3 Best places to dive with great white sharks

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.

Note from Matt: the great whites vanished from the area following the arrival of two orcas (that prey on the great whites) in 2000. They were spotted again at the start of 2024… but check before you book to see if they are being seen on these tours. If there are no great whites, the tour operators will often take you to dive with other types of shark – still worth doing.

Guadalupe Island, off Baja California, Mexico, teems with these infamous predators – dive operators have identified more than 75 different individuals – who come to feed on fur seals. If you’re crazy enough to share want to dive with a great white shark, this is the best place in the world to do it – sightings are virtually guaranteed, the water is a pleasant 18°C-20°C, and the excellent visibility up to 40m allows unrivalled views of those impressive teeth.

The Neptune Islands Marine Park is one of the world’s best and most accessible great white hotspots. Full-day cage diving tours depart year-round from Port Lincoln (and some include swims with sealions). In winter months, opt for 2-5 night liveaboards to allow for unpredictable weather and reduced daylight hours.