Cage diving with Great White Sharks has been on our bucket list for some time. There are arguably three places in the world where you can see Great White Sharks pretty consistently; Australia, Mexico and South Africa. The first two locations require a great deal of traveling. It was a no-brainer that we would try to dedicate one day to drive 2 hours to dive with Great Whites.
We chose Marine Dynamics because of its reputation and its conservation efforts. When choosing a a shark dive trip, you can either book directly with the company or tour agencies from the city. We had researched that if you book with these 3rd party agencies and the trip is cancelled, there is little incentive for reimbursement or rescheduling another trip. In addition, there are smaller boats with less people but you also run the higher risk of cancellation if the weather is not permissible for smaller boats.
With that said, there were 24+ people in our group. Although the group was large, there is plenty of time to be in the cage for however long you like. One thing we didn't realize is that Great Whites are quite skiddish in some ways. Curious but cautious, they don't stay around the cage that long. They'll swim by a couple of times and maybe not return for another 30 min or so. It makes for a very cold wait.
The day is long. You are picked up at 4:45 am from your hotel in Cape Town and you drive 2 hours to Gansbaai. After an hour of briefing, everyone is outfitted with a rain jacket. The short 15 min boat ride is not that bad. They warn us of the swells and advise people to take their antiemetics (anti-nausea medications). Although we do not get sea sick, for some reason the swells while anchored caused us both to have a headache and a little nausea. At least half of the guests either actually vomited or came close to vomiting.
Once at the site, the staff hands out 7 mm wet suits that have a hood, boots and goggles. Although the temperature of the water was 60-62 F, the wet suits was sufficient to keep us warm. One thing, we wish we had were our diving gloves because it was the coldest part of our bodies while in the water and they did not provide this, nor told us it would be a good idea. You spend anywhere from 15-30 min the cage and then rotate out with other guests. After everyone has had their turn, you can get back in the water. At the end, people were either so cold or nauseated no one really wanted to go back in. During arrival, they pour chum in the water to attract the sharks. They show up almost immediately, but it is never a guarantee.
A few months before our trip, a pair of Orcas were around the bay hunting Great White sharks. There were four killed in a span of a couple of months. The Great White sharks left the area and no sharks were seen for a couple of months. They were slow to return but were at least returning. We were fortunate for 2 shark sightings on our dive.
The dive itself is not really diving. The cage is attached to the side of the boat. You get in the cage without a snorkel or regulator. Because the sharks stay close to the surface and are so quick to be in your line of sight, holding your breath just below the surface is sufficient. They throw a piece of bait out in front of the cage and wait for the shark to attempt to take the bait. They try not to actually let the shark eat the bait. When they do come, they are only around a matter of seconds. It's exciting, but fast. Visibility was also pretty poor. They said 0-3 meters. We may have had 1 meter of visibility. The highlight of the experience was when one came up right in front of me with its jaws open. It was a split second experience, but one I will never forget.
On our way back to the shore, we passed by a seal colony on an island. I have never seen (or smelled) so many seals in one area.
When going on a shark dive, don't expect National Geographic photos/videos or even expect a sighting. It's best to have low expectations and you'll have a great experience.
