Great White Sharks - Seasons

* FAIR: 40% - 60%

** GOOD: 60% - 80%

*** EXCELLENT: 80% PLUS

GWS = Great White Shark

<<<<< Out of season

Great white sharks are highly seasonal animals as their movements are mostly dictated by what they are feeding on at the time. Even during the high season at Seal Island we tend to see different behaviour during different months.

We can only guide you based on the 15 years data we have collected. Apex Shark Expeditions is the only company that has collected such a broad base of data, but even so, this does not account for seasonal anomalies.

When making a booking for Great white shark cage-diving it is important that you have realistic expectations. If you are wishing to see a specific behaviour, you need to make sure you book over the right time period.

When booking an Apex shark expedition we will do our best to advise you but the below serves as a rough guideline according to the data we have collected since 1996.

It is also important to note that there is a huge variety of other marine wildlife in False Bay and many of these animals can be sighted at certain times of the year whilst on our Great white shark cage diving trips. There are also good months for seeing multiple species together but these may be out of peak months for special behaviour.

For example July is a fantastic month to see natural predation at Seal Island with the great whites hunting the seals, it is however not the best month for seeing dolphins or Southern Right whales. If you chose mid to late August you would still have a very good chance to see natural predation but also an outstanding chance to see Southern Right whales.

As we approach all our trips as a Marine Safari we will do our best to make the most of whatever wildlife we encounter ensuring a special day on the water for you.

Please remember that the below is a guideline only. Sightings on any Great white shark cage diving trip can never be guaranteed as working with sharks is as wild as it comes!

Our Great white shark cage diving permit allows us to operate in the waters around Seal Island in False Bay, Cape Town. We may also look for the sharks in other areas but prefer to stick to the Seal Colony.

The Great whites congregate here 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.

Our high season is therefore mid April to mid September.

The peak season for Great White Sharks at Seal Island, False Bay are June, July to the mid-August. June is usually better for seeing sharks around the boat which is great for cage diving. July and August are the two better months for seeing intense natural predation (sharks attempting to catch seals).

Although it is possible to see all behaviour throughout the season each month can be better for seeing certain aspects of Great white shark behaviour.

At the start and the end of the season sightings on a Great white shark cage diving trip can go either way. Some years the sharks arrive a little earlier, sometimes a little later. Likewise at the end of the season the sharks will depart Seal Island in search of other prey items a little earlier or a little later.

From mid April to early May the sharks are interested in coming up to the boat so it can be good for Great white shark cage diving. They are not normally in full hunting mode yet and most feeding events that we see are scavenges on dead seal carcasses. It is less likely to see the breaching behaviour at the start of the season but the close up sight of a great white around the boat will not leave you disappointed.

However, this time of the year False Bay can be alive with activity. There are usually large shoals of bait fish in the bay which in turn attract large schools of common dolphin and Brydes whales. When encountering these marine mammals it is always a highlight!

From mid May to mid June the chances of seeing a breach on the decoy start increasing. Natural predation events (sharks hunting seals) have still not peaked but there is still some chance. More and more sharks would have started to frequent Seal Island so sightings around the boat and cage diving can be excellent.

As mid June approaches the frequency of natural predation events historically increases and a chance of seeing a breach on the decoy are high. Numbers of sharks sighted around the boat start to peak making mid June to mid July a great time to see all round behaviour. (Natural Predation, breach on the decoy and sharks around the boat for close up viewing and cage diving).

Afternoon Trips from Mid May to early August normally produce very good shark activity around the boat and there is a good chance of seeing a breach on the decoy towards the end of each great white shark cage diving trip.

From mid July to middle/end of August the natural predation activity reaches its peak and we can see multiple events in the mornings. The rate of breaches on the decoy can also be high.

The sharks activity around the boat is not as high as the sharks are in full hunting mode, but great white shark cage diving is certainly still good enough over this period.

As we approach the end of the season in early to mid September the sharks are still in hunting mode in the early morning so it is good for seeing natural predation. They do seem to lose interest in coming up to the boat. This can make Great white shark cage diving a little difficult. If cage diving is your main aim we would suggest we book the dive for you in Gansbaai, with an ethical operator, where seeing sharks around the boat this time of the year is good although water visibility can be low. If you appreciate just seeing a great white from the boat and the diving is not as important as a good all round nature experience then we can still offer you a opportunity for a surface viewing combination of whales , sharks, seals, possibly dolphins and a good mix of marine birds including African Penguins this time of year.

In the late season, around Mid September the sharks are hunting cape fur seals at Seal Island in the early morning and then moving closer to shore where they will shortly be changing their hunting modus to migratory fish and other shark species.

Southern Right Whales start to appear in False Bay from the middle of August and there is a very good possibility that we will sight these whales during the trip, really making this an added bonus to the day. The warm water currents come into False Bay bringing with it migratory fish and other species of shark. These species make up the majority of the Great white sharks summer diet and as such the sharks leave Seal Island and move closer to shore as they move with this bio mass.

Although in the summer months of September to January we can view white sharks cruising on the surface inshore in False Bay we are not able to work as close to shore as is allowed in the Ganbaai area. We therefore book our clients with our preferred operator in this area if Great white shark cage diving is your sole priority.

As such Gansbaai still provides a very good chance to see the Great whites from Mid September through to March. Please note that as the sharks are found close inshore so water visibility can be poor. Even though water visibility can be low the surface view is still fantastic and offers great close up views of the sharks.

January to March is generally considered low season in Gansbaai but there is still an 85% chance of sightings. The quality of the shark sightings do depend on your luck on the day. 

Seven Gill Cow Sharks

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 very rare not to see them. This is a world class shark dive, only 10 minutes boat ride from our 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 seven gill shark dive in the afternoon allowing you to make the most of your day with us.

Mako and Blue Sharks

Apex Shark Expeditions started 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.

When we search for the mako and blue sharks we are generally finding them in the warm Agulhas Current.

During the months November to May the current generally moves closer to the Cape Point area making this the High Season for finding these sharks.

May can be a an excellent month for combining great whites, mako and blues, and then an inshore dive with seven gills and endemic cat sharks and shy sharks.

There is no extra charge for us to book you on the Gansbaai tour.

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