On our last trip to South Africa, we went to do what many adventure seekers want to do: dive with Great Whites!


Seeing sharks is an incredible adrenaline rush!… or so we’d like to imagine. Unfortunately for us, we took the ads and the excursion company’s word for granted and didn’t do any research ourselves. The result? A six hour drive, 1 hour boat ride, getting cold bodies into damp wetsuits and… no sharks. 

Which we found out later is normal for the winter season.

We were also ill prepared for other aspects of the outing and so you don’t have to go through the same thing, we’ve complied a list of things to know, before you go shark diving in South Africa.

Top Ten Shark Diving Tips in South Africa

1. Probabilities – The probability of seeing a shark differs depending on the time of year it is.
   • Winter: December through February – 60%
   • 
Spring: March through May – 80%
   • Summer: June through August – 99%
   • Autumn: September through November – 80%

   These numbers were given to us by a few different excursion experts so chances might be even less than what’s written. Keep that in mind when you’re planning your trip.

2. Helicopter Ride Option

   There are a few companies that will fly from Cape Town to Gansbaai, which cuts your driving time from 3 hours each way to only 30 mins each way. Prices are reasonable and should sincerely be considered. The drive is pretty but the best time to view sharks are in the mornings and no one wants to get up at 4 am on their holiday. We actually did a separate helicopter ride in Cape Town because the city is so picturesque from the sky. Had I known, I would have combined the two!

3. Things to Bring on the Trip

   Pack a bag with the minimals: clean underwear, sunscreen, a plastic bag for your wet bathing suit, a fleece or a warm jacket, underwater camera, and polarized sunglasses.

4. Things to Bring on the Boat

   That said, once you’ve done your training and had breakfast, leave most of your belongings in the car or locker and bring as little as possible with you on the boat. There is no room or space to put things down once you’re onboard. This means that whatever you bring, your friend will have to hold while you’re putting on your suit (and vice versa) If not, expect your belongings to get nice and wet sitting on the floor or bench.



5. Boat Ride

   It only takes about 15 to 20 mins to get far enough from the shore to anchor and see the Great Whites. Of course this depends where you launch from but there were about five or six other boats that were in the same area as we were.

6. Types of Sharks

   As we were waiting, we learned that sharks have varying personalities. Some are calm, while others can be aggressive and feisty. Shark lovers have learned how to read a shark based on their swimming behaviors, and know just by watching their movement how aggressive they are. Calm sharks can even become friendly to divers, allowing them to touch and pet them. A diver on our boat had plenty of photos with him touching and posing next to Great Whites. Gulp. Don’t try this on your own please, let’s leave it to the pros.

7. Company Choices

   There are eight different companies in Gansbaai that will take you shark cage diving. They vary in price, exclusivity, size and quality. Some are also more honest than others… I would recommend you check that the company has an updated diving certificate before purchasing tickets from them. We went with White Shark Diving Company which gave us a ticket to use on our next trip.



8. ‘A Shark!’

   Since only a couple people can go in the cages at a time, if someone does yell ‘Shark!’ the best thing to do is to run up to the deck above to see the Great White from there. That will be your best chance to catch a glimpse of it and we hear that it’s size and speed are much more impressive from above.
   Unless you’re in line to be next, don’t try getting into the cage. 1) Everyone’s going to try to do that and 2) Only the first people in the cage have a chance to see the shark. Once others jump in, the shark tends to move away.

9. Seasickness Pills

   If you’re even the slightest bit prone to seasickness, take a dose. Waiting at sea, tied to an anchor for three hours will make even the strongest sea legs a bit weak.

10. No Experience Needed

    There is no need to be scuba certified. Though they call it ‘shark diving’, it’s really more like ‘shark snorkeling’ since there is no diving gear. The only experience you need is maybe practice getting your body into freezing cold water…

I hope this helps to make your shark diving experience a successful one!


Good luck!