TIGER SHARK DIVING - ALIWAL SHOAL

Tiger Shark Diving - Aliwal Shoal

Tiger shark Diving in Aliwal Shoal, Durban is now a world famous destination to see Tiger Sharks and other species of sharks. Dive into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean surrounded by Blacktip sharks keeping an eye into the blue for the massive Tiger sharks to appear!

Price

R1650 per person (for double tank dive)

R175 for Full Kit Rental (Full Day) 

Trip Summary

The boat launches from the protected River estuary in Umkomass and once everyone is on board and holding on tight the boat speeds through the estuary into and through the sometimes huge swells that pound the coastline. Once on the back line it only takes 10-15 minutes to the location depending on the reef that the first dive will be on. The first dive will be a reef dive looking for sharks and in season we will most likely see dozens of Ragged Tooth sharks in one of the caves on the Aliwal Shoal. 

The dive will last approximately 45 minutes and then we will surface and move onto the Tiger Shark baiting location. 

When on location for the baited dive the current is studied and a suitable location is selected to bring the sharks to the boat. The wait could be from 2 minutes to hours but fortunately the boats do communicate with each other and work together to find the sharks.

Normally the first sharks to arrive are black tip reef sharks sometimes by the dozen. These sharks are relatively harmless and beautiful to photograph. Once the Tiger Sharks arrive the crew waits for a while until the sharks are comfortable with the boat and the surroundings. If the divers enter the water too soon then the Tiger sharks may become uneasy and leave. The average is two or three Tiger sharks per dive but some times there are exceptions. On one dive in July there were 18 Tiger sharks in the water and the divers had a thrill of a dive although somewhat unnerving!

Itinerary of the day

7:00

Meet at the crew house for a light breakfast 

7:30

Kit up for the dive (rental gear is available) 

8:00

Leave for the River Estuary

8:30

Launch the boat in the safety of the estuary (Most of the year) then run out through the surf-line. Please note that the launch is weather dependent and it is up to the skipper to call off the trip for safety reasons.  This must be respected as the launch through the surf in Umkomass is one of the most dangerous in South Africa. Once you are through the backline then it is an easy 15 minute ride out to the dive site. 

9:00

Commence on first reef dive. On this dive we will try to see as many species of sharks as possible and with the knowledgeof the guide there is every chance of seeing many sharks. This dive is also a check dive before the baited tiger shark dive.

10:00

End dive and move to baited dive location. The crew will start chumming the water whilst you have your surface interval. You will notice on most days as soon as the boat arrives onsite the Black tip sharks come to the boat. The standard time to chum is approximately 45 minutes but it could take much longer to attract the tiger sharks. On most days the dive will only take place once a Tiger shark has been spotted around the boat and it looks comfortable. 

11:00

Kit up ready for the dive and slowly slip into the water with the sharks 

11:00 - 12:00

The dive does not require much energy as divers will just remain neutral buoyancy at 5-8 meters therefore it is normally a 60 minute dive.  

12:30 

Return to the beach

Included

• Cylinders & Weights

Excluded

• Dive Gear (Additional Extra)
• Towels