I have always had a fascination with sharks, in particular great whites. I few years back I had the opportunity to swim with grey reef sharks when I was in Roatan, Honduras. That was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. Another dream of mine is getting to see the great white shark up close in its natural habitat. While on vacation in Cape Town, I figured it would be one of my best chances to check this off my bucket list. I knew that shark cage diving in South Africa was a very popular activity so I jumped at the chance and made my reservation.
I chose to book with Apex Shark Expeditions due to their many years of service and high ratings. Plus, being just a 45 minute drive from Cape Town’s city center, it made for a very convenient excursion. The breath-hold cage diving tours are beginner-friendly and led by experienced dive masters. You can also rent scuba gear for an additional cost, but I found that just holding your breath while in the cage was fine.
The adventure starts from the marina in Simon’s Town. Once the boat is ready and you’re all checked in, you will head out into False Bay. This body of water is famous for its diverse marine wildlife. Early on, you will encounter countless dolphins on all sides of the boat. This in itself was a real treat and totally unexpected.
While making your way out to the dive site, Seal Island will appear in the distance. Named for its abundance of seals, it previously attracted countless great whites that would patrol the island in search of their next meal.
Unfortunately, I had learned that the white shark population began to drop in 2015 and they had mostly all disappeared from this area as well as other parts of South Africa by 2020. At first, it was not entirely known why this happened, but later determined to have been caused by orcas hunting them. In recent years a pair of adult male orcas given the names Port and Starboard were responsible for numerous deaths of white sharks. Examination of the carcasses washed ashore revealed that the orcas had developed a taste for the shark’s liver and would remove it with a precise bite between their pectoral fins. Because of this, we were informed that great white sightings have been very scarce ever since.
Once you reach the dive site, the crew prepares the cage and attaches it to the side of the boat while other crew members start chumming the water (throwing fish, guts, and blood to bring in the sharks). Groups of four then enter the cage at a time. The species we saw that day were bronze whaler sharks and there were a number of them. It was so amazing to be that close to them in their natural environment. A few times they even rammed the cage which was a total thrill.
Shark cage diving in South Africa was such a great experience! Of course, I missed out on getting to see great whites, but it was still very exciting to see the other sharks and especially unique to get to do so in South Africa. I would definitely like to try this again in another location. Perhaps next time in Guadalupe Island which is the new hotspot for white sharks.
