Travel bucket list idea:

Dive with great white sharks in Cape Town

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Bucket List Experience

Large shark swimming past a cage full of divers in Cape Town

Last updated: 28 May, 2023

Expert travel writer: Richard Holmes

In the waters off Cape Town it’s the Great White Shark, carcharodon carcharias, that rules the roost, and admiring this remarkable predator in its natural environment – from the safety of a sturdy steel cage, of course – is a bucket list experience you’ll never forget.

Spacious speedboats leave Kleinbaai harbour (two hours’ drive from Cape Town) in the early morning, setting course for Dyer Island and the famous ‘Shark Alley’. Here, chum (fish bait) is released into the water, the cage is lowered and adventurers don their wetsuits. When a shark comes to investigate, it’s into the water you go.

Note – you don’t have to go in the water to enjoy this trip. Watching these majestic, and curious, creatures glide around from the security of the boat is also worth going for.

From the editor: at time of writing, sightings are less than they used to be following the arrival of two orcas (that prey on the great whites). No one is sure how long the orcas will stay… so check before you book.

Logistics

Price from: £100

Minimum age: 6

Age suitable: 13+

When: All year around

Duration: 5

Getting there & doing it

A range of cage-diving operators run trips from Kleinbaai harbour, with most offering early-morning transfers from Cape Town that return in the afternoon. If you want to self-drive, Kleinbaai is a two-hour drive from Cape Town. Follow signs for Hermanus and the R43 from the N2 freeway.

Trips last roughly five hours, and operators provide a simple lunch and drinks on board. Equipment is provided, so all you’ll need is a swimming costume, towel and courage.Take seasickness tablets if you are susceptible. You’re a few hours on the ocean and there can be swell that sways the boat.

Operators have minimum age policies, ranging from 6-12 years – less if kids stay in the boat.

When to do it

Cage-diving trips run all year round, seven days a week. Morning trips depart around 7am, afternoon trips depart around 1pm.

The best sightings are to be had in winter (May to October) when the visibility is best and sharks hunt for seals around the islands. In summer (January to March) Great Whites tend to hunt inshore, away from the islands where the cage diving takes place.

Who to go with: organised tours

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Destination guides

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

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A vibrant, multicultural city with dramatic scenery, adrenaline adventure galore, Africa’s best art scene, golden beaches world-class wine regions and outstanding gastronomy. All in the shadows of the mighty Table Mountain.

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Round-ups

Round-ups that include this experience

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Get in the water with the so-called ‘man-eaters’ – great whites, tiger, bull and hammerhead sharks – to appreciate these magnificent but sadly maligned creatures .

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3 Best places to dive with great white sharks

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Since Steven Spielberg’s smash hit film Jaws in 1975, the Great White Shark, carcharodon carcharias, has both fascinated and/or terrified us. Here are our recommendations for the best places to get up close to man’s most feared predator.

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