White Shark Breaching Trips in Cape Town (May - Sept)
AFRICAN SHARK ECO CHARTERS
Afternoon Shark Diving Trips (May - Sept)
AFRICAN SHARK ECO CHARTERS
Blue & Mako Shark Trips (November - June)
White Shark Breaching
Watch White Sharks predating on Seals
White Shark Breaching
Tow a fake seal behind the boat trying to provoke a predation
White Shark Breaching
Visit Seal Island home to Cape Fur Seals prey of the Great White Sharks
Pelagic Cage Diving
Cage Diving with Blue & Mako Sharks is safe and easy
Pelagic Cage Diving
No experience necessary
Pelagic Cage Diving
Beautiful Blue Sharks come up close and personal
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African Shark Eco Charters
African Shark Eco Charters - The Company
African Shark Eco-Charters is owned and run by Rob and Karen Lawrence. Rob does all the operational side, and Karen is behind the scenes, and is the one who “greases the wheels”. Since 1992 Rob has been working with sharks. First in Gansbaai, and then from 1996 has specialized in leading and operating expeditions on a daily basis in beautiful False Bay.
Rob Lawrence worked for the first few years with Chris Fallows and they together made the first Air Jaws movie which shot to fame throughout the world. Rob branched off from Chris and set up his own company and runs a very efficient and excellent company.
Rob’s family history in False Bay goes back several generations. His family was actively involved in trek fishing, and so his love for the ocean is deeply entrenched. As a young girl, Karen spent a lot of time outdoors, camping in the African Bush, hiking and generally growing up as a tomboy!
White Shark Breaching trips - Cape Town
Join African Shark Eco Charters in an exciting trip to Seal Island False Bay. Witness Great White Sharks predating on Cape Fur Seals and the true wonder of this massive predator launching fully out of the water to catch a helpless seal on the surface. This is a special experience and one not to miss on your visit to South Africa.
The Great White Shark expeditions at sea start at dawn and they reach the island just as the sun is rising, which is the best time to observe predator / prey interactions.
Trip Itinerary
06h45:
Meet at Simonstown Pier where you will board the boat Blue Pointer 2. You will be welcomed aboard and a full safety briefing is given as well as the expected weather forecast for the day. An overview is given about what the trip entails and what is to be expected.
07h00:
In pre-dawn darkness the boat will head out to Seal Island. (About 20-30 minutes away).
07h30 to 12h30:
The boat will arrive at Seal Island just in time to see dawn breaking over the Island and False Bay which is truly breath-taking. The first 2 hrs of light is the ideal time to witness the Great White Shark’s natural predation interaction with the seals, which can often lead to the Great White Shark exploding out of the water with such intense shear force in pursuit of its prey. It is something that you will remember for the rest of your life! All guests are brief on what to be on the lookout for as well as information regarding seal movement and the sharks hunting behaviour.
When the natural predation activity has quieted down a decoy (fake cut out carpet seal ) will be thrown out and towed and the crew will trawl around the island to attempt to get the Great Whites to breach. Towing of the decoy allows for the best photographic opportunity as the sharks breach out of the water only 20+ feet away from the back of the boat. This is only done for a limited time so not to cause a negative impact on the natural environment around the island.
Following this the crew will do an inspection lap of the island giving information on the animal and bird life that is found on Seal Island as well as a history of the island and structures that are to be found on it. The crew will then choose the best spot to anchor up with regards to wind, current and swell direction and the cage is lowered into the water to free up the working area on the deck. A bait line is put in the water as well as the carpet seal decoy to try to attract the Great White Sharks to the boat and cage. Every precaution is taken not to injure the shark with the interactions and to keep the sharks from hitting the cage and boat. The crew do not feed the sharks or touch the sharks and try to show the beauty of the sharks without the Jaws adrenaline rush showmanship.
The average dive time per diver is a least 30 minutes. One of the on-board guides will supply information and answer any questions you may have throughout the trip. You will still have excellent views of the Great White Shark should you chose not to dive from the lower and upper deck.
12h00:
The crew pick up anchor and head back to Simon's Town harbour. This may be earlier depending on shark and weather conditions.
12h45 onwards:
Payment is made after the shark trip at the bookings office. A complimentary coffee is offered as well as a discount at Harbour view restaurant should you wish to have some lunch.
Included
Light lunch consisting of sandwich rolls (cold meats as well as a vegetarian option) as well as, something healthy; fruit juice, bottled water, fruit and something not so healthy; coke, crisps, sweets and chocolate.
All Gear Inclusive
Excluded
Towels
Transfers from Cape Town - Additional R350 per person
What to bring
Rain/wind jacket
Sun block and Hat
Towel
Camera (we sell disposable underwater camera’s)
Take sea sick tablets
We have a very high success rate, however with all wild animals, shark sightings, activity, predation activity and breaching can vary from day to day, and even during the height of the peak season there may be days when we do not see any breaching or predatory events. Please be aware of this, so you do not arrive with unrealistic expectations. Rather come hoping to see these natural events, than expecting.
Price
R1750 per person
R350 per person for transfers from Cape Town (R500 for 1 person)
Afternoon White Shark Cage Diving Trips
During our afternoon trip you will be able to see the Great White Sharks up close and personal from the boat and diving in the cage.
The boat only takes 8-10 divers but licensed for 12 so you can enjoy an afternoon shark cage diving trip in a personal and exclusive environment. No Scuba qualifications are necessary and the cage floats on the surface of the water, and it is situated alongside the boat. Only two divers enter the cage at a time and if scuba is required then this is a hookah system where only the scuba hose enters the cage, allowing you to enjoy a great dive without cumbersome, heavy tanks and gear. Using scuba is weather dependent and also depends on the water visibility, if low then scuba is not used as the sharks will not come close to the cage and the divers will not see the sharks.
The average dive time is 20-30 minutes depending on the shark activity. Once everyone has had a go in the cage, and if there is enough time, then a second dive is allowed. The crew is highly trained and safety is of utmost importance.
Included
All Dive Gear
Excluded
Food
Towels
Transfers from Cape Town - Can be arranged
Price
R1450 per person
R350 per person for return shuttle from Cape Town
Blue & Mako Shark Diving
Blue sharks are afraid of very little and are usually the first to approach divers and cage with a lot of interest. They roam the open ocean for food and when chumming out in the deep blue they are quick to come to the boat and cage to see what is going on. They do not see divers day to day like other sharks and come in close to inspect and only satisfied after a close inspection that you are not a food item they will move away. This provides for great for photos and memories. The crew work hard with the chum to keep the sharks interested and the success rate is excellent out there. Mako Sharks are the fastest swimming shark and seeing these is truly a fantastic experience. If there are quite a few Blue Sharks around they tend to keep the Mako sharks away from the boat and cage. These are also Tuna grounds and divers have regular sightings of Yellowfin Tuna which are very impressive.
All diving is in the cage and on snorkel in a three man cage but for comfort reasons only allow 2 divers are alloed in the cage at the same time. The water temperature can reach up to 23C as the Aghulas current is part of the warm Indian ocean. Free diving out of the cage may be possible but this is only for experienced divers and under the right conditions and never guaranteed. The decision is taken by the skipper and will depend on sea conditions, visibility and numbers of sharks. All diving is on the surface and on snorkel.
For the naturalist wanting a bit of everything, this trip is a must. The moment the boat exits False Bay you will start to see a multitude of pelagic birds including Skuas, Terns, Shearwaters, Petrels, Penguins, Gulls as well as the possibility of seeing several different species of Albatross i.e. Shy albatross, Black browed and Yellow-nosed albatross. Rarer sightings will include the Wandering & Royal Albatross.
Very often a variety of whales and dolphin species i.e Humpback, Southern Right, Sperm, Pilot and Brydes Whales, Common, Bottlenose, Dusky risso's dolphin and sun fish (Mola Mola) can be seen. Large shoals of yellow fin tuna (up to 100kg) and long fin tuna are seen and can sometimes circle the boat.
This is a great adventurous trip and a perfect alternative in our summer when it’s the low season for the Great White Sharks in False Bay.
Included
All Dive Gear
Sandwich rolls (cold meats as well as a vegetarian option) as well as, something healthy; fruit juice, bottled water, fruit and something not so healthy; coke, crisps, sweets and chocolate.
Excluded
Towels
Return Transfers from Cape Town - Additional R350 per person
What to Bring
Rain/wind jacket
Sun block and Hat
Towel
Camera (we sell disposable underwater camera’s)
Take sea sick tablets
Price
R1750 per person
R350 for return shuttle from Cape Town (R500 if 1 person)
The Boat - Blue Pointer II
Blue Pointer II is a custom designed 2006 36ft GECAT marine catamaran. The boat is spacious and is a very good platform to photograph breaching and hunting behaviour. The vessel has a walk around cabin as well as a large viewing deck which provides an alternate angle for filming from a raised vantage point. Being a catamaran the boat is very stable once on anchor during diving operations. The vessel has and onboard toilet, separate change room and fresh water shower. We take a maximum of 12 guests per trip. This makes for a very enjoyable trip as the boat is not overcrowded.
The boat is powered by two 2006 Evinrude E-Tec 250Hp outboard motors as well as having a Furuno G.P.S/Chart/echo/Plotter navigation system. The boat has a VHF radio which has contact with all relevant safety stations as well cell phone communications. The boat carries a full set of safety equipment required by S.A.M.S.A (South African Maritime Safety Association) and the crew and vessels are surveyed every year. On board are trained level three medical personnel.
A full briefing of all safety procedures in an event of an emergency as well as expect weather conditions are given before the departure of every trip.
The Cage
The cage is a steel cage which is attached to the side of the boat for the cage diving. The cage clears the surface of the water by approximately 80cm and goes down 2m below the surface. There is ample space when 2 divers are in the cage and viewing ports through the cage just under the surface to get a clear view outside the cage.
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