Great White Shark Cage Diving | Worth it?
Many divers and snorkelers dream of swimming alongside great white sharks. Joining a licensed tour with knowledgeable, experienced operators is the safest method to realize this desire. However, these cruises are highly pricey because shark sightings are becoming less common and consequently more difficult to find. Is diving with great white sharks in cages worth your money? We had a chance to see it for ourselves!
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You may swim with the great white shark in a number of places across the globe. Here are a few examples:
Port Lincoln, South Australia
Guadalupe Island, Mexico
Bluff, New Zealand
Cape Town, South Africa
Given our personal experience there, we're going to concentrate on South Africa in this article. Additionally, this is the only location in the entire globe where the great white does its impressive aerial leaps. If you have a choice of destinations, we advise choosing False Bay in Cape Town. A shark weighing 1800 pounds leaping several feet into the air is a powerful sight that you won't soon forget.
Cost
As we mentioned at the introduction, going cage diving can be expensive. Seasonal price differences exist. A morning tour costs $259 per person during high season, when there is a lot more white shark activity near Cape Town. The same journey costs only $185 per person at off-peak times. It's crucial to understand that when the season is low, shark activity is similarly low.
If any sharks are present throughout your vacation, you'll be lucky. Since shark activity might vary seasonally, it is advised that you always consult Oceaneering before making travel arrangements. Additionally, always depart on a trip in the morning since sharks are most active around this time.
The Experience
Since the typical departure time is approximately 7:00 AM, your day begins early. After receiving a safety briefing on the boat, we departed. The first visit in the early morning is Seal Island, which is about 45 minutes away and has a lot of seals, as the name implies. False Bay is special because every morning, seals travel across a wide and deep section of ocean to reach the mainland.
The sharks step in at this point. The seals start their trip together in order to take advantage of the strength in numbers and increase their chances of survival. The sharks congregate in the area where the ocean is at its deepest, between the island and the mainland, and wait until they can see the silhouette of a seal on the surface. When they do, they accelerate to the surface at a rate of almost 21 mph, hitting the seal with a force of 5 G.
The seal may spot the shark approaching and move out of the way depending on the lighting. In light of this, just 50% of attacks are successful. Attacks diminish as the morning grows lighter, and sharks cease their search.
Frits the decoy
Many operators in False Bay employ a decoy since the attacks occur so quickly and it is easy to overlook them. Even as the morning wears on and the natural hunt has ended, this decoy being towed behind the boat still results in an attack. So regardless of what, there is a good probability that you will witness a large white shark leaping.
Fun fact: They tend to reel in the decoy as quickly as possible to prevent an attack from happening close to the boat.
Getting in the Cage
It's time to put the cage in the water once morning has arrived and all of the night's darkness has vanished. Sharks are attracted to the boat using a mixture of chopped tuna and fish blood. Additionally, a substantial piece of tuna is dropped into the ocean on a rope to be pulled out of the shark's reach. It is not permitted to feed sharks since doing so will interfere with their innate need to hunt, leading to their ultimate dependence on human consumption of food.
A shark cage can often accommodate up to five people and is rather large. Most diving exercises include holding your breath and lying close to the surface. They do lower the cage and employ dive equipment in more exotic locations like Guadalupe. Normally, it won't be long until a shark stops by and you can interact with it closely. To avoid upsetting the shark, try to maintain as much silence as you can inside the cage. They usually leave if you make too much noise. Enjoy the sight of the ocean's biggest predator right in front of you.
So is Great White Shark Cage Diving Worth It?
Yes! In a word, yes! This was among the best water-related activities I've ever participated in. It was astonishing to watch this powerful animal leap many feet into the air. Putting things into context was furthered by getting inside the cage later and truly seeing how large the animal is. Yes, it is pricey, but take the chance if you can!
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