in the dive centre to help you identify the critters you have seen.
ZAR 1,600 per person
with full equipment, two guided shore dives, lunch and transport from dive centre to dive sites.
Cape Town is quite unique in that there is a huge variety of shore entries available on both sides of the peninsula. False Bay has beautiful, thick kelp forests which creates an unusual environment for exploring, as well as a refuge for small animals and schools of reef fish. One will encounter numerous nudibranchs (over 80 species have been documented), crustaceans and lobsters, anemones, feather-stars, brittle-stars, sponges, sea-fans, ocopuses and cuttlefish, as well as many species of interesting fish, such as the Klipvis of which there are 34 known species in False Bay alone.
False Bay falls into a Marine Protected Area where no marine organisms may be removed or disturbed.
Shore diving lends itself to small groups, longer dives, exploration and a more intimate diving experience. Photographers often prefer shallow shore dives due to better light available and shore diving also suits less experienced and confident divers.
This shore diving package includes all diving equipment, transfers from the dive centre to the dive site and back, lunch with hot or cold drink and a good debrief afterwards. There are many marine ID books in the dive centre to help you identify the critters you have seen.
ZAR 1,600 per person
CAPE POINT & SEAL SNORKELING OCEAN SAFARI
See Cape Point from a different angle. Get that photo you always see in the National Geographic magazine. Make a pass through Smitswinkel bay and Buffels bay past the Dias crosses and close to the cliffs below the historic lighthouse that leads up to the point. Visit the Roman Rock Lighthouse – the only lighthouse on our coast to have been erected on a single rock. We often see penguins, whales and a whole range of seabirds on trips down to the tip of the peninsula.
Seal Snorkeling
Jump into the water with the Cape Fur Seals and have a blast with the clowns of the sea. On our way back from Cape Point we stop at Partridge Point that is home to a few hundred seals. They are extremely curious and playful and will entertain divers and snorkelers alike. They mostly hang around the surface when they are in the water but will dive down to 25 metres to Scuba divers.The Cape fur Seal activity is available all year and anybody is welcome to join in on this activity.
See Cape Point from a different angle. Get that photo you always see in the National Geographic magazine. Make a pass through Smitswinkel bay and Buffels bay past the Dias crosses and close to the cliffs below the historic lighthouse that leads up to the point. Visit the Roman Rock Lighthouse – the only lighthouse on our coast to have been erected on a single rock. We often see penguins, whales and a whole range of seabirds on trips down to the tip of the peninsula.
Seal Snorkeling
Jump into the water with the Cape Fur Seals and have a blast with the clowns of the sea. On our way back from Cape Point we stop at Partridge Point that is home to a few hundred seals. They are extremely curious and playful and will entertain divers and snorkelers alike. They mostly hang around the surface when they are in the water but will dive down to 25 metres to Scuba divers.The Cape fur Seal activity is available all year and anybody is welcome to join in on this activity.
