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Great White Sharks
(Article provided by Apex shark viewing & diving
– Simonstown)
The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is regarded
as one of the planets most mysterious and formidable
predators that has fascinated millions of people worldwide.
It is a once in a lifetime experience to see a Great
White Shark in person.
Not only is it easily possible to encounter a Great
White Shark at Seal Island, Seal Island is also world
famous for being the worlds most intense Great White
Shark hunting ground for Cape Fur Seals as they breach
out of the water while hunting. During the high season
it is possible to view these completely natural predatory
events during our morning excursions.
We also provide the opportunity to cage dive with the
Great White Sharks on both the morning and afternoon
trips.
What Makes Us Unique:
Apex were the first to document the now famous breaching
great white sharks as seen on National Geographic.
They specialize in small groups and take only a maximum
of 12 guests per trip. This means that our guests have
better viewing and photographic opportunities as well
as longer cage dives.
As the groups are small and our trips are long we are
able to provide an intimate experience with the Great
White Shark and our guides have the opportunity to personally
share their knowledge and passion for the sharks and
the area.
In our area you can shark cage dive, view breaching and view
natural predation often all in one trip. This is the
only location in the world where all three activities
are often achievable in one outing. Being close to the
Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and Cape Point Nature
Reserve also allows guests, pushed for time, to view
the sharks in the morning and then see the penguins
and Cape Point in the afternoon, freeing up more time
to spend on other activities in South Africa.
What is Breaching and Natural Preditation:
A breach is the spectacular event of a Great White Shark
launching itself completely clear of the water.
A natural predatory event occurs when a Great White
Shark attempts to hunt cape fur seals. All events are
viewed from a safe and unobtrusive distance.
These natural spectacles occur most frequently at Seal
Island and at no other great white shark location worldwide
do the sharks breach or hunt seals as often, giving
you a realistic chance of viewing these events during
one of our trips.
Morning Excursion:
Natural predation observation; breaching; cage diving
and surface viewing
7am to 12.30pm
Afternoon Excursion:
Cage diving and surface viewing only. (No breaching)
1pm to 5pm
Where:
All trips depart daily from Simons Town Jetty. Booking
in advance is essential and all trips are weather dependant.
Working Area:
All trips take place at Seal Island. This is a 60 000
strong Cape Fur Seal colony and is only a 25 minute
boat ride from Simons Town. A close view of the Island
and its inhabitants is one of the highlights of the
trips.
Diving Qualification:
No diving qualification is necessary for shark cage diving as the cage is fixed to the boat and guests may snorkel
in the cage. Air is available to those with a scuba
qualification.
Water Temp and Visibility:
Ave water temp is 14C to 18C. Visibility can be from
5 meters to 15 meters depending on prevailing conditions.
Included in Trips:
All dive gear (Sizes Small to XX Large)
Lunch, snacks and refreshments.
HIGH SEASON: May to mid September (95% likelihood of
a sighting during this period)
INTERMEDIATE SEASON: April and October (April 80% &
October 65% likelihood of a sighting)
LOW SEASON: November to March (50% likelihood of a sighting
during this period)
Great White Shark Facts
* The largest Great White Shark recorded is 6.4m long
* The Great White Shark can weigh up to 3000 kg
* Great White sharks give birth to live young and up
to 9 at one time. The pups are between 1.2 and 1.5 meters
long.
* In order for a Great White Shark to breach out of
the water they need to be traveling at a minimum speed
of 40kmph
* In False Bay Great White Sharks feed on a variety
of marine animals:
-mammalian prey such as Cape Fur Seals
- A variety of other sharks such as Smooth hound sharks,
soupfin sharks and bronze whaler sharks
- Gamefish such as yellowtail
* When hunting Cape fur seals the Great white shark
has a 50% success rate.
* The Great White Shark has a total of 50 teeth per
row in 5 different rows of teeth.
* South Africa was the first country to protect the
Great White Shark. This took place in 1991 and as such
it is illegal to attract or disturb a great white shark
by any means unless appropriate permits are obtained.
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