The boat leaves before dawn as this is the best time of day to see great white sharks hunt. Watching Great White Sharks Hunting is an amazing experience and attacks could last for minutes with the sharks having a 50% success rate on their attempts, because seals move quicker than great white sharks.
The chase can be very exciting and wild with the shark and seal thrashing around on the surface; the seal tends to pear downwards and this is when the shark launches itself up and attacks. This spectacular sight is a once in a lifetime experience and unforgettable.
After first light the hunting slows down as the sharks are now more visible to the seals. We then use a decoy which is towed behind the boat; this usually also promises some action.
After this exhilarating experience we will visit Seal Island to see the colony of 40, 000 – 60, 000 Cape Fur Seals. Here we will drop the anchor and chum the water; the chum attracts the sharks to the cage to make viewing them easier. After the cage is lowered into the water your cage diving experience will start. This unforgettable experience will end with the cage diving experience.
Join a world class experience at Seal Island in False Bay in peak season (May – September) and witness great white sharks breaching while hunting Cape Fur Seals in the early hours of the morning. Watching this massive animal launch through the air and attack its prey. The trip will also consist of towing a fake seal behind the boat to try to photograph the epic scene of a Great White Shark launching out of the water.
Join a world class experience at Seal Island in False Bay in peak season (May – September) and witness great white sharks breaching while hunting Cape Fur Seals in the early hours of the morning. Watching this massive animal launch through the air and attack its prey. The trip will also consist of towing a fake seal behind the boat after we have hopefully witnessed a real attack and try to photograph the epic scene of a Great White Shark launching out of the water.
Meet at Simon's Town Pier and board the Blue Pointer II; you will be welcomed aboard and will be given a full safety briefing and the expected weather forecast for the day.
In pre-dawn darkness the boat departs for Seal Island and this will take roughly 20 minutes.
You'll arrive at Seal Island, False Bay at dawn and the first two hours of your trip will be the ideal time to witness the great white sharks hunting in their natural environment. Seeing great white sharks breaching is a truly remarkable and unforgettable experience.
Guests are briefed on what to expect in the next couple of hours and what to look out for; a sharks behaviour can give a clear indication of when it might attack. After a while the seals retreat to the island and then the crew starts to use a decoy; this attracts the sharks and shark breaching can be expected.
After this the crew finds a suitable place to anchor and drops the cage; this is when your shark cage diving experience will commence. The purpose of this part of the trip is purely to observe the sharks and not interact with them.
No diving experience is required when doing cage diving, but scuba gear can be used if the conditions permit it and the crew are happy with the use of scuba gear in the current conditions. Divers without experience will merely hold their breath in the cage. The average dive time per guest is a 20 – 30 minutes.
A cooler box with muffins, sandwich rolls, fruit juice, bottled water, coke, crisps and sweets are available on the boat for the trip.
The crew start to head back to Simon's Town and this may be earlier depending on shark and weather conditions.
Payment is made after the shark trip at the booking office. A complimentary coffee voucher is offered as well as a discount at Harbour view restaurant should you wish to have some lunch.
This has got to be the most amazing experience of our lives. A pretty early start…getting on the boat whilst it's still dark…but well worth it. Arrive at Seal Island as the sun rises and you then get to see these amazing creatures in action. In total, we saw 4 Great White Shark breaches. When it was time to go into the cage there was a fair bit of activity by the boat. In the cage (a lot warmer than expected!) was a surreal experience, seeing Great White sharks up close and personal…amazing.