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Underwater Aaron Gekoski swops
his suit for a waterproof one, throws on some
!ippers and slaps on a breathing mask in search
of the Mother City’s top dive experiences
Cape Town is probably the world’s greatest city to unwind in after a long week of meetings. You’ll !nd beaches, shops, mountains, wineries and nightclubs. The biggest
party, however, isn’t held on Long Street, but beneath the waves.
The Mother City may well be the great white shark capital of the world, but its waters are home to an impressive array of intriguing marine life. Fascinating seascapes and lashings of colour add to the attraction of these waters. If you know where to look you’ll unearth mysterious kelp forests full of smiling !sh, giant pinnacles, coral gardens, playful seals and the world’s fastest shark (and they’re far less dangerous than some of the sharks you work with at the o"ce every day). You may even learn a thing or two about marine conservation in the process. Here I’ve listed !ve of Cape Town’s best dive experiences.
Great white shark cage divingNo trip to the Southern Peninsula is complete without a dip into Great White territory and these giant sharks – the largest on record being over 7m in length – need little introduction.
More than just a high-octane pursuit, this dive teaches visitors about
dreamlandthe animals’ behaviour and the conservation concerns around them. You’ll learn that sharks are only responsible for approxi-mately 10 human deaths each year and that their reputation as bloodthirsty man-eaters may be a little unjust.
Great whites face a number of threats including trophy hunt-ing, sport !shing, trawl netting, long lining and, perhaps most pertinently, the demand for their !ns from Asia to produce highly sought after shark-!n soup.
Man is now responsible for the slaughter of nearly 100 million sharks every year and these pressures have reduced the great white population to around 3"500 across the globe.
During your diving expedition you’ll spend time getting to know the great white, dispel some common myths and gain a comprehensive understanding of their importance to our oceans. You may even see them stalking seals and breaching.
Boat towed seal decoys can encourage the sharks to propel themselves out of the water with spectacular speed
and power.
Phot
o: A
aron
Gek
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CAPE TOWN DIVING
58 www.exploreonline.co.za
However, the real fun is had in the cage, where the sharks congregate just metres away, oblivious to the presence of onlookers. Believe it or not, we make nasty snacks.
You will get out the water with a belly full of respect for one of the ocean’s most !nely honed predators.
Cost: R2"000Contact: [email protected] 082"564"1904Di!culty rating: 4/10Further details: Trips run from March to September, but the best time of the year to see great whites is between April and August.
Seal divingTurn your attention from predators to prey, with an entertaining seal dive. Cape fur seals are Jekyll and Hyde characters; as the timid and cumbersome animals #op into the water, they morph into aquatic acrobats.
Anyone who’s shared the ocean with seals will attest to swirling, summersaulting and curious animals, which will dish out a cheeky
nip of a !n, or friendly chew on the head. You might think it crazy to want to bob with seals in great-white-shark-infested-waters? Whilst this is a logical reaction, fear not be-cause the Cape’s kelp forests and shallow waters aren’t suitable hunting grounds for the toothy predators. Cape Town has two major seal colonies to explore. Duiker Island, lies a short boat ride from Hout Bay Harbour, and is home to approximately 3"000 barking seals. The noise, and smell, is something to behold. On this bustling little island you’ll also get the opportunity to spot a host of sea birds, including bank cormorants which are endemic to Namibia and the western seaboard of South Africa.
On the other side of the Cape Peninsula is Partridge Point. This inshore rocky reef may house less seals than Duiker Island but interactions are just as good, if not better.
Some seals loll at the surface, warming their #ippers in the sun while others play beneath the waves. This is a great experi-ence for anyone from the novice snorkeler to advanced Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) diver.
Duiker IslandCost: Snorkel = R450pp/Scuba = R650pp (including all equipment)Contact: [email protected] 079"488"5053 Di!culty rating: 3/10
Partridge PointCost: Snorkel = R450pp/Dive = R300pp (kit rental = R375) Contact: [email protected] 021"782"7205 Di!culty rating: 3/10
Atlantis ReefTantalisingly close to Partridge Point lies a little-known gem of a dive site. Discovered by Steve Benjamin of Animal Ocean in 2011, this o$shore reef boasts systems of swim-throughs and overhangs, along with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. It is charac-terised by two giant rock formations called Pinnacles of Hercules. Terminating just four metres below the surface, the duo descend vertically to 23m, making a PADI Advanced dive certi!cate a compulsory requirement.
Cow sharks are considered the most primitive of all sharks because their skeletons resemble those of extinct forms,
with few modern adaptations. However, their most distinctive feature is an additional one or two pairs of gill
slits compared to the !ve found in all other sharks.
Phot
o: A
aron
Gek
oski
CAPE TOWN DIVINGCAPE TOWN DIVING
6160 www.exploreonline.co.za www.exploreonline.co.za
way to avoid strange bubble-breathing interlopers. Yet broadnose sevengill sharks, also known as cow sharks, are perhaps the ocean’s friendliest !sh. And best of all, these slow moving and curious animals congre-gate en mass, just a stone’s throw from the shore, in invitingly shallow waters.
The dive site lies close to Miller’s Point, 4km south of Simon’s Town in False Bay and can be reached either via a quick boat ride, or a wade in from the rocky shore.
The majority of shark species began with seven sets of gills, but over time have evolved and dropped a couple. For some reason cow sharks still show-o$ all seven. In fact, they have very few modern adaptations, making them one of the most prehistoric animals on earth.
Shark scaredy cats fear not; whilst the larg-est specimens grow to over 3.5m, cow sharks pose little or no threat to humans. In fact, look closely as these animals glide past and you may even notice a sly grin. If you’re lucky you’ll also spot gully sharks and giant rays in the dazzling marine amphitheatre. If the chilly water doesn’t take your breath away, this extraordinary dive site certainly will.
Cost: Boat dives = R300pp/Shore dives = R200pp (plus kit rental = R375pp)Contact: [email protected] 021"782"7205Di!culty rating: 5/10
Open-water pelagic divingIf you have a full day to spare in the water and would like to see sharks outside of the cage, then consider a journey into the open ocean on a pelagic dive. During this trip you’ll have the opportunity to see specimens such as blue and mako sharks, yellow!n tuna, marlin and yellowtail.
An early meeting at Simon’s Town jetty is followed by a two-hour long boat ride past Cape Point. Unless you want to assist in the chumming, it may be worth investing in some seasickness tablets, as it’s a long day out at sea and conditions can get choppy. On the plus side, the water here is warmer and bluer, o$ering better viewing oppor-tunities. Keep your eyes peeled en route for sperm and killer whales, and up to six species of albatross. When the !rst sharks arrive after a period of chumming, guests
enter the water with snorkels or scuba gear. Makos are the world’s fastest shark, and as a result of bycatch, they are also among the oceans’ most heavily !shed.
With their magni!cent cobalt blue colour-ing, streamlined shape and large eyes, blue sharks are no slouches either. Being sur-rounded by these electric animals as they dart above, beneath and around you, is a truly exhilarating experience.
Cost: R2"200pp (plus kit rental R350)Contact: [email protected] 082 564 1904Di!culty rating: 7/10Further details: Trips run October to July.
Aaron Gekoski is a writer, photographer and !lmmaker based in Cape Town. His work investigates the complex relationship between man and wildlife.
For more information: http://animalocean.co.zawww.piscesdivers.co.zawww.sharkexplorers.com
On your way to the seabed, scan the pillars’ colourful walls for plum and strawberry anemones, as well as lacy false corals. And when you reach the bottom, don’t forget to look up because on a clear day you can get a glimpse of the water’s surface. This section of reef has been protected for many years, so marine life #ourishes here.
Forage amongst the sea fans and you’ll spot an excellent selection of invertebrates, including sea cucumbers and the fascinating nudibranch. These brightly coloured and toxic sea slugs are hermaphrodites, meaning they can mate with any other adult that passes by. The macro life, along with giant schools of blacktails and hottentots, make Atlantis Reef an underwater photographer’s dream come true.
Cost: R350pp (plus kit rental = R350)Contact: [email protected] 079"488"5053 Di!culty rating: 7/10
Cow sharksContrary to popular belief, most shark species are skittish and will go out of their
The Cape fur seal’s main predator is the great white shark, although they
are also preyed upon by various other sea mammals such as killer whales.
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o: A
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