The Great White shark, a mighty hunter and last species of its genus, is an incredible and intelligent creature. These sharks, along with their cousins, black-tip reef sharks, are capable of popping their heads up above the water and sniffing the air in an almost wolf-like fashion. Even more astonishing, and a testament to their power, is the sight of a Great White flying through the air with an entire seal in its mouth. It is rare to observe this in most places, however, there is an area where divers can watch breaching Great Whites – both above and below the water.
This is South Africa’s Seal Island, which is located almost six kilometers off Cape Town. Here, you can witness the astonishing predatory behavior which demonstrates the stealth and power of the Great White. With a swift dartlike motion, the sharks aim for a seal which has entered the so-called “Ring of Death”, where the sharks circle the island. Aiming from below, they snap up a seal; then, as their momentum continues, they launch themselves up and out of the water.
While Great White sharks have no desire to consume divers, they do present a hazard, which is why open water diving in the deep water around Seal Island is just not a good idea. All “Air Jaws” dives are conducted from the safety of a steel shark cage suspended from the side of a seaworthy boat.
Drawing in Great Whites
Local tour operators are masters at provoking the Great Whites in order to get them to breach. If you saw the Discovery Channel’s Air Jaws series, then you may have seen how this works. A rubber seal cutout is towed behind the boat at a leisurely, seal-swim pace, and the sharks, seeing the silhouette from below the water, believe it to be prey. They launch themselves up and out of the water – just as they did for filmmakers.
Cage diving is the best way to get an excellent look at the sharks and perhaps even witness them speeding toward their rubber “prey” with deadly accuracy. The crew starts to chum the water with smelly fish products as soon as the boat gets to the area of Seal Island, and once a shark comes in, divers can hop into the viewing cage and start watching the action unfold.
Tips for a Successful Dive
First, it is important to be able to relax and enjoy your time in the cage. The cage, with its cargo of divers, does not look or smell like the sharks’ prey, and while they will approach curiously, they cannot get to you. They may feel the cage with their mouths, which will give you an excellent view of the rows of razor sharp teeth that line the insides of their jaws, and they may rub their bodies along the cage, which gives divers an outstanding vantage point and even more insight into the size of these massive creatures, which have been documented at lengths greater than fifty feet. To put this in perspective, the cargo box for a semi truck is about the same length as the largest great whites.
Second, it is a good idea to learn about Great Whites before you go on your trip. While they are deadly to their prey, they are also fairly shy and have a deliberate, almost gentle manner when viewing you inside the cage!
Third, while you may not need a diving certification to enter the water inside the shark cage, it is a good idea to become familiar with underwater breathing techniques. Many shark cage dive operators utilize a hookah system rather than outfitting participants with scuba tanks, and you can read more about it or take an online course to familiarize yourself with the equipment that is likely to be used.
Some tour operators require participants to have a diving certification, which gives you a variety of benefits. You’ll be completely comfortable as you watch the Great Whites, plus, you can take advantage of some of South Africa’s dive sites around Cape Town – there is a lot more to diving than just viewing sharks! Check with your chosen tour operator to see whether you need a certification or not, so that you can be ready when it’s time to view these amazing predators as they hunt.
The Other Side: Diving With Cape Fur Seals
Cute, playful, and acrobatic, the inquisitive Cape Fur seals not only provide quality nutrition to the Great Whites, they also offer divers a fun and interactive experience at locations like Partridge Point and Duiker Island, and even in the shallow water safety zone around Seal Island.
The seals enter the water to hunt for fish, and they will sometimes come right up to divers. Be careful though – these seals have very sharp teeth and can bite! It is never a good idea to try to grab a marine mammal.
Planning Your Trip
Seal island is often nearly uninhabited, and at that time, the shark activity is low. It is best to visit during the pupping season, when seals and their pups inhabit the slender island. Just fifty meters wide and eight hundred meters long, the island is literally crammed with fur seals between June 1stand August 15th, and the water around it is jammed as well. After mid-August, until September, there is still some activity, as there is when the seals start to return again in April.
If you visit during the high season, then you’re most likely to witness this incredible activity and you will probably see seals escape from sharks, as well as sharks making clean kills. During the low season, you’ve got a mediocre chance of seeing this.
Shark diving expeditions will offer you the greatest chances of seeing the most activity. If you have more than a passing interest in the lives of the Great White sharks, then consider choosing a tour operator that offers lengthy expeditions.
Besides cage diving with Great White sharks, you may have the opportunity to dive with turtles, dolphins, manta rays, and lesser sharks in the beautifully clear, ambient waters surrounding Cape Town, when you choose to take a multi-day expedition. You can usually find trips that last between three and ten days, which make for amazing memories you’ll never forget.