Great
White Shark Diving.
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Dive in a cage and come face to face with the King of the Ocean - a once in a lifetime experience! |
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Diving Tour. |
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| The
Western Cape Coast is one of only three places in the world where white
sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) can be viewed on a cage dive.
As a diver, you have a slightly different viewpoint on the claimed potential extinction of the one thing you fear most. The Great White Shark Experience is a unique opportunity to view the Great White Shark in its natural environment, either from a boat or an underwater cage. You will also have the opportunity to see a number of other wildlife species, including Cape Gannets, Bryde Whales, Cape Fur Seals, Jackass Penguins and Dolphins. |
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Shark Diving Seasons |
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are 3 seasons for shark viewing: high, intermediate and low. High season - May to August. Intermediate - March, April, September & October Low - November to February During the high season the chances of seeing sharks are 95% and better, although stormy days can prevent us from going to sea. In the intermediate months sharks are seen on most days, but the quality of the sightings are not generally as good as in the high season. |
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| Good
sightings and excellent photographs are still obtained during the
intermediate period. Our low season is during the summer months. Despite being low season, sharks are still sighted and it is worth going out as Dyer Island is rated as the most reliable place in the world to see the Great White Shark. Visit the Beach House in "Shark High Season" for a special Cape Winter holiday. |
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Where? |
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| Dyer Island lies approximately 5 nautical miles offshore from Gansbaai, a small fishing village 170 km Southeast of Cape Town. | |||||||||||
The
1 Day Shark Diving Trip
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| The day typically starts at around 7 am when you are picked up from your lodgings in Cape Town. | |||||||||||
| After
a scenic drive to Gansbaai you will enjoy breakfast and a briefing before
setting out to sea. We usually launch around 9:30 in the morning, subject
to tides and weather conditions. The ride to Dyer Island takes around 30 minutes, after which a good spot to spend the day is selected. We remain at sea for about 6 hours relaxing, diving and watching the sharks. Refreshments are served throughout the day. At about 4 pm we head back to shore where there is enough time to enjoy a last bite and something to drink before the drive back to Cape Town. You will return to your accommodation at around 7 pm. |
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Safety Considerations. |
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| The White Shark Cage Diving industry in South Africa has developed substantially over the last 10 years. The cages have evolved over this period and although they are lightweight, work extremely well. Nobody has ever been bitten in South Africa whilst inside a shark cage. | |||||||||||
| Our
boat is a spacious 10 x 3
meter
catamaran with a cabin and toilet.
Comfortable and stable, it is powered by twin V6 Yamaha outboard engines,
150 HP each. The boat is surveyed annually by inspectors from the South African Maritime Safety Authority and is fully equipped with safety equipment, including emergency oxygen and trauma packs. Our White Shark operation complies with Cape Nature Conservation permit requirements, and in most respects exceed the minimum standards by a good margin. |
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Ecology And Research | ||||||||||
| We are very sensitive towards the ecosystem around Dyer Island and operate in an ecologically sensible way. Sharks are attracted to the boat using a very light scent trail which we establish by hanging a small net of fish entrails over the back of the boat. We do not feed sharks, and although we have a chunk of marine bait on the end of a rope, this is to provide the shark with a visual reference on which to focus. | |||||||||||
| The bait is pulled past the cage so that the shark will swim past it, enabling good sightings from the cage. We are in full support of bona fide shark research, and regularly consult with and assist scientists from the Universities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch, and the Shark Research Centre at the SA Museum in Cape Town. | |||||||||||
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| The contents, text and photographs used on the diving tour are modified from and courtesy of Two Oceans Marine Adventures. | |
Diving Tour. |
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Janthina |
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Contact:
info@sunsetbeach.co.za |
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Siffie for Beach Hotel Rates. |
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