There are few places, if any, where you can see the big 5 on land and the Big 2 in the water – Great white sharks and whales.
There are many other shark and whale species, mega ponds of dolphins, flocks of penguins, and a huge diversity of other marine life all within a few hours’ drive of each other.
Cape Town, South Africa’s mother city, situated at the South Western tip of Africa offers such an opportunity. False Bay is just 45 minutes from Cape Town city center and the opportunity for the marine nature lover to see world-famous attractions is easy, accessible, and affordable.
Whale Watching Cape Town
This is characterized by a new mega visitor returning to the bay and the gentle giants, the Southern Right whales moving into the bay to mate and calve. Boat-based whale watching trips from Simon’s Town take guests within a stone’s throw of the whales and excellent land-based whale watching can also be enjoyed.
Local dive operators generally have the best reef diving conditions in the bay during winter, May-September, where numerous wrecks are dived and soft corals, nudibranchs, and a host of temperate water fish add interest to most dives. One of the truly spectacular and easily accessible dives in the bay is in the magnificent kelp forests which flank both the Eastern and Western sides of the bay.
If time allows or if you book in advance a double tank dive can be undertaken with the colony of Cape fur seals that are roughly a mile away from the kelp forest dive. These ever-playful seals show off their agility and cavort and play with gay abandon around any divers willing to be their playmates. Depth in both these areas is generally around 30 foot so it is an easy dive for even the most novices of divers.
Read more about Kelp Forest Diving in Cape Town
Shark Diving in Cape Town
As the Southern hemisphere embraces the change of seasons, summer really gets hot so the opportunity to head offshore into the realm of the open ocean predators becomes a reality. Departing once again from Simon’s Town, pelagic shark trips are undertaken by Apex Shark Expeditions with the target being the spectacular Mako and Blue sharks as well as a large emphasis being placed on general marine life such as pelagic birds, cetaceans, and game fish.
Rounding the dramatic cliffs of Cape Point, one of the world’s great nautical landmarks, the next stop is the open ocean and this trip is just as adventurous as a naturalist can do in a day. The warm Agulhas current washes down the Cape East coast and around Cape Point usually 15-25 miles offshore bringing warm, clear, and often blue water. This is a great chance for cage divers to experience a true open ocean experience.
Shark cage diving is primarily undertaken by drifting in a cage that floats roughly 10 yards astern of the vessel allowing sharks to easily circle the shark cage. The use of the cage is not only to increase safety but also to compensate for the current which would otherwise require lots of swimming. By being in the cage, shark cage divers can concentrate on the action and not on keeping up with the boat.
Water temperatures range between the high sixties to mid-high seventies and visibility is typically 30-60feet. Yellowfin and albacore tuna, sunfish, occasional turtles, and even marlin are sighted on these remarkable trips. For guests interested in birdlife, this is one of the world’s best open ocean pelagic bird watching areas with the chance of seeing six or more species of albatross in a day and at least four species are commonly seen on most outings. These shark tours are highly weather dependent and as such a few days should be allowed for this activity. The best months are typically December to April.
If after the shark, whale, dolphin and seal action you still feel like embarking on a more gentle pursuit, the Boulders beach penguin colony with over 2000 pairs of African penguins, offer the family, divers and non-divers alike, the chance to get close to these comical birds in a magical setting of large boulders and a beach filled with character.
False Bay really has few other places to match it in terms of the sheer diversity of predators, the ease with which they can be seen, and year-round options for activities that range from very mild to pretty wild. Be warned that during the months of September to late November the wind can really blow strong.
This means at this time of the year contingencies for land-based activities such as wine tasting, visits to Cape Point nature reserve, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch gardens or Robben Island ( Nelson Mandela’s prison) should be considered.
Excellent accommodation is available in Cape Town with many 5 and even 6-star hotels available in Simon’s town hotels which are complemented by excellent B&B’s offer varying levels of accommodation.
Shark Cage Diving Simon’s Town
During the months of March to June, massive baitfish shoals of sardine and anchovy enter False Bay, and with this influx of prey come a whole host of predators. Launching from the historical naval port of Simon’s Town, the opportunity to see mega pods of dolphins crashing shoals of baitfish whilst at the same time being attacked by kamikaze like squadrons of Cape Gannets is only 20 -30 minutes boat ride away.
False Bay plays home to the start of the annual sardine run around March each year. This brings an influx of common dolphin and along with them, a new predator to the bay and previously unheard of, orca. The orcas along the Cape coast appear to be dolphin hunting specialists and the action, when it happens, is intense. By early June the schools of baitfish have moved up the East coast and the schools of dolphins, flocks of Gannets, and pods of orca have for the most part moved on.
Seal Island, situated in False Bay’s north-central region is home to Africa’s largest island-bound seal colony and numbers around 65 000 seals at its peak. This is the location for the shark cage diving boats to anchor and attract sharks to the boat.
Over the last few years, the famous Great white sharks of False Bay have been missing. In their absence, a new predator of dinosaur proportions, the Sevengill shark has moved into the area. For those needing to get their hair wet, cage diving offers the opportunity to get close to the sharks in their domain. Visibility ranges from 5-50feet with 15-20 feet being normal. Water temperatures range around the mid to late ’50s.
The unique aspect of Seal Island as opposed to other shark cage diving locations in South Africa is that you can have the opportunity to visit the Boulders Beach penguin colony after the trip. By late August, seasonal shifts occur in the bay and the NW winds start shifting more into the SW and then SE.
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai
If great white sharks are your main priority, Gansbaai, the “great white shark diving capital of the world” should also be visited. Gansbaai is 3 hours from Cape Town by road and you travel through some beautiful areas including South Africa’s whale capital of Hermanus where the best land-based whale watching in the world can be experienced.
The commercial center of shark cage diving is in Gansbaai and is a shining example of how a shark alive is so much more valuable than dead. Eight operations offer varying degrees of eco-friendly shark diving with large boats generally being the order of the day. Some of the operations in this area place a large emphasis on education and conservation and it is recommended that the services of these companies are sought in order to get the most out of each encounter with these magnificent predators.
During this whale experience, you may find yourself near Dyer Island which is a spectacular breeding and roosting area for seabirds. Nearby Geyser rock and shark alley is home to over 50 000 Cape fur seals. Inshore visibility is typically poor in the 3-15ft range but around Dyer Island, it can be as good as 50feet during winter and spring. Other options around the Gansbaai area include diving on the famous Birkenhead wreck lying off Danger Point.
The latter dive is for highly experienced divers only as ground swell and high currents are the order of the day but the incredible history of the wreck where the British troops stood at attention while the ship sank adds to the mystique and intrigue of this wreck. However, the sightings of Great white sharks in Gansbaai have become sporadic too.
Shark Cage Diving in Mossel Bay
Mossel bay, 5 hours from Cape Town offers the highest opportunities for shark cage diving with Great white sharks. Located in a protected bay, the shark cage diving in Mossel Bay takes place a mere 10 minutes from shore at their Seal Island. There is only one operator in this area which allows for an intimate encounter with the king of the ocean.
Shark Photography
From a photographic point of view, for all surface shooting in False Bay with the Sevengill sharks, mega dolphin pods, gannet and seal action as well as around the boat encounters, Chris Fallows uses a 70-200 F2.8 lens. The emphasis is on the weight and ease of use of the lens more than anything else.
There are also many opportunities to shoot wide and as such a 16-35 or similar lens is also a good idea. For underwater shooting from the cage, consideration must be taken that the ports on the shark cages used throughout South Africa are narrower than 400mm, so strobes unless compact or on short arms can be cumbersome.
The shark cage also floats right on the surface so the ambient light is in full supply. For pelagic shark cage diving, housings that allow for wide-angle lenses 8-20mm are recommended as in most cases subjects come very close to divers.
Time to pack your bags!
Contact apexmarketing@mweb.co.za for all your shark tours and package requirements.
