Scuba diving · SOUTH AFRICA

Top 15 Scuba Diving Trips in South Africa

22 dives  ·  from $112 a diver

Good dive boats fill up days ahead in season. Below: the 15 to book first, what each includes and how they differ.

From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience - Breakfast, briefing, and getting ready for the sea
Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

1.From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 684 reviews · 4.5 - 10 hours · from $137Our pick

Travel to Gansbaai for a professionally run shark cage experience with White Shark Projects. You’ll get breakfast, a safety talk, a boat trip, wetsuit and cage time, lunch, hot showers, and a certificate. Expect bronze whaler sharks most often, with possible seven-gill sharks, seals, whales, or great whites.

“Good communication, good info. Well catered, safe. Sharks are bronze whalers, no great white as they are on the decline. Enjoyable tour.”

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Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town - Breakfast, wetsuits, and the safety briefing
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

2.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 576 reviews · from $251

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a full-day shark cage experience with Marine Dynamics Shark Tours. You’ll get hotel transport, breakfast, gear, a marine biologist briefing, boat time near Dyer Island, snacks, and refreshments. Expect cold water, a long road journey, and wild shark sightings that cannot be guaranteed.

“Despite the very early start and long drive it was a fantastic day. We were open minded about what we would see but we were not disappointed. We saw several bronze whalers, a sevengill, a couple of stingray and a very playful cape seal. As the sea is very murky it was quite difficult to see them below the surface but you had a great view of them swimming past the cage while your head was above water. It was amazing to get so close to them. The crew looked after us all day. We had a nice breakfast before we sailed and snacks, hot drinks on the boat with…”

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Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise - The Great White House sets the tone
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

3.Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 326 reviews · 6 - 10 hours · from $237

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a guided shark cage encounter with Marine Dynamics. You’ll learn from a marine biologist, meet bronze whaler sharks from the secure cage or viewing deck, and visit the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Transfers, meals, wetsuits, snacks, and drinks are available.

“I did a solo trip to cage dive with sharks and after several email inquiries to many companies, Marine Dynamics worked through everything with me. I had a very short time frame, the driver was excellent, knowledgeable and went way out of the way to get me. Once we arrived at "The Shark House" we had a light breakfast, went over what to expect and onto the boat. The boat crew was amazing. They were funny, knowledgeable and seemed to care greatly about the longterm health of the sharks. We spent a good amount of time in the water. I got great photos and video. When we came back into…”

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Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai - The boat ride and the wait for a Great White
Half-Day, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

4.Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 310 reviews · from $166

Meet at 16 Geelbek Street in Van Dyks Bay at 7:00 am for a three-hour Great White shark cage experience with White Shark Projects. You get a continental breakfast, boat refreshments, gear, towels, a light lunch, and hot showers. Hotel transfers cost extra, and sightings depend on sea and shark conditions.

“Once in a lifetime experience! My youngest, who is 9, also loved the experience!!!”

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Shark Cage Diving - Weather, clothing, and physical demands
Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving

5.Shark Cage Diving

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 221 reviews · from $118

Join Sharklady Adventures in Van Dyks Bay for about three and a half hours at sea aboard a 12-meter catamaran. Watch Great White Sharks feed near the surface without chumming, then enter a floating cage for snorkel or scuba time. Qualified scuba participants need a current Open Water One card.

“A lot of sharks were close to the boat. Good helpful staff. We had luck with weather. Sea was calm..”

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Shark Cage Diving - Adventure Meets Conservation! - The 20-minute ride to the shark site
Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

6.Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · from $143Top rated

From Gansbaai, you’ll take a short boat ride to a shark site, hear a safety briefing, and take turns in an eight-person cage. Great whites, bronze whalers, rays, and sunfish may appear, though sightings are not guaranteed. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, gear, and onboard drinks are included.

“This was a great experience for my whole family and I. We filled one with nature and were really excited about the outcome of the adventure. The driver Shaheen was the most drive. Or we've had since we've been in South Africa. It is wRead more”

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From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch - From Kleinbaai Harbour to open water
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

7.From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 184 reviews · 1 day · from $168

Spend a full day from Hermanus at Kleinbaai Harbour and Shark Alley, watching sharks from the boat and taking turns in a surface cage. A shark expert and marine biologist explain the animals, while the crew provides wetsuits, masks, snacks, drinks, breakfast, lunch, hot soup, and optional video footage.

“Was so amazing!!! I loved! Staffs as really nice and kind, the filming was so good. In the end we had soup and bread witch was really good. Recommended a hundred times. The only thing is we didn’t see great white sharks, they told us they are not in that region. Shame! But it worths anyway”

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CapeTown: Shark Cage Diving Experience with Scuba - Bronze whalers are the main False Bay encounter
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

CapeTown: Shark Cage Diving Experience with Scuba

8.CapeTown: Shark Cage Diving Experience with Scuba

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 146 reviews · from $218

Meet in Simon’s Town for a small-group shark cage experience near Seal Island. With SCUBA equipment, an expert crew, and up to 12 people aboard, you may see bronze whalers, seals, dolphins, whales, or seasonal great whites. Cape Point trips can also target blue and mako sharks. Transfers cost extra.

“The most amazing experience. Staff was so nice and knowledgeable, well organized. But nature was really on our side. We saw 5 sharks, dozens of dolphins and a surprise 3 humpback whales! I would say to make sure you wear your swimsuit, bring clothes that are easy to cRead more”

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Shark Cage Diving Cape Town - The 25 to 35 minute run toward Seal Island
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Shark Cage Diving Cape Town

9.Shark Cage Diving Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 114 reviews · from $229

Meet Apex Shark Expeditions in Simon’s Town for a weather-dependent boat trip toward Seal Island or Cape Point. You may see bronze whaler, seven-gill, blue, or mako sharks from a sturdy cage, with four people per cage. The crew, including guide Brandon, provides safety briefings, gear, snacks, towels, and refreshments.

“Wow what an amazing experience. We saw lots of sharks as well as a visit to see the seals. The crew were amazing, very knowledgable, helpful and welcoming. Special shout out for Brandon. Would definitely recommend 🦈”

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Cape Town: Shark Cage Dive - Starting at Simon’s Town Boardwalk Centre
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Cape Town: Shark Cage Dive

10.Cape Town: Shark Cage Dive

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 46 reviews · 3 hours · from $274

From Simon’s Town, Apex Shark Expeditions takes you into False Bay for a three-hour cage encounter with bronze whaler sharks. Ryan, Brandon, and the wider crew provide safety guidance, wetsuits, snacks, and wildlife spotting. You may also see Cape fur seals, dolphins, whales, penguins, and seabirds, though nature sets the schedule.

“Amazing activity. The team is very professional and nice. Special thanks to our Irish crew membre 🙂 We spent an great time, swimming among Big bronze sharks. A dream came true for my husband. Thanks !”

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Gansbaai: Shark Dive & Whale Watching Combo Boat Trip - Starting at Kleinbaai with breakfast and a safety briefing
Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Gansbaai: Shark Dive & Whale Watching Combo Boat Trip

11.Gansbaai: Shark Dive & Whale Watching Combo Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 22 reviews · 6 - 12 hours · from $292

You spend one day or two exploring Walker Bay with Ivanhoe Sea Safaris. The shark boat heads from Kleinbaai to Dyer Island and Shark Alley, where you enter an eight-person cage without scuba tanks. From June to December, a separate boat seeks southern right whales from Gansbaai, with sunset trips available in peak months.

“Shark Diving was absolutely great, the driver arrived on time and the drive to Gansbaai was smooth. They gave us breakfast and briefing before heading to the boat. We went in the cage for two dives of about 15 minutes each. We saw so many bronze whaler sharks. When we came back lunch was waiting for us and then we got back to Cape town. We couldn’t do the whale watching due to the strong wind in the afternoon, it got canceled. We got a refund. Totally worth it”

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Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving with Snacks and Soft Drinks - Meeting bronze whaler sharks from the cage
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving with Snacks and Soft Drinks

12.Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving with Snacks and Soft Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 4 hours · from $233

From 62 St George’s St, Shark Explorers takes you into False Bay for a four-hour shark encounter. Guides including Jason, Nina, Ernesto, and Stephen explain the safety steps, fit your wetsuit, and help you watch bronze whaler sharks from a partly submerged cage or the boat. Sandwiches, fruit, hot drinks, and cold refreshments are included.

“Bereits bei der Ankunft wurden wir extrem herzlich begrüßt. Es gab Getränke und Snacks und ein kurzes Briefing. Dann ging es bereits aufs Boot. Wir stoppten sogar um Delphine rund ums Boot zu beobachten. Ernesto, Jason und Stephen erklärten am Boot nochmals ganz genau den Ablauf. Wir hatten an diesem Tag das Glück unglaublich viele Haie hautnah zu erleben. Unsere Guides haben uns zu einem großartigen Erlebnis und Highlight verholfen!”

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From Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving and Penguin Tour - Preparing for the cage beside the boat
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving and Penguin Tour

13.From Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving and Penguin Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 15 reviews · 9 hours · from $310

Leave Cape Town early for Gansbaai, where you receive a safety briefing, suit up, and enter a cage beside the boat for close shark sightings. After lunch and a warm shower, visit African penguins at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay, though the route and penguin stop may change. English and French guides lead this shared nine-hour trip.

“everything about the shark drive was awesome, the guides were friendly, helpful and it was an incredible experience! they do bait the sharks in case anyone's wondering (which I have mixed feelings about). next, the listed time says 6am on here, however, pick up was actually at 4am. we also returned much earlier than the listed time. also there was no stop at Betty's Bay to see penguins and no ride scenic along R44, with a nice stop along the way. instead, we were inland and drove through route 2. that was annoying and it wasn't even mentioned. we instead stopped at African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary - Gansbaai, which…”

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Cape Town: Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners - Getting fitted with wetsuit, fins, and air equipment
Cape Town Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving for Beginners, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Cape Town: Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

14.Cape Town: Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $112Best value

Meet Kobus and the African Ocean Adventures team at the Just Nuisance statue in Simon’s Town. After a 45-minute safety session and PADI e-learning, you’ll use provided gear for about 1.5 hours underwater. Your site may feature kelp forests, seals, penguins, octopus, pyjama sharks, and other local fish.

“Ich hatte eine absolut fantastische Erfahrung mit dieser Tauchschule! Gestern war ich mit Kobus tauchen und hätte mir keinen besseren Tauchlehrer wünschen können. Von Anfang an war er äußerst fürsorglich und professionell. Bevor wir überhaupt ins Wasser gingen, nahm er sich die Zeit, sorgfältig zu prüfen, ob ich alle E-Learning-Module zum Tauchen absolviert und verstanden hatte, und stellte sicher, dass ich mich sicher fühlte. Sicherheit stand für ihn ganz klar an erster Stelle, sodass ich mich sofort wohl und entspannt fühlte. Der Tauchgang selbst war absolut fantastisch, ein atemberaubendes Erlebnis, das ich nie vergessen werde! Kobus hat dafür gesorgt, dass alles reibungslos und angenehm ...”

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Gansbaai: Shark Cage Diving and Shark Viewing Boat Trip - Starting at 1 Swart Street in Kleinbaai
Scuba Diving, Shark Dives & Cage Diving, Shark Dives in South Africa, South Africa Scuba Diving, Tour Reviews

Gansbaai: Shark Cage Diving and Shark Viewing Boat Trip

15.Gansbaai: Shark Cage Diving and Shark Viewing Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 3 hours · from $161

Cape Shark Adventures takes you from Kleinbaai into the waters near Dyer Island for a 3-hour shark-viewing trip. You’ll receive breakfast, a safety briefing, warm and cold drinks, and the choice of watching from the boat or entering the cage. Children under 12 may watch from deck.

“De activiteit was heel goed verzorgd. Leuke crew leden.”

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Just added: South Africa Scuba Diving

★ 5.0Gansbaai: Shark Dive & Big 5 Sea Safari Combo Boat TripFrom $2552 reviews

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