Shark Explorers | Tiger Sharks The Experience

The Experience

Shark Explorers offers you the opportunity to dive with tiger sharks, blacktip sharks and occasionally even bull sharks on a single dive. Tiger sharks are the main attraction as they glide into your view with their unmistakable square shape head and large size, while the smaller blacktips add fun and excitement to the dive by zooming in between the divers.

Habitat

The dive takes place in Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area. The abundance and beauty of this subtropical environment takes your breath away with reefs teeming with fish, sharks, rays and hard and soft corals.

Shark behaviour and diver interaction

The blacktips are usually first to arrive on the scene and even offer novice divers a fun and interactive shark experience. Diving with 30 blacktips is normal for a dive. The tiger sharks behave very differently and are very bold and confident with the divers and other sharks around. They will often move in very close to the divers. Bull sharks can be a little skittish, especially when the other sharks are around. This is a great opportunity to see how variable the behaviour is between different shark species.

DIVE DETAILS AND COST

Location: Aliwal Shoal, KwaZulu Natal

Season: Tiger sharks: Year round (peak season Dec – Jul). Black tip sharks: Year round. Bull sharks: Nov - May

The dive: Many opportunities exist for SCUBA divers and free-divers as well as surface viewing for non-divers.

Minimum experience required: Open Water 1 Certification if scuba diving. Make sure to bring proof of certification with you. Snorkeling experience for free-divers.

Dive Depth: 10 meters (max)

Water temperature: 18 – 28 ºC (depending on season)

Water visibility: 8 - 25 meters

Dive time: 60 minutes (depends on shark activity)

Chumming and baiting: Yes

Dive package includes:

            1. Guided dive
            2. Snacks and cool drinks on boat
            3. Dive briefing and full shark presentation
            4. 4. Dive cylinder and weights

Cost: From Zar 1300, p/PAX

Tips for diving safely and to enhance your experience

It’s very important to be aware of your position in the water column. You need to be in control of your movements. Don’t stalk the sharks, rather let them come to you, but importantly don’t turn your back on the sharks. Make sure you maintain eye contact. There are times when the sharks don’t like the flash of cameras and respond by swimming away.

Filming and photography

With so many species in one area the filming and photography opportunities are fantastic. The warm, often clear water adds to the pleasant experience.

SHARK DIVE PACKAGES

We offer customised shark diving packages to meet your needs so contact us directly for more information. However we do have a few very popular suggestions:

Two days in CapeTown - 1) sevengill cowshark spotted gully and cat sharks 2) sevengill cowshark and Cape fur seals

Two days in CapeTown - 1) seal and cowsharks 2) white sharks

Two days in CapeTown - 1) seal, cowshark 2) blues & makos (seasonal)

Three days in CapeTown - 1) seal & sevengill 2) blues & makos (seasonal) 3)white sharks

Five days CapeTown to Aliwal - 1)seal & sevengill 2)blues & makos 3)white sharks 4) Tigers 5)raggies