Cage Diving: Australia versus South Africa

South Africa, by James Litston

Location Gansbaai, a two-hour drive east of Cape Town, is the most reliable place in South Africa to find great white sharks near the coast. “Shark Bay”, a renowned hotspot, lies 10 minutes offshore, near Geyser Rock (home to 60,000 seals).

Atmosphere Setting off at first light, the excitement is palpable. Within moments of dropping anchor and chumming the water, the first shark – a 15-foot monster – appears. In the rush to don wetsuits and enter the cage, I’m so caught in the moment that I forget to be terrified.

Equipment Contrary to the guide’s jovial commentary, the cage is not “recycled plastic, made in China” but a sturdy affair fitting five guests. Wearing masks and wetsuits, we hold our breath and push down from the overhead bars. Rivulets of icy water flow into my ill-fitting wetsuit; I gasp in shock, and promptly inhale a lungful of foul, chummy seawater.

Experience Participants are split into three groups of five, with each getting around 15 minutes in the cage. It feels like seconds. We see three sharks in total, but the 15-footer is the undoubted star of the show.

Was it ethical? Some unscrupulous companies actually feed the sharks, but Sharklady Adventures, one of eight in Gansbaai, is ethical and marine biologists accompany every trip.

Selling tips Gansbaai is the self-proclaimed Great White Shark Capital of the World, so clients’ chances of encounters are high. The persistent swell, however, makes the experience unsuited for those prone to seasickness.

Book it: Tours lead in from £47 for children and £75 for adults.

Australia, by Chloe Cann

Location Port Lincoln is a 45-minute flight from South Australia capital Adelaide. It’s a 2.5-hour boat trip from Port Lincoln Marina to Shark Bay in Neptune Island Conservation Park, where there’s a breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals.

Atmosphere The friendly and knowledgeable three-person team (skipper, hostess and captain) put any hesitant passenger’s anxious minds at ease.

Equipment We’re given regulators, but no scuba diving certification is required as we bob a couple of feet below the surface in the cage. The boat has an “Aqua Sub” with 360-degree views underwater, meaning those too nervous to don wetsuits can drink a glass of wine while watching the sharks slink by.

Experience We see five sharks, but all viewings are quite fleeting; no teeth-baring, cage-bashing antics here. It’s a 12-hour day with multiple dive opportunities. The boat hosts up to 27 people and a total of 12 are underwater at any one time (six in the cage and six in the sub). The sharks are baited through “acoustic attraction”, and watching the predators glide gracefully by is surprisingly serene, and with an AC/DC soundtrack, it also feels a little surreal.

Was it ethical? It’s Australia’s first advanced eco-certified shark cage diving experience, and the only operator in Australia that STA Travel sells. It doesn’t chum the waters.

Selling tips Adventure Bay Charters recommends May to July as prime shark–spotting season.

Book it: Travel 2 offers a tour with Adventure Bay Charters from £198pp, with a £60 cage access fee payable on the day.