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Great White sharks are found in large numbers off Seal Island in False Bay in Cape Town and off Dyer Island and Geyser Rock off Gansbaai. Gansbaai is a 2 hour road transfer from Cape Town. (refer to our "Dive Sites" page on this website)
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The "Raggies" (Sand Tiger Sharks), Zambezi's (Bull Sharks), Hammerhead Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Copper Sharks, Blacktip Shark, Dusky Sharks and Spinner Sharks are found off the KwaZulu/Natal south coast, south of Durban.
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From Cape Town to Durban is 1 600 kilometres, a 2 hour flight by Boeing or the same distance as London to Istanbul.
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Whale Sharks (not true sharks but nevertheless one of the "Big 6") are found in large numbers off the coast of Mozambique. Another 1 600 kilometres north of Durban.
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Then we say seasonal for the following reasons.
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Great Whites prey predominately on the Cape Fur Seal. The Cape Fur Seal pups in November and from November through to March there is so much "natural" food around such as afterbirth, still born seals, baby seals who have drowned, plus the influx of sick, lame and lazy adult seals, all of whom fall prey to the Great White. With all this natural food in the water it is extremely difficult to attract the sharks to our boat with the small "offering" that we put out in order to attract and hold the Great White's attention.
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Then there is the water temperature to take into consideration. Sharks are generally warm water creatures although Great Whites tend to favour the colder waters of the Cape, and most probably that's why they are found off the Cape in such great numbers, and of course the availability of food. But contrary to what you may think, the waters off Cape Town and Gansbaai are warmer in the winter months than in the summer months and that's why the Great White "season is April through October. The Great Whites are more hungry and the water temperature is warmer the combination of the two makes the Great White's more active April through to October. Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable.
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Raggies (Sand Tiger Sharks) are found in great numbers at a dive site called Aliwal Shoal, (refer to our "Dive Site" page on this website) 45 minutes south of Durban. The "Raggies" congregate at Aliwal from July through October and if the Raggie is the species that you wish to dive with, this is the place and the time. Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable. Tiger Sharks are also found in numbers off Aliwal and here we chum, bait and dive with Tiger Sharks much the same way as we chum, bait and dive with Great White's except - no cage!! The best time for free diving with Tigers is January through May. Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable.
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Zambezi (Bull), Tiger, Hammerhead, Copper, "Raggies" etc are also found in large numbers off Protea Banks. Protea Banks (refer to our "Dive Site" page on this website) is 90 minutes by car south of Durban. The best time to dive with these sharks are when the waters are warmest which as you would suspect is during our summer months, October through March. Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable.
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Whale Sharks, the gentle giants, are found from Sodwana Bay north...... Our best sightings are off the coast of Inhambane in Mozambique. Being warm water, filter feeders they are found within the tropics all year round, so the best time to view these magnificent beasts are when we, humans, are the most comfortable. This, in the tropics, is most definitely when it's cooler and when there are less bugs around! During the southern hemisphere winter, from April through October. Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable.
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So there you have it, in summary, shark diving in Southern Africa, where, when and with whom! Refer to the Dive The Big 5 "Big 6" Shark Timetable.
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SHARK DIVING: THE FACTS
“Elasmobranchii” have been classified as Selachii sharks, chimaera sharks and batoids. It was noted that they were in fact all sharks and should be called “sharks”, “flat sharks” (all sand sharks, rays and skates ) and “silver sharks”.
Ragged Tooth Sharks (the Grey Nurse or Sand Tigers) come to Protea Banks in Kwazulu-Natal in Spring (August/September) as part of their breeding ritual. Placid and slow-moving, the
“Raggies” accept the diver.
November brings the game fish (Raggies move away) and they are followed by the Zambezi (Bull) Sharks, classed as a dangerous species.
Hammerheads do not follow any seasonal pattern. They are shy and keep their distance.
Tiger Sharks are a rare sighting and approach just close enough for the diver to recognise their striped body.
The sardine run in June/July brings the Copper Sharks (Bronze Whalers). They scan the surface for the sardine shoals. Quick but shy, they are the smallest of the 7 species of shark commonly found in this area.
DIVE PLAN
Dives are done from zodiacs (rubber ducks) and are drift dives led by a local dive master.
Kwazulu-Natal has two prime shark diving areas - Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal. Protea Banks in Kwazulu-Natal rates as one of the top shark dive sites in the world. Aliwal Shoal is renowned for its “Raggie” & Wreck diving.
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PROTEA BANKS
8 km (5 miles) out to sea from Shelley Beach, near Margate on the KZN/Natal South Coast.
Depth of the reef varies from 8m (25ft) to in excess of 40m (130ft). There is often a 4 or 5 knot current.
Sharks, such as Ragged-Tooths, Great Whites, Zambezis and Hammerheads and a large variety of game fish can be sighted. Ragged Tooth sharks come here to mate in spring and can be observed at this time.
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ALIWAL SHOAL
A rocky reef - 5km (3 miles) off the mouth of the Umkomaas River.
Depths vary from 6 to 27 meters (19ft to 88ft).
Ragged Tooth Sharks congregate from July to October/November. (up to 60 at one time).
Spectacular coral growth and tropical fish.
Dolphins, turtles, 2 wrecks (Produce and Nebo), tropical fish and coral.
Ragged Tooth Sharks congregate from July to October/November. (up to 60 at one time).
Wrecks:
The Nebo, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1884 - at 25 meters (82ft).
The Produce (1974), 2 000 ton bulk tanker at 30 meters (100ft). Its rusted framework has formed an established reef.
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DIVE QUALIFICATIONS
Please note that dives on Protea Banks are restricted to advanced divers or open water one divers with more than 25 logged dives due to the depth of the dives - in excess of 30 meters - and the strong currents that are usually present on Protea. This is diving at its best and well worth the effort!
Aliwal Shoal can be dived by all levels of divers.
Shark dives on both Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal could include a NAUI/PADI Shark Speciality Diver course.
WHEN TO DIVE
All year round.There are seasonal variations in shark species seen on the reefs.
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DIVERSIONS
Gansbaai (Great White Shark Cage Dives)
> Whale watching from June - November
> Visit Cape Agulhas the southern-most tip of Africa
> Explore Grootbos Nature Reserve on foot or on horsebacK
> Snorkelling for abalone/crayfish
> Visit Elim and the 1824 Moravian mission
> Visit Danger Point where the HMS Birkenhead was wrecked >in 1852 with the loss of 455 lives and where the proud British Naval tradition of “Women & Children First” was first used.
> Explore the Cape winelands
> Bungee jump the Bloukrans bridge - the world´s highest commercial jump
KwaZulu-Natal (Big 5 Shark Dives)
> Visit to the Natal Shark Board where ongoing research is carried out. See a shark dissection to increase your knowledge of sharks
> Museums, art galleries, antique shops, theatres, coffee shops, shopping
> Natal Sharks Board
> Sea World Marine Research Centre
> Durban Snake Park
> Durban Indian market
> Natal beaches and resorts offering: golf, tennis, horseback-riding
> Day trips to: Oribi Gorge & The Valley of a Thousand Hills
Wild Coast casino
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