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Discover more about these feared marine predators
Shark Expeditions
A fearsome great white bears its teeth
© Downhill Adventures
Did you know?
The whale shark is the world's biggest shark.
A shark expedition in South Africa is easily tailored to suit individual expectations.
Whether the term conjures up visions of a great white hunting seal pups or a slow-moving whale shark keeping pace with a comfortable yacht charter, there's no denying our perennial fascination with these incredible ocean predators.
Your first consideration when planning a shark expedition should be where you'd prefer the encounter to take place: in a shark-diving cage, in the open ocean, from a boat, in an aquarium pool or from a comfy chair on the other side of the glass!
If you've set your heart on getting out in the ocean with the really big boys - great whites and tiger sharks - then prime dive sites such as KwaZulu-Natal's Aliwal Shoal or Cape Town's False Bay are your best bets.
Another favoured spot is Shark Alley, the cold-water channel - 150 metres wide and 600 metres long - that runs between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock in the Cape.
Any west coast island favoured by South African fur seal colonies is guaranteed great white territory, with the likelihood of sightings increasing when young pups venture into the ocean during November each year.
There are numerous dive charters that specialise in shark spotting. Larger coastal towns on both east and west coast offer special packages which include related activities such as fishing.
If diving with sharks in the confines of an aquarium is more appealing, South Africa boasts two world-class facilities where this is possible.
Cape Town's Two Oceans Aquarium, the fifth largest in the world, offers a unique opportunity to get close to ragged-tooth sharks and shoals of large predators such as yellowtail, dusky kob and black and white musselcracker.
Durban's uShaka Marine World showcases a number of large ragged-tooth sharks in a dedicated exhibit, while trainee scuba divers are at liberty to dive in a large pool containing smaller reef shark species.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
South African White Shark Research Institutue
Phone: +27 (0)21 552 9794
Email: info@whiteshark.co.za
Web: www.whiteshark.co.za
Two Oceans Aquarium Visitor Services
Phone: +27 (0)21 418 3823
Email: dive@aquarium.co.za
Web: www.aquarium.co.za
uShaka Marine World
Phone: +27 (0)31 328 8000
Email: mkt@ushakamarineworld.co.za
Web: www.ushakamarineworld.co.za
White Shark Ecoventures
Phone: +27 21 532 0470
Email: sharkdive@iafrica.com
How to get here
Shark-spotting boat charters operate from the major harbour cities in South Africa: Durban and Cape Town, as well as from popular seaside tourist destinations.
What will it cost
If you're keen to observe sharks from behind a glass window, then all that's required is an aquarium admission fee. Dive or deep-sea charters vary in cost, depending on the duration of the trip and the number of people on board.
Two Oceans Aquarium prices valid to July 2012: Non-member with own gear: R475 (adults); Non-member with Aquarium gear R625; Member with own gear R357; Member with Aquarium gear R446.
Length of stay
Allocate a full day at sea if you're going out to dive or view sharks.
What to pack
If you intend viewing sharks from an open boat, use lots of sunscreen, wear sunglasses and a cap, and take along a windbreaker. Make sure the boat charter crew provides food and drinks, or take your own.
What's happening
In the colder Cape waters great white sightings are best during the seal calving season during October and November.