Guest Comment: “Breathtaking experience! Great crew! Wonderful sharks! Definitely would do it again 🙂 Thank you!!” – Berit
“Fantastic experience! From a non-swimmer, usually terrified of water, I felt very safe with the help of all the staff. Will definitely recommend to friends. Loved the education on the trip too.” – Ciara
“Excellent knowledge and you fell extremely well looked after by a big crew. Thank you! You changed my image of sharks” – Francesca
06/11/2016
Location: Joubertsdam
Water Temperature: 17.3’C + 17.5’C + 17.9’C
Depth: 11.9 m + 10.8 m + 9.8 m
Visibility: 2.0-3.0 m + 2.0 m + 1.5 m
Number of Sharks: 6 + 7 + 6
Conditions: A beautiful day with very little swell, brilliant sunshine, and a very light breeze.
Today was one of those exceptional days that you wish every day could be like. The weather was perfect and the sharks were active. Our first trip began instantaneously with a shark approaching the boat as our divers got suited up. It was “Sarko” a 2.5 meter long female white shark with a white scar that resembles eye shadow. It didn’t take long before a dark 3.5 meter male white shark appeared with only one small scar just below his pectoral fin. He was joined by a 3.6 meter long male that was covered in scars. Both sides of his face were scarred, his caudal, his dorsal fin, and down his entire right side. He stayed with us for quite some time until a 3.9 meter white shark appeared. This one had a long dark scar along its right side. It got quiet for a few minutes then all of the sudden a shark came flying out of the water after the seal decoy! It was “Paisley” a 3.6 meter female white shark that was tagged late last year by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. She’s notorious for stalking from below then propelling herself almost entirely out of the water, and today she did exactly that. She was the star of the trip, being joined briefly by a 2.6 meter white shark that was recently tagged by the D.I.C.T. Our second trip was also fortunate to have no waiting time, with Paisley circling the boat upon our arrival. She was quickly joined by a 3.7 meter male white shark that was very stocky and girth. He resembled a shark version of a weight lifter. He and “Paisley” stayed around for most of the trip but were joined a bit later by several more sharks. First was a 4 meter white shark with a heart shaped rosie on its dorsal fin. A rosie is like a birthmark and can help us to identify a shark. It was joined by a shark that we’ve been calling “Feisty,” a male white shark that was also recently tagged by the D.I.C.T. We were also graced with the presence of “Sally” a large 4 meter long female with a small white scar just before her dorsal fin. She was joined by a clean 4.2 meter long white shark and a 2.1 meter white shark. This trip also got to see a Short-Tailed Stingray! Our last trip also began instantly with a 2.2 meter white shark approaching the boat while we anchored. It circled the boat for quite some time before disappearing quickly. Suddenly, “Pailsey” came breeching out of the water with the seal decoy in her mouth! She slammed down onto the water and everyone on board gasped. She was quite a site to see! She was joined by a 4.2 meter male white shark covered in white scars and a fresh wound just behind its dorsal fin. A 3.8 meter white shark passed by quickly, bumping the decoy as it went but not staying around for long. We were then joined by a very curious and active juvenile white shark that was 2.4 meters long and had no noticeable markings other than the usual scratches on the snout. We also had a visit from a 3.8 meter white shark with light coloration on the leading edge of its dorsal fin and the trailing edge as well. This shark was very curious about our divers and the visual cues in front of it. It slowly passed in front of the cage, dove down, then came lunging up for the bait line and seal decoy. It was a great end to a spectacular day!
If you are looking to get up close and personal with the great white shark then Great White Shark Diving in South Africa, and more specifically with Marine Dynamics, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you won’t want to miss. Book and pay online with us and get a free video of your encounter with the world’s apex predator.
