Getting up close and personal with the most dangerous animal in the sea, shark cage diving is extreme!
The Gansbaai is where all the magic happens. Located about a two hour drive from Cape Town. This place is the shark capital of the world and is closest experience you can have seeing great white sharks in their natural habitat. Here is a run down of our shark cage diving experience in the winter month of August.
A Great White approaching.
Getting Prepared
After being told that nothing could go wrong, we signed the forms required to do the dive. We put all our faith in the cage on the boat, the only thing to stop the sharks from nibbling/snapping off on our toes. All the equipment is provided and there is a possibility of renting underwater cameras, but its best to bring your own as they are fairly expensive.
Shark Alley
During the winter months, the highest density of shark are found in Shark Alley. As we headed between the two islands, Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, we noticed straight away the colossal amount of wildlife. Our instructor mentioned there are always a Seal colony of 60,000 that live on Geyser Rock and Penguins living on Dyer Island.
The Cage Diving Experience
After putting on our flippers and swim suits, we had a little joke about how we did slightly resemble seals. The sea was extremely choppy and especially in small boats like these ones, you need to take your time getting the wetsuit on. A couple of people felt seasick on the way on out there, so just be mindful that if you do suffer from this, take precautions where ever possible.
We were suited and booted and the cage was lowered into the water. When there was a shark sighting, we were told to jump in. The cage itself was positioned on the side of the boat, with the capacity for 4 to 5 people at a time. We followed our orders and the next thing we knew, there was a shark right there in front of our faces. We didn’t have too much time too spend in the cage, as the next group takes your place.
As we traveled in winter, the temperature was really cold. The 15 degrees water was quickly forgotten about though, as the first sharks appeared.
We didn’t have to wait for too long for the first apex predators. As soon as they were spotted, the instructor told us to get into the cage. The water clarity wasn’t the best, but just seeing these animals was the most insane experience. Hearing the loud bang, as they crashed against the side of the cage, left you thinking just how powerful these animals actually are.
Great White rising its head for the bait.
Multiple 4-6 meter long sharks were circling the cage, and with the bait positioned just in front of the cage, we could admire thrashing around very close to us. We had heard of accidents happening in Guadalupe, with shark getting into the cages themselves, but this was apparently down to bait being attached to the cage. In the Gansbaai, the bait is always positioned far enough from the cage.
Most were sexually mature females in need of fattening up! We were given scuba equipment to stay submerged in the tank for longer. You become completely oblivious to how cold the water is and it truly is an unforgettable experience.
For a different vantage point, we headed to the top deck which also were awesome views of the spectacle. Definitely take advantage of this for taking pictures. If you wanted to, the crew have a package where they take their own photos of you, this however is fairly expensive.
How much?
We spent 1100 ZAR (75 EUR/80 USD) which was a bit on the pricey side considering how long you are only out for 1.5 hours. This does however include the bus transfer to and from Cape Town.
The Overall Experience
Just to see the animals in their natural environment is worth everything. If you can afford it, I’d for sure recommend doing this. We met some lovely people and the crew put us at ease. just a pity about having a cage diving experience in the winter as it did get fairly chilly!
A Great White going for the bait.
