The GREAT WHITE Shark Trail 21- 28 August 2012

Do you love GREAT WHITE sharks? Do you want to learn more about this apex predator?

Join the South African shark diving industry on an exclusive and exciting adventure into the realm of the Great White Shark. The Great White Trail is an educational adventure giving you an incredible opportunity to encounter white sharks in South Africa’s three premier white shark areas: False Bay, Gansbaai and Mossel Bay. These white shark sites stretch along the Cape south coast which is famed for its abundance of white sharks. This makes it the best region in the world for a white shark encounter.

Starting in Simon’s Town, False Bay is home to the world famous flying great whites, your hosts Chris and Monique Fallows and the Apex Shark Expeditions team offer you the opportunity to see hunting and breaching great whites at Seal Island. Seal Island boasts Africa’s largest island-based seal colony.
Chris and Monique are world authorities on white shark and cape fur seal predatory interactions. They are also photographic pioneers of these wildly amazing feeding events. Their work has been documented by, amongst others, National Geographic, Discovery Channel and the BBC.

After False Bay you head for Gansbaai, South Africa’s shark cage diving capital. One of South Africa’s most established shark diving companies hosts you during this leg. Here the focus is on white shark cage diving. This is shark tourism at its highest level – the challenge of balancing tourist expectations with the integrity of the sharks and their environment. Your hosts and the experienced crew of the Shark Team take you on a journey into the world of white shark tourism and what this means for man and beast. Dyer Island is a wild and fascinating place where life and death play out their roles on a daily basis.

Next, your trail leads you onto the Cape's beautiful Garden Route to Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay offers a combination of cage diving, breaching and natural predation with a focus on shark identification and research. There's also a dynamic human/shark scenario, with the seal colony being no more than a few hundred metres offshore from popular beaches.

On all three legs of the trail, the trip will offer information on white shark breaching and seal predation, complex white shark behavior, shark identification, sharks and tourism and white shark biology.

Other species one is likely to encounter: Southern Right whales, Brydes whales, Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, Penguins and various sea birds.

Importantly, we do not feed the sharks and no environmentally incorrect methods are used to attract the sharks at any time during the three legs of your trail.

You do not need to be certified if you wish to dive, and all dive gear is provided. We need a minimum of 4 guests for this trip to depart and a maximum of 12 guests on The Great White Trail expedition. The Gansbaai and Mossel Bay shark trips may include additional guests in order to keep costs at a minimum.
The cages in Gansbaai and Mossel Bay are larger so the additional guests should have no effect on dive times.

Chris Fallows will host the False Bay leg of the trip and the other destinations will have shark specialists hosting the trip.

Notes:

1. The trail includes four days at False Bay, Simons Town and two days each at Gansbaai and Mossel Bay.
2. If we are not able to go to sea on any of the days due to weather or sea conditions, alternative excursions will be arranged. These excursions will be included. There is no refund on no sea days.
3. You will be working with the very best white shark people in the world so this is an opportunity to glean unique information and experience.
4. The trail begins in Simon’s Town, Cape Town and then moves to Gansbaai, 200km further along the Cape south coast. From Gansbaai, we move south-east to Mossel Bay which is 280km further along the coast.
5. Transfers while on the trail will be by vehicle. At the end of the trail in Mossel Bay we’ll return to Cape Town. However, if you prefer you can fly from George airport to any destination in the country, or you can hire a car and drive further along the Garden Route. Let us know and we will help you with your arrangements.
6. This trail is the difference between driving in a game vehicle or climbing out to walk with the game ranger. Walk with the game ranger!
7. All diving gear is included but you may wish to bring your own mask. Unless you plan to do other dives, you will not need fins or a BC.

Cost is R22 500, 00 per person sharing

What is included:
Morning shark Trip
Accommodation
Breakfast in Gansbaai and Mossel Bay
Transfers
Meals at sea.- light lunch and refreshments
Diving gear

Cost Excludes:
Flights
Breakfast in False Bay
Dinner

If bad weather prevents us from proceeding with a trip on any particular day, alternate excursions will be arranged, this will be at no additional cost. Remember, we are dealing with wild animals, and even though we offer this expedition in our peak shark season, sightings cannot be guaranteed. Refunds are therefore 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.

Itinerary:
21 August – Arrive Cape Town International Airport

False Bay, Simon’s Town
Transfer to the three star Grosvenor Guest house www.grosvenor.co.za
21 – 24 August – Great White morning trips 07H00am – 12H30pm
22 August – Half day tour to Iziko Shark Museum or Two Oceans Aquarium (Optional Extra – dive in the predator tank with the Ragged Tooth Sharks)
Other optional extras: Dive with Seven Gill Cowshark and/or Cape Fur Seals
Afternoon of the 24 August – transfer to Gansbaai

Gansbaai
24 August - Arrive Nell’s Bed and Breakfast
25 – 26 August – Great White morning presentation and trips +/- 08H30am – 14h00pm
Afternoon of the 26 August – transfer to Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay
26 August - Arrive High View Lodge
27 – 28 August - Great White morning trip
27 August – Evening Presentation by Oceans Research on shark identification data collected and analysed over the past 10 years.
28 August – depart for Cape Town (or alternative travel arrangements)

Enquire Now