Limited to 10 guests, your land based Super Shark exploration starts in Cape Town, South Africa – home to the three top hotspots of the great white shark.
Cape Town - False Bay
Great White Shark
Location: Seal Island, False Bay – Cape TownDive: Cage
April is the beginning of the season and is a good month for seeing multiple species. False Bay and surrounds teems with a huge variety of marine wildlife leading to many animals being encountered whilst on our shark trips.
The Great whites congregate at Seal Island in large numbers each winter to feed on Cape fur seals. The arrival of the sharks to 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 6 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. Although it’s not peak season for breaching there is a 60% chance to see this behaviour using the decoy tow.
Mako and Blue Shark
Location: Off Shore Cape Point – Cape TownDive: Cage
We pioneered open ocean shark diving in South Africa in 1999 and as such we have a good data base and understanding of when and where to find these spectacular sharks. A great part of this trip is that it is an all-round nature experience. We get to see spectacular views of Cape Point from the water; a large variety of pelagic sea birds, and we very often see a variety of Cetacean species.
Seven Gill Cow Shark
Location: False Bay, Inshore – Cape TownDive: Cage-less –scuba, free dive or snorkel
The masters of the kelp forests, the cow sharks, are present all year round and although the success of the dive does depend on the conditions, it is very rare not to see them. Encounters include endemic cat shark and shy shark.
Cape Fur Seal
Location: False Bay, Inshore – Cape TownDive: Cage-less – scuba, free dive or snorkel
The seals are a fascinating marine mammal that is curious and playful enough to approach divers and groups will often put on a display of underwater “hydrobatics” and make mock charges at divers before swerving away at the last moment.
Great White Shark
Location: Gansbaai – Western CapeDive: Cage
As the great white is the king of the apex predator, we have included two locations to ensure you get the best possible opportunity to interact with these amazing animals. Gansbaai offers good cage diving. The surface view is fantastic and offers great close up views of the great whites.
Other possible species that can be encountered in the Cape waters:
Smooth Hammerheads, Bronze Whaler sharks
Humpback, Southern Right, Sperm, Pilot and Brydes whales
Common, Bottelnosed, Dusky Risso's dolphins
Mola Mola (Sun Fish)
African Penguins
Possible bird species:
Black Browed, Yellow-nosed and less often Wandering & Royal Albatross, a variety of Shearwaters and Petrels, various Terns and Gulls.
KwaZulu-Natal
After 5 days of beautiful Cape Town, you’ll depart Cape Town International for a flight less than 2 hours to KwaZulu Natal where you’ll head to Protea Banks situated near the town of Shelly Beach, approximately 160km south of Durban.
Protea Banks
Protea Banks shows the bigger things that the ocean has to offer. Ranked amongst the top shark and game fish dives in the world, Protea Banks offers you a variety of sharks and pelagics on almost every dive.
Bull Shark
Location: Protea Banks – KwaZulu NatalDive: Cage-less- Advanced scuba qualification
During the summer months the Bull shark makes the banks its home. Hammerheads are often seen overhead – not just one or two, but in their hundreds. Guitar sharks, Coppers and Blacktips frequent this reef. Aside from the sharks, a vast number of game fish and other species can be encountered on the dive such as the Humpback whale, Spotted eagle ray, Manta ray, Devil ray & Whale shark.
Tiger and Bull shark
Location: Protea Banks – KwaZulu NatalDive: Cage-less – scuba, snorkel or freedive
Protea Banks offers an exceptionally exciting specialty shark dive called Baited Shark Diving, where divers can encounter sharks like never before. It is done safely and every effort is made not to feed them but only to lure the Tigers into an area where divers can observe them close up.
Aliwal Shoal
Aliwal Shoal off the small town of Umkomaas, KwaZulu Natal is a proclaimed marine protected area, 70 km north of Protea Banks. Umkomaas is mostly renowned as a diving town because the famous Aliwal Shoal is situated approximately 5km from the Umkomaas beach and offers a variety of dives, including shark and wreck diving.
Tiger, Dusky and Blacktip sharks
Location: Rocky Banks - UmkomaasDive: Cage-less – scuba, snorkel or freedive
We offer two locations to do ‘Baited Diving’ to maximise your sightings of Tiger and other species of sharks including Blacktip and Duskys. The sharks get lured in with the scent of fish oil and sardines which are place in a bucket and suspended in 8-12 metres of water. This dive is off shore and is an exhilarating experience being surrounded by inquisitive sharks.
Brindle Bass
Location: Aliwal Shoal – UmkomaasDive: Cage-less on scuba – advanced certification
This is wreck dive on a steel cargo ship which was carrying molasses when it hit the reef and sunk in 1974. It is lying on its hull in 3 sections. The stern and bow are more or less intact but the centre section has collapsed. We’ll hunt for the two giant Brindle Bass which are rumoured to weigh around 400 Kg!
On all legs of the expedition, the trip will offer information on white shark, tiger, bull, dusky and blacktip behaviour.
You will be with the very best shark people in the world so this is an opportunity to glean unique information and experience.
ItineraryThe below is subject to weather conditions.
- Five days in Cape Town and five days in KwaZulu Natal
- 1/2 x Mako & Blue Shark trip
- 2 x Great White Shark trip – False Bay
- 1 x Great White Shark trip – Gansbaai
- 1 x Seven Gill Cow Shark
- 1 x Cape Fur Seal dive
- 2/3 x Tiger Shark Baited dives – Protea Banks
- 2/3 x Tiger Shark Baited dives – Rocky Banks
- 1/2 x Bull Shark dive – Protea Banks
- 2/3 x Brindle Bass/reef dives – Aliwal Shoal
Rates are based on double occupancy. Accommodation will be in a three star guest house.
CostR33’ 000 per person sharing
What is includedAll shark trips and dives
Land based excursions on no sea days
Accommodation
Breakfast in Gansbaai and KwaZulu Natal
Transfers
One way flights from Cape Town to KwaZulu Natal
Meals at sea - light lunch and refreshments
Cylinder and weight belt
Cost Excludes
International Flights
Flights out of KwaZulu Natal
Breakfast in False Bay
Dinner
Full dive gear
Note
- If we are unable to go to sea on any of the days due to weather or sea conditions, alternative excursions will be arranged. The cost of these excursions are included. There is no refund on no sea days.
- Transfers while on the expedition will be by vehicle except the transfer from Cape Town to KwaZulu Natal, which will be a flight. At the end of the expedition in KwaZulu Natal, we’ll transfer to the airport. However, if you prefer to travel further in our beautiful country, let us know and we will help you with your arrangements.
- Advanced scuba certification with 50 logged dives if you wish to scuba dive Protea Banks and Aliwal shoal
- We need a minimum of 4 guests for this trip to depart and a maximum of 10 guests on the Super Sharks Expedition. The trips may include additional guests at times in order to keep costs at a minimum.
- Open water diving with big sharks is NOT for everyone. These are close up encounters with very large sharks, and we do use chum and bait to attract the sharks in close. Tiger sharks are very large sharks, and can be curious, making close passes, sometimes bumping cameras. This is normal behaviour for them. You need to be comfortable in the water surrounded by sharks.
- Remember, we are dealing with wild animals, and sightings cannot be guaranteed. Refunds are not considered in the event of non-sightings. Due to variable weather conditions and shark activity, diving may not always be possible and is therefore not guaranteed.
