Diving with the great white sharks inside a cage
Definitely a bucket list item, to dive with white sharks! Traveling to South Africa you can finally tick this item of your list! How about that?
I did the Shark Cage Diving with Marine Dynamics as part of my Garden Route 6-days tour, which I did with Earthstompers (read more about it here). They picked me up at the hostel in Cape Town early in the morning, before 6 AM, and dropped me off at Gaansbai around 8h30, to start the experience.
Bloggers tip: when you do the Garden Route Tour, you can also choose to do a Whale Watching tour in Hermanus instead of the Shark Cage Diving, it´s another optional activity you can have on the first day (if it´s the right season for that).
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
Even if it sounds a bit crazy, it´s actually very safe – you dive inside a cage attached to the boat, so you´re never really in touch with the sharks.
When the shark approaches the boat, you dive inside the cage, and you have the opportunity to see it very close (the visibility permitting it).
You don´t need experience in diving, as actually you just hold your breath and dive inside the cage when the shark approaches, there´s no need of scuba dive equipment.
Are you going to Cape Town? Here you can check all the accommodation options, from hostels to hotels and resorts. And if you book it through this link, you help to maintain this blog online, and you don´t have to pay anything for that.
They don´t feed the sharks, they just use some kind of fish essence to attract them, as well as the noises the make on the boat.
The cage fits 8-9 people, and the boat usually can fit 40. Each group stays in the cage around 15 minutes or so.
The rest of the group can see the sharks from the top deck of the boat, which is pretty cool, from there you have amazing views of the sharks.
The boat ride, including the cage diving, can last around 2-3 hours, depending on how long do the sharks take to appear.
Bloggers tip: if you have a gopro or underwater proof camera, make sure you take it with you inside the cage, if the visibility is good, you can have awesome photos!
WHERE DOES IT HAPPEN?
The dives happen outside Cape Town, mostly in Gaansbai or Klensbaai (close to Hermanus) – aprox. 2h30 drive. There are also other areas in South Africa where you can do this kind of dive.
You can book it as a full day trip, leaving from Cape Town (the tour companies pick you up and drop you off there), but you can also stay in Hermanus or Klensbaai (as it´s not so close to Cape Town, it might be a good option).
BLOGGERS TIP: You can compare the prices of different travel insurances accessing this link, it´s very practical to choose a good one. Also, you can have a 15% discount on your insurance using this link.
WHO DOES THE TOUR?
Many tour companies offer the shark cage diving leaving from Cape Town. I chose Marine Dynamics, and I´d recommend it.
They are very professional and organized. The day starts with a video explaining you all about the sharks, the boat and the dive, and with a delicious breakfast (included in the price).
You receive a proper tick wetsuit for the dive, masks and a vest, and after the dive you get a towel and a hot chocolate to warm up.
The staff is very experienced, and they always have a marine biologist with the team on board. The boat is very good, made specifically for this kind of tour, and has a dry area under the seats, where you can keep things that shouldn´t get wet.
After the dive, when the boat returns, you get a warm soup, some snacks and also a ginger ale (ginger is known for helping with sea sickness). You can also use the hot shower, and the free wifi.
In case you can´t see any sharks (well, that´s mother nature!), from the boat or from the cage, they offer you the chance to do the tour again another day, or refund you 50% of what you paid for it.
Bloggers tip: they make a great video of the dive, which you can buy there, or receive for free in case you booked the tour online.
The shark cage diving costs 1,750 rands (Oct/16) and includes the pick-up and drop off at/from Cape Town, all the gear you need, the breakfast before the tour, the snacks and soda drinks at the boat and after the dive, hot shower, wifi, the guides, and the dive itself.
Here at Marine Dynamics site you can find more info about it.
SEA SICKNESS
I never ever felt sea sick before, but during the dive I felt sick like hell… The sea was really rough after a rainy weekend, and actually 1/3 of the people on the boat were feeling sick!
They help you all the way they can, giving you a paper bag, water, mints, orienting you to seat on the front and to look at the land, to try to feel better, but it´s definitely annoying to be feeling like that!
Anyway, I´d suggest you take some pills to help with that before getting on board, even if you usually don´t feel sea sickness – if only I had taken one, I would have been able to enjoy much more the experience!
Bloggers tip: it´s also good to ask about the visibility before you book the tour. I did it in August, and apart from the water being freezing, the visibility wasn´t the best.
How about you? Have you already been to Cape Town and tried the shark cage diving? Do you have some cool tips about it? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!
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Planning your trip:
– Accommodation: you can book your accommodation here – hotels/hostels comparing and free booking cancel
– Travel Insurance: you have a 15% discount in your travel insurance if you book it using this link, or here you can compare different prices of travel insurances
– Car Rental: compare different prices of car rentals here
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The blogger did the dive by invitation of Marine Dynamics and Earthstompers. I’d like to thank again for the opportunity, and also make it clear that all the opinions present here are independent and personal.
