In this article, we have outlined the three best locations including our recommendations to go cage diving with great white sharks. In addition, we also outlined general information about the great white sharks, information about cage diving and our tips for booking a great white shark cage diving tour.
If you are up for adrenaline pumping, you can go cage diving with these magnificent creatures in. Below, we provide you with an overview of the best places to go shark cage diving with the great white shark. In addition, we also outlined general information about the great white sharks, information about cage diving and our tips for booking a tour.
Day trip
If you are in for a Great White Shark cage day tour, we recommend to book with Calypso Star Charters. In principle, this day tour is slightly more expensive compared with Adventure Bay Charters, but their ''No Shark refund policy'' can be considered generous and in the end cheaper if no sharks have been seen. Further, they provide their daily shark sightings on the website which is transparent. The (wet) cage is bigger than the cage of Adventure Bay Charters, which can house a maximum of eight people (six people in the cage of Adventure Bay Charters). They also mentioned that they hold a 100% safety record for more than 25 years. Based on reviews, the trip of Calypso Star Charters is ranked higher than the trip of Adventure Bay Charters. In addition, we believe that the attracting the sharks by a natural fish berley is more natural way than by using music (but note that this is just our opinion).
At the other hand, the aqua sub of Adventure Bay Charters is a perfect alternative for people who do not want to get into the water. This aqua sub is a safe way to face the great whites behind glass and below the surface. Furthermore, 12 people can watch the great white sharks at the same time. With only 27 people on board, you will have a higher change to face these sharks once they have been spotted.
Multiple day trip
If you are in for a multiple day trip, than you should definitely book with Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. Don't forget to book the ocean floor cage option to face the Great Whites 20 meters below the surface!
$495 for a day trip + $39 Visitor/Park Fee.
$525 for a day trip ($350, including access to the aqua sub + $175 to upgrade for cage diving) + $39 Visitors/Park fee.
Starting from $1,195 for a multiple day trip
Day trips only
Natural fish berley
Surface cage (wet)
Day trips only
Natural tuna fish mix
Music
Multiple day trips only
Unknown
Unknown
Surface cage (wet), aqua sub (dry) and bottom cage (wet)
Surface cage and a ocean floor cage (wet)
There are three dive operators located in Port Lincoln: Calypso Star Charters, Adventure Bay Charters and Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. They all offer the same experience (great white shark cage diving), but in a different way.
Calypso Star Charters offers one-day great white shark cage diving trips to the Neptune Islands. To attract the great white sharks, they use natural fish berley. Calypso Star Charters also offers day trips to dive with sea lions and combo tours (great white shark cage diving and the sea lion tour).
To experience the magnificent great whites, you can enter the cage once arrived at the Neptune Islands. The cage is large enough for 8 people. It should be noted that you can only watch the sharks below the surface by entering the ''wet'' cage. To ensure everyone has a chance to face the great white shark once spotted, Calypso Star Charters makes groups of 8 people in advance. You can choose which group you would like to join. Unlimited diving in the cage is possible, except when a great white has been spotted - in this case, the group policy will apply). Based on the safety records of Calypso Star Charters, cage diving is safe as they have a 100% safety records for 25 years.
Tip: We recommend to sign up for group 1 or 2, as there is a possibility that the great white will only stay around for a couple of minutes. By joining the first groups, you will have the biggest change to jump into the water while the great white is around.
They also provide their great white shark sightings since 1 January 2011. If you are not sure which time of the year you should book to have the biggest change to see the great white sharks, you can also use these records. If no great white sharks are spotted during the trip, they offer a $100 refund and a $200 voucher for a next trip.
Calypso Star Charters has two vessels: the MV Calypso Star which is used for the Sea Lions tours, Twilight Shark Cage Diving and Combo tours and the MV Calypso Star 2 which is used for the great white shark cage diving tours.
Tip: For those who get easily seasick, the MV Calypso Star 2 vessel has a Seakeeper Gyroscopic Stabiliser which reduces the vessel roll and thus improves the stability of the boat.
The duration of the trip is approximately 12 hours, leaving in the early morning and returning around 06:00 p.m. (depending on the conditions at sea and the departure time at Neptune Island). Pick-up from various locations in Port Lincoln is possible. For this pick-up service, a pick-up fee will apply.
Tip: Free parking is available in front of the Calypso Star Charters office
Adventure Bay Charters offers also one-day great white shark cage diving trips to the Neptune Islands. The great white sharks are attracted by using music. Adventure Bay Charters believes that, by using acoustics in the water, that the electroreception sense of sharks are triggered. Sharks use this electroreception sense to recognize electrical impulses of animals in the water.
Besides a surface cage, which can house six people at the same time, Adventure Bay Charters also uses an aqua sub. This aqua sub can be compared with a glass boat. This aqua sub provides you with an submerged 360 degrees view. An additional advantage is that this aqua sub is a dry area, meaning that it is not necessary to change clothes and to get into the chilly water. In addition, Adventure Bay Charters also offers a bottom cage to face the great whites 18 meters below the surface. For this cage, you need at least a Padi/SSI Open Water license or an equivalent. A maximum of 2 dives a day/tour will apply for this cage. When the aqua sub and the surf cage are both used, 12 people can watch the sharks at the same time (with a maximum of 27 people on board). Compared with the ratio of Calypso Star Charters (1:6), this ratio is pretty high (1:3).
The duration of the trip is approximately 12 hours, leaving in the early morning and returning around 06:00 p.m. (depending on the conditions at sea and the departure time at Neptune Island). Pick-up from various locations in Port Lincoln is possible. For this pick-up service, a pick-up fee will apply.
Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions offers (only) multiple days trips to the Neptune Islands. The duration of the trips varies between 3 - 5 days. In general, they offer three kind of trips: The Great White Escape (3 days), The Great White Expedition (4 days) and The Great White Winter Safari (5 days).
They attract the sharks by using a natural tuna fish mix, which is a comparable with the method used by Calypso Star Charters. The great thing about diving with Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions is that you can dive (on every tour) in the ocean floor cage. This cage will be dropped to a depth of 20 meters (66 feet). Of course you will be joined by a dive professional, just in case you can't handle your adrenaline level anymore! If you don't like the ocean floor cage or just want to dive more, unlimited diving in the surface cage is also possible.
The pick-up point for all tours will be the Marina Hotel in Port Lincoln. There is no pick-up service available.
Tip: In case you would like to dive in the ocean floor, you have to choose this option during the booking process. In case your buddy is not into diving in the ocean floor cage diving, you can choose a different option such as ''Surface Cage Diver'' or ''Diver/Topside Spectator'' which are offered for a lower price.
It is difficult to say what the best time is to go cage diving in Australia as the shark sightings depends on various factors. Normally the highest change to see the great whites is between September - January and May/June. During the year, the smaller male sharks are around and during the months April-August, the giant female sharks will be around the Neptune islands. As mentioned above, we recommend to check the shark sightings page of Calypso Star Charters to find out which is the best period to go cage diving in Australia.
Port Lincoln is located on the lower Eyre Peninsula (east side) of South Australia. We recommend to travel to Port Lincoln by airplane or by car:
If you are looking for a nice play to stay, we recommend the following accommodations:
With so many boats and tour operators, which all provide the great white shark cage diving experience, it is difficult to say which boat/tour operator is the ''best''. We recommend to check which tour operator/boat meets your expectations and requirements. To help you, we have included our recommendations below.
$2,700
Starting from $2,900
Starting from $3,000
Multiple day trips only
Unknown
Surface cage (wet)
Multiple day trips only
Unknown
Unknown
Multiple day trips only
Unknown
Surface cage (wet) and a submerged cage (wet - 10 metres/30 feet)
Surface cage and a submerged cage (wet)
Multiple day trips only
Starting from $3,295
Unknown
Surface cage (wet) and a submerged cage (wet - including a pioneered submersible cage)
Unknown
There are four tour operators which provide great white shark cage diving tours in Guadalupe Island. The tour operators are Horizon Charters, Nautilus Dive Adventures, Cantamar Liveaboards and the Pelagic fleet. We have outlined the various liveaboard options below.
With their America's Shark Boat MV Horizon, Horizon Charters provides a 5 days/4 nights and a 6 days/5 nights charter from San Diego, United States and Ensenada, Mexico to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Pick-up from your local accommodation in San Diego or San Diego international airport can be arranged.
The America's Shark Boat offers twin cabin accommodation which can house 16 guests. The twin cabins do not have an ensuite bathroom, but two bathroom with hot showers are available. The boat is equipped with a surface cage and is large enough for eight people at the same time. With regard to cage diving, the staff will make two groups and each group will have one hour of cage diving. Furthermore, Horizon Charters guarantees the lowest price for a great white shark cage liveaboard at Guadalupe Island. They also provide a discount for returning customers.
With only 16 guests onboard and unlimited diving time (with a one-hour rotating schedule), you can dive up to 20 hours in the surface cage. Nitrox is available on the Horizon.
Based on the safety records of Horizon Charters, cage diving is safe as they have a 100% safety record.
Tip: Great white shark cage diving San Diego: They start the trip from San Diego, CA, US, by boat which means you will save a lot of time to cross the border with Mexico. By departing from San Diego, you can already start with the preparation of your gear, setting up your cabin and/or enjoying the view!
Nautilus Dive Adventures is one of the biggest operators of great white shark cage diving in Guadalupe Island, Mexico. They have 4 vessels: Nautilus Explorer, Nautilus Belle Amie, Nautilus UnderSea and Nautilus Gallant Lady.
Their boats are comfortable and built for the best diving experiences, including large dive decks, camera tables and entertainment facilities. In addition, Nautilus offers great white shark cage diving in a submerged cage, 10 metres (30 feet) below the surface. For this submerged cage, a diving certificate is necessary. They also use surface cages. Diving with nitrox is possible, which could extend your maximum diving time in the submerged cage.
Pick-up from San Diego, US, is possible. However, the boat will leave from Ensenada, Mexico which means that a bus transfer from San Diego to Ensenada is necessary.
Following various sources, Nautilus Dive Adventures does not have a clear safety record. For example, they had a cage accident in October 2019. A great white shark got stuck in the cage and died.
Cantamar Liveaboards offers great white shark cage diving tours to Guadalupe Island with the Socorro Aggressor and the Southern Sport boats. The boats will leave from Ensenada, Mexico, but pick-up in San Diego is possible.
The Socorro Aggressor is the biggest boat, which can house up to 26 guests. The Southern Sport can house 18 guests. The Socorro Aggressor is equipped with four cages: 3 surface cages and one submerged cage. Each cage is large enough for 4 divers. In order to ensure that everyone can dive in their favorite cage, Cantamar Liveaboards applies a 30 minutes rotating schedule. Divers can dive unlimited in the surface cage and three dives a day in the submerged cage. Nitrox is available, which is perfect if you would like to extent your maximum diving time in the submerged cage (please note that a maximum number of three dives a day apply in the submerged cages).
Solmar V and the Socorro Vortex, part of the Pelagic Fleet, are luxurious vessels and offers great white shark cage diving trips to Guadalupe, Mexico. The boats will leave from Ensenada, Mexico, but a pick-up in San Diego is possible.
The Solmar V can house 20 guests and is equipped with two surface cages and a submersible cage (up to 10 metres/30 feet). In addition, Solmar V is also equipped with an pioneered submersible cage. This cage can move freely around and follow any great white shark. Great for photo and video shots! The pioneered submersible cage is large enough for a pilot (in the back) and one diver in the front. Both divers must wear a full face mask in order to communicate with each other and the boat. For safety reasons, the buoyancy of the cage is positive, which means that the cage will always go back to the surface in case something will happen.
The Socorro Vortex can house 14 guests and offers luxurious facilities such as a hot tub, free WiFi and free nitrox.
The great white sharks are around Guadalupe Island between August and October of each year. The male great whites are typically spotted in the beginning of the season while the bigger (female) great whites show up in September/November.
Guadalupe island is located 240 km/150 miles from Baja California, Mexico and can only be reached by boat. The trip from Mexico to Guadalupe Island takes between 18-20 hours one way. As the island is not accessible, you have to stay on a liveaboard.
Below, we outlined our recommendations for hotels in San Diego, CA, US and Ensenada, Mexixo. These hotels are closely located to the marina and/or pick-up location for the great white shark cage diving tours in Guadalupe, Mexico.
Hotels San Diego
Hotels Ensensada
All diving tour operators in Gansbaai provide a great cage diving experience at Dyer Island/Shark Alley. Based on our diving experiences and information available, we believe that the White Shark Diving company offers the best experience. With only 22 guests on board (or 12 guests with the hookah system trip) and by using a large cage (8 people), you have a big chance to face the great white sharks. This also means that you will have much more diving time in the cage!
If you are more price sensitive, another option is to book with Shark Lady Adventures. They offer great white shark cage diving trips with smaller groups (up to 18 guests) and have a lower price compared with other tour operators. Following reviews, we believe that you will have a better experience with other tour operators such as White Shark Diving company or Marine Dynamics.
R2,200 (about $130) for divers
R2,430 (about $150) for both divers and non-divers.
R2,000 (about $120) for both divers and non-divers.
Day trips only
Bait
Surface cage (wet)
Day trips only
Bait/tuna
Bait
day trips only
Unknown
Surface cage (wet)
Surface cage (wet)
Unknown
There are various tour operators located in Gansbaai which all offer great white shark cage diving trips to Dyer Island. Dyler Island is located in front of Gansbaai and only takes a short trip by boat (on average 20 minutes). Officially there are 8 (licenced) tour operators, but we have summarized the best 3 for you.
Another location to go great white shark cage diving in South Africa is Mossel Bay and Simon's town.
White Shark Diving company offers various shark related tours, including the great white shark cage diving tour. Their boat, which is 12 metres long, can house up to 22 guests. For the cage diving tours, they use a surface cage which is large enough for 8 guests. The trip takes approximately 3-4 hours (excluding travel time).
For their ''Shark Cage Diving & Viewing'' trip, they don't use a diving hookah system (a system which is connected to a compressor in order to provide a air flow). Divers must use a holding breath technique in order to stay under water for a limited time. A great white shark cage diving trip, including a hookah system, can be booked but only on selected days and is offered for a higher price. For this trip, only 12 guests (instead of 22) are allowed which means more time under water. Unlimited ''diving'' in the surface cage is possible depending on the availability. In addition, White Shark Diving Company has a 100% safety record for more than 22 years.
Besides offering shark cage diving trips, White Shark Diving Company also contributes to a research program about great white sharks. If interested, you can join their volunteer program to get involved in the research program. This program also includes various courses such as training in fin identification and training in boat handling skills.
White Shark Diving Company does not provide any refunds if no sharks has been seen. However, they offer a non-transferable voucher, which is valid for two years, and can be used to join another trip free of charge.
Pick-up from Cape Town is possible and prices are available upon request.
Tip: If you are not diving, you can also book as a non-diver. The price for a non-diver is lower.
Established in the late 90's, Marine Dynamics offers great white shark cage diving tours and Dyer Island cruises (to spot the ocean big 5). The trip takes approximately 3-6 hours (excluding travel time). They generally anchor for 2 hours to cage dive.
The Slashfin, the boat of Marine Dynamics, can take up to 40 guests for the great white shark cage diving trip which is quite a lot on a 14 metres boat. The surface cage is large enough for 8 people. Marine Dynamics also contributes to the great white shark research program. They also provide you with relevant information during the trip as there is always a dedicated marine biologist on board.
It is possible to use scuba diving equipment in the cage, but only if this is pre-arranged and once everybody went into the cage. As a result, they don't use scuba diving tanks and/or a hookah system for their great white shark cage diving trips. Unlimited ''diving'' in the cage is possible but this depends on the availability.
In addition, the Great White House is the meeting point of the great white shark cage diving trips. Besides a booking desk for trips, there is also a restaurant, restrooms and accommodation available.
Marine Dynamics does not provide any refunds if no sharks has been seen. However, they offer a non-transferable voucher to join another trip free of charge.
Pick-up from Cape Town is possible for R600 per person and from Hermanus for R450 per person.
Shark Lady Adventures is established in 2001 and offers great white shark cage diving tours in Gansbaai and other diving activities in Hermanus.
Up to 18 people can book a great white shark cage diving tour and different timeslots can be booked. The trip takes approximately 2.5 - 3 hours (excluding travel time).
Shark Lady Adventures uses a small cage, which is large enough for 4 people. Scuba diving gear can be provided (and used) only upon request and you must hold a scuba diving licence to dive in the cage. In general, they don't use any scuba diving gear and/or hooka system - just hold your breath when go cage diving. Unlimited diving in the cage is possible, but depends on the availability. Furthermore, they hold a 100% safety record following Shark Lady Adventures.
Following our information, they offer these great white shark cage diving trips against a lower price than other tour operators. Considering the price and the ratio maximum guests/cage capacity - this is an option to experience the great white sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa.
The best period (high season) to go cage diving in Gansbaai is between June and September. During these winter months in South Africa, the visibility under water is better compared with other months. Furthermore, a higher number of great white sharks are normally spotted during these months. Note that the weather conditions can be pretty bad during these months and this could also have an impact on your booked trip.
During the months March - May (autumn) and October/November, the chance to spot a great white shark is still pretty high. During low season/summer - December - February - the chance to spot a great white shark is the lowest but they can be still around. However, the weather conditions are normally pretty good during these months.
Most people believe that they can go cage diving in Cape Town. Although cage diving trips are offered from Cape town, Gansbaai is the place to be. Gansbaai is located 160 kilometres from Cape Town and is a 2 -2.5 hours drive. The easiest way to reach Gansbaai is by car.
Below, we outlined our recommendations for hotels in Gansbaai, South Africa. These hotels are located closely to the marina and/or the offices of the tour operators.
The legendary great white shark can be found in cold and coastal waters around the world such as Australia, Mexico but also in the Mediterranean sea. By many people, these predators are feared and considered the most dangerous animals of the ocean. Although the great white shark can be considered dangerous, these sharks are, in general, not dangerous to humans. There are known cases about shark attacks, but these attacks are in many cases related to unfortunate circumstances. The killer whale can be considered the apex predictor of ocean. They are known for killing sharks, including the great white shark. Besides the killer whale, the great white shark does not have a predator.
The maximum size of a great white shark can reach 6 meters (20 feet). The biggest great white sharks are females, with an average size of 4 - 5 meters (13 - 16 feet). The male sharks are significant smaller, with an average size of 3 - 4 meters (10 - 13 feet).
Considered one of the most dangerous predators of the ocean and with its tremendous size, even the great white uses a form of camouflage, which is called ''countershading''. While swimming at the surface, it it difficult to spot the shark due to the white color of its belly and the light of the sun. If the shark is swimming below in the deep blue ocean, its dark grey color matches with the ocean bottom. As a result of its camouflage tactic, the name of the great white is named after the color of its belly.
Yes, it is safe to go shark cage diving. During cage diving, you will be protected with a robust cage from the great white sharks.
However, we highly recommend to do research on the differences between the local shark cage dive operators. Some tour operators have a bad reputation if it comes to, among other things, safety records, the cage construction, the bait and/or the quality of food.
As an example, in October 2019, a great white shark got stuck in a cage of a tour operator in Guadalupe Island in Mexico. The shark swam into the cage, got stuck and died after a while. There are also cases known of great white sharks entering the cage via the top side of the cage. Nonetheless, these incidents can happen very rarely.
When booking a cage diving trip, we recommend to check the following:
Tour operators use different bait to attract the sharks. Some operators uses specific bait which seems to be more sustainable for the environment and sharks. Other tour operators might use other methods, such as playing music to attract sharks.
Check the construction of the cage on photos. The cage should be constructed in a way that the shark cannot enter the cage (no big gaps between the bars). Furthermore, we recommend a cage which has multiple entrances. In case something happen, both exits can be used. In case one exit is blocked (hopefully not by a shark), the other exit can still be used.
Which cage do you prefer? A cage with only bars between you and the shark below the surface, or a cage where you can sit and watch the sharks in a dry area (without changing your clothes)? Both options are available, and both options have a different experience. We like the wet cage!
Although prices of these tours are in general comparable, it might save you some money if you compare the prices. Furthermore, prices can significantly differ between the great white shark dive spots.
Some tour operators offer a refund when no great white shark has been spotted. These refund policies differs from each other, so it worth to check whether the details of these policies.
More people on board, less time in the water with the sharks. We prefer to book trip with as few people as possible.
Check the reviews on the quality of the food. Getting sick on board can ruin your trip, especially when you've booked a liveaboard of a couple of days.
Some tour operators publish their daily shark sightings. In our opinion, this information is useful in order to look for the best booking period when booking the trip in the best period based on historical data.
Boats can have a gyro stabilizer, which helps to stabilize the boat. Great against sea sickness.
Tour operators might offer a (complimentary) pick-up service from your hotel/camping.
Always check the latest reviews of the local diving operator, for example on Tripadvisor or Google Maps. If available, check the website of the tour operator.