FACTS ABOUT GREAT WHITE SHARKS AND SHARK CAGE DIVING ENCOUNTERS AT SHARK ALLEY AND DYER ISLAND IN GANSBAAI

Cage Diving - General information

Gansbaai is a two-hour drive away from Cape Town (180km).

How the day starts
We meet at 08h30 (depending on the tide for the day) for breakfast, after breakfast a short briefing about your trip out at sea and by 09h30 the boat launches

The day at sea
Arriving at the anchoring spot in 20-25 minutes. The anchor is put down, the cage goes into the water, a scent trail is laid and we wait for the sharks too arrive.

The rest of the day is spent watching, cage diving and enjoying the day. The trip out at sea between 4/5 hours.

The Cage Dive

For most of the year operators cannot make use of air or snorkel for some reason the sharks seem nervous of the bubbles coming out from the regulator.

The dive master standing above you on the boat, will let you know when the shark is within your viewing range to hold your breath and go down, your head is just below the surface of the water.

Video
On request we can arrange to have a videographer on board to capture your experience of the day on either DVD or VHS.

Seasons
All year round.

Water and weather conditions
The water temperature ranges from 12C - 16C. Visibility is usually 6-8 meters, but can go up to 12 -15 meters on a good day and down to 2-3 meters on a bad day.

Items you will need on the boat

• Warm jacket or windbreaker
• Sun block
• Cap or hat
• Swim suit
• Camera

Boats
All boats are surveyed annually by the SA Maritime Safety Authority and conform to its specifications.

ALL MARINE TRIPS ARE WEATHER DEPENDENT

Great White Sharks are a protected species along the coasts of California, USA, and Australia and have been a protected species in South Africa since April 1991.

They average between 3.5 - 4.9 meters. Females are larger than males as with most sharks.

Scientists believe that White Sharks give birth to 2-14 pups and are around 1, 5 meters long The eggs are fertilized and hatched within the female and are nourished by eating unfertilized eggs and smaller siblings in the womb. They have no placenta so the babies must fend for themselves, before birth. No maternal instincts are shown they swim away immediately after birth

Great Whites use their powerful tails to propel themselves through the water. The fins are only used for balance. They need too stay moving as they will sink, they have no gas filled bladder to keep them afloat, they are heavier than water and their large oily liver provides some buoyancy. White Sharks cannot swim backwards. To do this they first need to stop swimming, fall backwards to propel themselves backwards.

Great Whites swallow their food whole, their teeth ripping prey into mouth sized pieces. Sea lions and seals are part of their diet.

The life span of the great white is not yet known.

Interesting Facts

• Scientists date ancestors of the shark back 420 million years.
• Sharks sink if they don't swim
• Most sharks have 5 to 15 rows of teeth in each jaw. A tooth usually lasts a week before it falls out.
• Sharks keep replacing their teeth all their lives.
• Most sharks give live birth.
• The thresher shark has the longest tail. It grows to 11feet half its length in its tail.
• Baby sharks are called pups
• Most sharks are cold-blooded. Their inner body temperature matches the water temperature.
• Some sharks (like the Great White) can elevate their body temperature above that of their environment.
• Hammerhead sharks are born with their heads bent backwards so they don't get stuck in the birth canal