Once in a Lifetime Chance Shark Cage Diving in Gaansbai with Marine Dynamics

There are not a lot of places in the world where you can be mano-a-mano with one of the biggest predators in the deep sea.  The Great White shark is typically not something you think about swimming with but if you’re an adrenaline junkie, like facing your fears and coming away with bragging rights, cage diving should be high on your list of things to do when going to South Africa.

There were many companies to choose from when it comes to shark diving near Cape Town.  In the end, we decided to go with Marine Dynamics for shark cage diving in Gaansbai.  Here’s what our experience with them was like.

Why Cage Diving in South Africa

The truth is, before I started planning for our honeymoon, I had no idea that cage diving was a popular activity in South Africa.  The more I read about it, the more I understood why travellers preferred to be jump into a cage there.

What makes South Africa and Gaansbai special is that out of the 4 places that you can do this on the globe (South Africa, Guadeloupe, South Australia, and New Zealand), this is the only one where the boat ride out to the drop site is only 20 minutes away.  This means that you don’t need to be on choppy waters for hours to get there or be part of a large expedition.  South Africa is the perfect destination for this activity because it’s truly open to anyone.

Funny enough, while they call it cage diving but it doesn’t require any scuba diving skills at all.   This was another surprise to me as I always thought you needed special training.  This is good news because anyone can do it as long as you’re comfortable with water.

Shark cage diving is no joke and as a result, in my search, I was looking for an equally serious, safe, and reputable company to take us.  That’s how I found out about Marine Dynamics which was not only recommended by friends, is coincidentally also the #1 provider on Trip Advisor.

Shark Cave Diving in Gaansbai with Marine Dynamics

Here’s a look at what our experience with Marine Dynamics was and what you can expect when you go cage diving with them.

A day prior to your cage dive, Marine Dynamics reached out to us by phone to confirm your start time because they need to account for things like water conditions.  Ours was confirmed for 12:30PM which actually worked out well because that meant we didn’t have to wake up ridiculously early.

We arrive in Gaansbai a little early and it seems to be a nice and quaint town but with not much else going on other than several shark cage diving outfits to support it and of course the dock.

We’re greeted by the friendly Marine Dynamics staff in the Great White House when we arrive and are directed to the second floor room where we wait for the others in our group to arrive.  The center itself is a large building with its own bar, restaurant, and gift shop and that doesn’t even include the massive whale fossil that dangles from the ceiling as if safeguarding everyone below.  It’s quite the impressive sight to see.

Since we had an afternoon departure, lunch is served with a delicious assortment of lasagne, salad, juice, and coffee.  When we finish, we’re given a full briefing about the incredible conservation work that the organization is doing, about the Great White shark, and what we’re to expect in the waters.  During this time we also get called down to do our check-in process which comprises getting sized up for our booties and wetsuit.

What we learn from Kelly, our marine biologist, is that they’re in quite a unheard of dry spell in terms of great white sightings in the past 7 days because there’s been the unusual presence of Orca whales patrolling the waters near Gaansbai.  As a result, this has been driving out the Great Whites as Orcas are one of their natural predators.  Nevertheless, their fingers were crossed for a sighting that afternoon.  We wait for anticipation as we’re told that the tides aren’t optimal yet.

Once we get the go-ahead from the captain and everyone is ready with their swim suits, we make our way out of the Great White House.  It’s right outside where they hand out our lifejackets and waterproof jackets.  All decked out in orange, we march down the main street to the dock with all the excitement in the world.

The boat ride out to towards Dyer Island and the dive spot is a quick 20 minutes but a thrill of a lifetime from where we were sitting.  They give us waterproof jackets for a reason.  As we blaze across, we’re splashed with water and we have our first encounter with how big the swells will be out in the open water.

We anchor and lower the cage.  As part of the first group to go in, we suit up with the help of the crew.  We very much appreciated the dry and not-so-smelly wetsuits.  This is a full wetsuit including hood and mask.

One by one we drop into the cage.

With chum in the water (a sort of fish stew that attracts sharks) and fish head bait cast, we anxiously watch from our cage.  That’s when we hear them shout out “RIGHT” and we take a deep breath of air and drop into the water to see if we can catch a glimpse.  It’s a Copper shark!

I completely lose track of time at this point.  Things are quite hectic in the cage because I’m trying to manage with my GoPro on a stick, holding my position by hooking my feet on the bottom bar.  Staying submerged is tricky.

What also makes things hard is that the clarity of the water is limited to a meter or two at best so once they call out a shark, you have to get into the water right away and you might see the mouth come straight at you or see the tail whipping by on its way out.

We go through a number of cycles of this as we bob in and out of the water.  Halfway through we also shift positions.  Since we started on the far left of the cage, we over-and-under to get to the right side of the cage which offers better chances to spot the shark because the bait is cast from that side of the boat.  And oh yes do we get to see the shark up-close and personal.

Eventually I get to the point where I’m pretty exhausted and ready to head to the top and I’d say it’s the same across the board with everyone else in the cage including my wife.  You can only bob up and down so many times.  They open the tops of the cage and we climb out.

Back onboard, we’re treated with beverages snacks as we dry off and watch the second group make their way down.

Now you’d think that there wouldn’t be much to see on the boat but in fact, the view is even better because the top down view gives you an even clearer big picture of all the action.  From the bottom or upper deck, you get full view of the the Copper sharks (also called Bronzies) as they emerge on their own or in pairs.  Slash of their sleek body, the cutting of their fins like a knife, and that terrifying bite as they chase after bait can be seen so clearly from here.  I snap away.

Once the second group is done, we run out of time (we anchored for roughly 2 hours) and the crew packs up the cage back on the boat and we make our way back to land.  For us, we’re glad to be on solid ground again because the water conditions out in the Atlantic is quite rough with swells reaching up to 1.5 meters high.

Sad that we didn’t get to see the famous Great Whites?  Yes, but it was an exhilarating experience nonetheless being nose to nose with Copper sharks in the water.  Even though we’re scuba divers, this was truly a once in a lifetime because even in the deep you only get to see small reef shark and they never get as close as they do here.

What You Need to Know Before You Go

Do I need to book ahead of time?  Yes you need to reserve your spot ahead of time but I will say that it’s not the kind of thing that needs a 5-6 month lead time.  Check the Marine Dynamics booking page for availability as you’re planning your trip and if it’s looking tight for the date that you’re interested in, I would book ASAP.  I would feel comfortable booking a month in advance.

What do I need to bring with me?  Marine Dynamics is as full service as it gets.  You don’t need to bring a towel, snorkel gear, dry bag, or snacks.  They’ll provide everything that you need.  What you do need to bring is:

• Gravol – If you get nauseous easily, bring your own motion sickness medication. The crew will have some in hand as well but you’re going to want to start taking these before hitting the water.
• Camera – Something like a GoPro is your best bet for underwater footage. I’d recommend an extension stick like the official GoPro 3-Way Grip/Arm.  For above water, you can bring any camera that you travel with but just know that on the boat ride, those at the bottom may get splashed so keep it covered.
• Swim suit – This is a given but if you’re planning on hitting the water, make sure you show up to Gaansbai with your swim suit already on or with you so you can change into them at the Marine Dynamics center.
• Sunscreen – There’s cover on the bottom deck but if you plan to be up top, you’ll get seeing a lot of sun.
• Warm clothing – For the boat ride there, it could get chilly especially in the morning so layer up with a jacket and/or fleece

It’s a full day activity – Gaansbai is close to Cape Town but not that close.  From the city, it takes 2.5 hours hours to get there.  It’s a lovely drive actually but if your dive is early in the morning, you’re going to have to get up really early.  You’re also going to have to factor in traffic or road closures that you might encounter as we did on our way back to Cape Town.  So if you add it all up, the whole thing will take approximately 8 hours (yep a full day) if you’re based in Cape Town so plan your itinerary accordingly.

Contact number – This one applies to most things you book when in South Africa but since you won’t know your local number until you arrive in the country, remember to contact tour operators like Marine Dynamics to let them know what your mobile number.  This is particularly important for these guys because they need to let you know a day before when your experience starts.

When is the best time to go? – The best time to go is probably March to September when the water visibility is the clearest.  If we narrow down that further, May to August is even better because you will have a better chance to see what’s called breaching.  This is when Great Whites use a hunting technique to surprise and kill its prey where they attack with such explosive energy that they appear to fly out of the water.

Where to Stay in Cape Town

Here are two recommended places to stay in the city of Cape Town.  These are all great places to base yourself whether making your way out to Gaansbai for shark cage diving or going out to the wine regions.

Other Activities to Book in Cape Town

When planning your vacation to Cape Town, make sure to take a look at the activities that you can book ahead of time.  During high season, excursions sell out quick so plan ahead of time.  GetYourGuide is a platform I use almost all the time for all the activities I want to book.