Cage Diving With Great White Sharks in South Africa

Published by Johnny on January 12, 2011

South Africa has a lot to offer backpackers and a few weeks gallivanting across Africa’s wealthiest nation wouldn’t be complete without coming face to face with nature’s oldest killing machine – the Great White Shark.

how much does it cost to dive with sharks?

How much does it cost to dive with the sharks? Expect to pay around $200 – $250 for the privilege (this price has shot up $100 since the world cup there in summer 2010), that fee will include pick-up from your hostel, drive to Shark Alley (about 3 hours drive), breakfast, boat fees, all equipment required and a drive back to your hostel.

Where is the best place to dive with the sharks? The ingeniously named ‘Shark Alley’ which is a few hours drive from Cape Town, located on South Africa’s Eastern coast and is available as a day trip direct from South Africa’s second city.

As with all activities across the globe, if you want to get the best possible price, don’t book anything before you arrive in the country!! In Cape Town there are numerous people who will be jumping at the chance to organize your close encounter with the sharks, including your hostel, so drop your backs in Cape Town and sort it out from there.

The exciting first glimpse

What is the experience actually like? Ok, well just to set the record straight – no scuba diving skills necessary here, you don’t even get a snorkel near your face. The way this crazy game works is – you go out on the open sea, a cage is attached to your boat, the staff coax the sharks in, once the awesome creatures are spotted 3 people jump in the open-topped cage, as the staff lure the sharks right by the cage you simply submerge yourself, hold your breath and have a look right down their throats! You’ll be wearing a wetsuit and a mask.

The sharks get to within inches of your face, to the extent that if you were so inclined you could quite easily stick your arm of the cage and say goodbye to it forever (not recommended)

I cannot stress the amazement I experienced during my afternoon on the water. From the first silver glimpse you catch of the shark when it approaches the boat to staring it in the eye from less than a meter, my heart was racing and I had a smile from ear to ear throughout the day. We had 6 or 7 Great Whites come up to the boat and I was in the cage on 3 separate occasions which was more than enough for me. Get yourself to South Africa and see for yourself, Jaws will never be the same again…

the cage you'll be viewing from

Backpacking in South Africa – Cape Town

Published by Johnny on July 30, 2010

The World cup is the World cup and of course it’s awesome but South Africa still has a lot more to offer and my favourite place in the whole country is, without doubt Cape Town. People can wax lyrical about the beauty of Rome, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney but after until they have seen Cape Town they can’t say for sure because this place is a postcard image from every angle

Naturally, Table Mountain receives most of the plaudits when people remark on the natural beauty of the city and who am I to argue. It constantly gazes over the skyline and even at night when it is lit up it’s presence is still felt. You can’t help but throw endless glances up at it while you stroll around the city and ever once do you fail to marvel at its impressiveness.

For the fitter among us you can hike up to the top – alternatively you can take a cable car directly up to the top. For the purpose of my blog I took the cable car up so I can give it a fair appraisal It rotates all the way up and aside from the vulgar Visa sponsor plastered over it, it’s a great and fast way up. The views from the top of the mountain are incredible and a couple of hours can be lost before you know it.

Any trip to Cape Town wouldn’t be complete without paying your respects to the prison where Nelson Mandela (‘Madiba’ to the locals) was kept for the majority of his 27 years in captivity. A ferry to Robben Island leaves 3 times a day from the picturesque waterfront (book ahead – it’s predictably popular!). On the island you get ferried around in a bus for the first half on a compulsory tour bus, I hate tours at the best of time but a compulsory one doesn’t sit well with me, not a highlight! However, what follows is very cool. You go to the actual prison, walk around and if you want you can go on a guided walk around the prison with a former political prisoner who was held in captivity alongside the revered Mandela. He speaks very candidly about his experiences, about his training for the ANC (Mandela’s party which turned to guerilla warfare in a successful bid to end the apartheid in South Africa). You can walk freely around Mandela’s garden, see his cell, read about his experiences and it’s generally a very poignant scene. That man is one seriously special dude.

After cultural bids to sit atop of Table Mountain and visit Robben Island, I was feeling much too sophisticated so off to the Great White Sharks I went for a spot of Cage Diving – check out these pics!

It costs about $150 for the day but it’s worth every cent! Huge Great Whites literally 40 cm from your face, going for bait and generally looking absolutely terrifying. Sure, the water’s cold and your crammed in the cage with 4 other people but within one second of coming face to face with one of these creatures and you forget all about the water temperature and the other people and you stare in wonderment. Really, this is one of the coolest things I have EVER done, highly recommended!

Cape Town is a great city, with the backpacking vibe concentrated around Long Street, parties galore, plenty to see, a positive vibe (such a vibe that you’re not necessarily guaranteed in Johannesburg), loads of people and all-in-all one of my favourite cities ever to have visited