Great news! African Shark Eco-Charters has earned a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Been on a shark cage diving or breaching trip with us recently? Please write your review on trip advisor so guests can see what your experience was like with the amazing great white sharks.

Natural predation by Great White Sharks on Cape Fur Seals

Join us on one of our “Airjaws” shark breaching trips to witness this spectacular breaching behaviour of the Great White Sharks. This is certainly something that you do not want to miss!

Here is some further information on our Great White Shark breaching trips.

We would consider our high season to be from May to end of August and the best months for the predation and breaching activity is during June, July and August. September is in between high and intermediate season. February and March is too early for breaching. Here our trips focus on the shark cage diving and surface viewing.

Transfers: Optional: Return transfers from designated pickup points in Cape Town

Duration: Approx 5.5 hours. The trip departs from Simon’s town at 7am sharp and returns at 12h30.

Here are some very important questions to ask when choosing a great white shark operator. Sadly many people don’t ask and then regret it later.

How many passengers on your boat? 12. We focus on smaller groups to ensure that everyone has a personal experience with the great white sharks.

How many divers in the shark cage? 2 maximum. Many operators take 5-8 guests at a time.

Do you offer scuba? Yes. All diving equipment is supplied. No diving experience is necessary however you are welcome to snorkel as well. Most operators only allow you to hold your breath, seriously!

Does using scuba affect the sharks coming to the boat? No.  If it did we would not do it! Working in False Bay since 1996, we have found that the bubbles or scuba noise have no effect on the great white sharks. Most operators don’t like to work with scuba as re-filling tanks is a bother and they don’t want to do it.

Do you use shark liver to attract sharks? No

What to bring on your shark breaching AIRJAWS trip

• Rain/wind jacket
• Sun block and Hat
• Camera (we sell disposable underwater camera’s)
• Take sea sick tablets

Please Note: We have a very high success rate, however with all wild animals, shark sightings, activity, predation events and shark breaching can vary from day to day. Even during peak season there may be days when we do not see any great white shark breaching or predatory events.

Please be aware of this, so you do not arrive with unrealistic expectations. Rather come hoping to see these natural events, than expecting. No refunds will be made for non-sightings. We will however offer you a voucher for another trip.

We hope to see you join one of our spectacular AIRJAWS trips!

If you love our posts, please drop us some feed back. Also why not subscribe to our blog?

African Shark Eco-Charters comply with a strict set of safety rules and regulations set out by SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) as well as all regulations set out by Marine and Coastal Management. African Shark Eco-Charters is an official white shark permit holder. The skipper holds the appropriate skippers ticket.

Our cage is designed according to strict guidelines set out by SAMSA, and has been surveyed by a structural engineer. Before embarking on a trip, a safety briefing is conducted. The location of all safety and emergency equipment is pointed out to the guests. A full medical first aid kit is available on board as well. Our crew is trained to handle emergency situations. All crew are first aid trained. We have a dive master on board.

The safety procedures in place for staff and guests are:

• Listen to the skipper during his safety briefing.
• Take note of where the life jackets and other safety equipment are.
• Only 6 persons allowed on the viewing platform at a time.
• Don’t walk to the bow (front) of the boat when the boat is “running”.
• No smoking on the boat.
• No littering in the ocean.
• No touching or poking the sharks with any objects.
• Do not put your hands or arms outside the shark cage.
• Obey the dive master or crew when in the cage at all times.
• No jumping or diving overboard.
• No interfering with any of the marine/wildlife.
• If you feel you need to be sick, please do not get sick in the cabin, bat rather over the side of the boat.

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Great white shark makes a lazy attempt at the seal decoy

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Heading off to Seal Island, False Bay at dawn. Moon still up.

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So what’s in store for us here at African Shark Eco Charters for the next few months you ask?

Well with winter almost here you should be in for a treat. Having out first airjaws experience for the year last week with a great white shark breaching on out decoy seal. We are looking forward to a good season with laods of white sharks at the boat, grate viz, ultimate airjaws and some epic breaches. We will even throw in a couple natural predations on False Bays very own cape fur seals at the infamous Seal Island.

Sound intriguing yet? I should hope so, these shark cage diving trips help open peoples eyes to the real facts about this apex predator and makes it enjoyable to learn and experience them. You get to see how they act in their natural environment. It will change your views on the scary man eater we call “jaws”. You will see that these giant animals are actually just naturally opportunistic and are extremely inquisitive, therefore they like to investigate all things both on and under the surface. It was just the other day actually that a rather large great white came up on a piece of kelp, yes you heard me KELP! Just floating on the surface the shark bit it not once not twice but three times. The last time I checked white sharks were not vegetarians which goes to show how inquisitive these animals really are. They don’t have hands like we humans do, so they are forced to use their jaws to bite what ever the object is on the surface and either continue to eat it or spit it out. There have been many scavenges on seal pups so far this season giving the guests a show and leaving them amazed by this animals natural strength and beauty.

Are you ready for this shark season?

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A creature that remains one of the ocean’s great secrets is the great white shark. Mysterious, cloaked in myth, superstition and an abundance of bad press, there are few known actual facts about these elusive predators. We do know that they are far more fearsome in our imaginations than in reality. Perhaps it is because we know so little about them that we fear them so irrationally. While we know a lot about their physical characteristics and internal physiology and even a good deal about their feeding behaviour, this is where the knowledge ends.  How much of their behaviour is ‘learned’ in terms of intellect and how much is instinctual remains a great mystery. While great white sharks often display high levels of curiosity, it’s hard to say if this is based on complex intelligence or a more visceral characteristic based on being an opportunistic feeder.

The social behaviour of great whites eludes us still. Although solitary, we know they congregate around large food sources, like Seal Island, where there seems to be a distinct pecking order, taking into account sex and size. However, interactions besides those around food, have never been documented. It’s also puzzling that some white sharks have been known to swim vast distances, thousands of miles, while others seem content to have a smaller range.  The patterns and purpose of the sharks that do migrate has yet to be discovered. Also, mating in great white sharks is far from being understood. No one has ever seen white sharks mate or give birth, although we know that the eggs hatch inside the female and are born live and are about one meter in length. While we know that white sharks take a long time to become sexually mature, about 12-15 years, the where, how and frequency of mating is unknown, as is the gestation period.

While the science ‘sound bites’ on the news these days tend to be reserved for Mars exploration, in my opinion, it would be better to know and understand more about the workings of our own planet before spending trillions of dollars heading off into the stars. It’s unbelievable really, how vast our ignorance of the ocean remains at this day and age. The ocean’s mysteries are fascinating; even within this one species, the great white shark, there is still so much to be discovered.

Come shark cage diving with African Shark Eco Charters and get a glimpse into the secret life of a great white shark. Come appreciate the unknown.

Allie Skidmore

Here is some info about our trips for you to read.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Simon’s Town is just 40min from Cape Town and the base from where our boat departs early in the morning. A short 20 minute will take you into False Bay, famous for the great white “Flying Sharks”, a term used for their highly athletic breaching and hunting behavior.

NO QUALIFICATIONS for shark cage diving are necessary! The cage floats just under the surface of the water, and it is situated alongside the boat. Only two enter the cage at a time, all scuba equipment stays on board and only the scuba hose enters the cage, allowing you to enjoy a great dive without cumbersome, heavy tanks and gear.

The average dive time is 20 minutes depending on the shark activity. Once everyone has had a go, then a second dive is allowed for those interested in diving again. The crew is highly trained and safety is of utmost importance.

The Great White is a very curious animal and will often circle and come up to the cage, as if to get a “personal” look at the diver, while you are having a personal look at it.

Transfers: Optional: Return transfers from designated pickup points in Cape Town

Duration:Approx 5.5 hours. The trip departs from Simon’s town at 7am sharp and returns at 12h30.

How many guests on the boat? 12. We don’t want you just to be a number, which is why, unlike many other operators we choose to take out only small groups, making it a more personal experience, as well as then being able to spend enough time sharing our love and knowledge of the great white shark with you.

How many divers in the cage? 2 maximum. Not 5-8  like a lot of other operators.

Do you offer scuba? Yes All diving equipment is supplied. No diving experience is necessary.

Does using scuba affect the sharks coming to the boat? No.  In our experience working in False Bay since 1996, we have found that the bubbles or scuba noise have no effect on the great white sharks.

Do you use shark liver to attract sharks? No

Do: Come along even if just surface-viewing.

What to do: Our guides try to chat with all the guests but its very hard if you are not open to talk “shark”. So, please ask questions! Engage with the guides. They love to share their knowledge and its much easier if you are open, talkative and show interest in the sharks. This is what shark cage diving is all about.

Shark Cage Diving Itinerary

05.45 – 06.00: Pick up in Cape Town (Optional)

06.45: Meet at the Simons Town Pier for briefing  (overview of day). Do not be late.

07.00:  Departure to Seal Island. Do not be late. The boat will not wait for you.

Tour around island, do an inspection lap. Choosing the best spot to anchor up with regard to wind and swell direction and start diving.The cage is lowered into the water to free up the working area on the deck.  A bait line is put in the water as well as the carpet seal decoy. Every precaution is taken not to injure the shark. We do not feed sharks, nor touch sharks. We are NOT an adrenalin outfit. You will still have excellent views of the Great White Shark should you chose not to dive.

12.30. Return to Simons Town.

13.00  Transfer Back in Cape Town (Optional)

IMPORTANT- Please Note: We have a very high success rate, but we are working with wild animals. Please be aware of this, so you do not arrive with unrealistic expectations. Shark sightings and activity are never guaranteed and even during peak season there may be days when the sightings are lower than expected.  No refunds will be made for non-sightings. We will however offer you a voucher  for another trip.

If you love our posts, please drop us some feed back. Also why not subscribe to our blog?

“Flying” Great Whites of False Bay

Ever wanted to take a look inside the body of a Great White Shark to see what make it such an incredible apex predator? Check out this link on the anatomy of the Great White Shark on the National Geographic website.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/shark-attack-experiment-live/interactives/great-white-anatomy/

Join us on one of our “Airjaws” shark breaching trips to witness this spectacular breachingbehaviour of the Great White Sharks. This is certainly something that you do not want to miss!

Here is some further information on our Great White Shark breaching trips.

We would consider our high season to be from May to end of August and the best months for the predation and breaching activity is during June, July and August. September is in between high and intermediate season. February and March is too early for breaching. Here our trips focus on the shark cage diving and surface viewing.

Transfers: Optional: Return transfers from designated pickup points in Cape Town

Duration: Approx 5.5 hours. The trip departs from Simon’s town at 7am sharp and returns at 12h30.

Here are some very important questions to ask when choosing a great white shark operator. Sadly many people don’t ask and then regret it later.

How many passengers on your boat? 12. We focus on smaller groups to ensure that everyone has a personal experience with the great white sharks.

How many divers in the shark cage? 2 maximum. Many operators take 5-8 guests at a time.

Do you offer scuba? Yes. All diving equipment is supplied. No diving experience is necessary however you are welcome to snorkel as well. Most operators only allow you to hold your breath, seriously!

Does using scuba affect the sharks coming to the boat? No.  If it did we would not do it! Working in False Bay since 1996, we have found that the bubbles or scuba noise have no effect on the great white sharks. Most operators don’t like to work with scuba as re-filling tanks is a bother and they don’t want to do it.

Do you use shark liver to attract sharks? No

What to bring on your shark breaching AIRJAWS trip

• Rain/wind jacket
• Sun block and Hat
• Camera (we sell disposable underwater camera’s)
• Take sea sick tablets

Please Note: We have a very high success rate, however with all wild animals, shark sightings, activity, predation events and shark breaching can vary from day to day. Even during peak season there may be days when we do not see any great white shark breaching or predatory events.

Please be aware of this, so you do not arrive with unrealistic expectations. Rather come hoping to see these natural events, than expecting. No refunds will be made for non-sightings. We will however offer you a voucher for another trip.

We hope to see you join one of our spectacular AIRJAWS trips!

If you love our posts, please drop us some feed back. Also why not subscribe to our blog?

We at African Shark Eco-Charters are thrilled to announce the production start of our own feature length documentary, “GREAT WHITE SHARK LEGEND”.

The film has completed an extensive 18 month pre-production schedule and we can confirm we are now in full production!

Great White Shark Legend is being produced and directed by international film-maker Ricardo Lacombe and his wife Rachel, who have worked with us on our various promotional videos. But we’re upping our game to bring you a feature documentary, carrying forward our ethos of responsible education and awareness for great whites. Our very own “shark legends” Rob Lawrence and Karen Lawrence are serving as executive producers and cameras are already rolling!

This is a fresh, ambitious and bold new look at the world of the beloved Great White Sharks of False Bay and the Cape Area, as well as the community living alongside them – dispelling some myths, offering a personal and heartfelt insight into the animals and the people of the area, as well as remaining dynamic and entertaining – finally aiming to change the perception of Great White’s to the wider public (as well as offering some exciting and beautiful perspectives for you shark lovers out there!)

We are also pleased to announce that Ricardo and his wife Rachel will be backed and assisted by the awesome team over at GoPro in bringing the magic of False Bay to the big screen – so you can be sure the cameras will be getting as close as can be to our Great White Shark friends.

We will be featuring production updates as we continue to work on the film, with the final shoots to be completed in June and July this year, so if you are travelling out with us then, or are in the Cape Town and Simonstown area, then you might just catch Ricardo and Rachel on the main portion of the shoot – and maybe even get yourself on the big screen alongside the wonderful wildlife of our oceans.

This is a major undertaking which has already gained interest from international film festivals before we’ve even completed it – so we are thrilled to be able to share this with our followers, guests and lovers of sharks from all over the world.

So keep subscribed to this site, check our our Facebook page for updates, and also follow us on Twitter for all the “Great White Shark Legend” information. 

If you love our posts, please drop us some feed back. Also why not subscribe to our blog?

Shark Cage Diving and THE MAGIC OF FALSE BAY

True passion is when you take what you love and turn it into your work. This is how African Shark Eco-Charters was born…and we want to share this with you. Enjoy the magic of False Bay, from sunrise to sunset, from sharks to dolphins to whales, and join us to share the beauty of the natural world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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One of the satellite-tagged Great White Sharks, nicknamed Kathryn, who was originally tagged in False Bay on the 16th of April 2012, has just pinged in at a region called the Chagos Archipelago (near the Maldives), to the south-west of India.

Kathryn is a mature, female Great White Shark of about 4.5 metres (15 ft) in length, and weighing in at around 1102 kilograms (2430 lbs).

It has been a while since Kathryn has been seen in the False Bay area, but we are hoping to have her join us on one of our shark cage diving trips this season.

Tagged Great White Shark pings in off the Maldives

Picture showing Kathryn’s movement from the Ocearch Global Shark Tracker website.

Here is some info about our trips for you to read.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Simon’s Town is just 40min from Cape Town and the base from where our boat departs early in the morning. A short 20 minute will take you into False Bay, famous for the great white “Flying Sharks”, a term used for their highly athletic breaching and hunting behavior.

NO QUALIFICATIONS for shark cage diving are necessary! The cage floats just under the surface of the water, and it is situated alongside the boat. Only two enter the cage at a time, all scuba equipment stays on board and only the scuba hose enters the cage, allowing you to enjoy a great dive without cumbersome, heavy tanks and gear.

The average dive time is 20 minutes depending on the shark activity. Once everyone has had a go, then a second dive is allowed for those interested in diving again. The crew is highly trained and safety is of utmost importance.

The Great White is a very curious animal and will often circle and come up to the cage, as if to get a “personal” look at the diver, while you are having a personal look at it.

Transfers: Optional: Return transfers from designated pickup points in Cape Town

Duration:Approx 5.5 hours. The trip departs from Simon’s town at 7am sharp and returns at 12h30.

How many guests on the boat? 12. We don’t want you just to be a number, which is why, unlike many other operators we choose to take out only small groups, making it a more personal experience, as well as then being able to spend enough time sharing our love and knowledge of the great white shark with you.

How many divers in the cage? 2 maximum. Not 5-8  like a lot of other operators.

Do you offer scuba? Yes All diving equipment is supplied. No diving experience is necessary.

Does using scuba affect the sharks coming to the boat? No.  In our experience working in False Bay since 1996, we have found that the bubbles or scuba noise have no effect on the great white sharks.

Do you use shark liver to attract sharks? No

Do: Come along even if just surface-viewing.

What to do: Our guides try to chat with all the guests but its very hard if you are not open to talk “shark”. So, please ask questions! Engage with the guides. They love to share their knowledge and its much easier if you are open, talkative and show interest in the sharks. This is what shark cage diving is all about.

Shark Cage Diving Itinerary

05.45 – 06.00: Pick up in Cape Town (Optional)

06.45: Meet at the Simons Town Pier for briefing  (overview of day). Do not be late.

07.00:  Departure to Seal Island. Do not be late. The boat will not wait for you.

Tour around island, do an inspection lap. Choosing the best spot to anchor up with regard to wind and swell direction and start diving.The cage is lowered into the water to free up the working area on the deck.  A bait line is put in the water as well as the carpet seal decoy. Every precaution is taken not to injure the shark. We do not feed sharks, nor touch sharks. We are NOT an adrenalin outfit. You will still have excellent views of the Great White Shark should you chose not to dive.

12.30. Return to Simons Town.

13.00  Transfer Back in Cape Town (Optional)

IMPORTANT- Please Note: We have a very high success rate, but we are working with wild animals. Please be aware of this, so you do not arrive with unrealistic expectations. Shark sightings and activity are never guaranteed and even during peak season there may be days when the sightings are lower than expected.  No refunds will be made for non-sightings. We will however offer you a voucher  for another trip.

If you love our posts, please drop us some feed back. Also why not subscribe to our blog?