15 Diving Trips in South Africa Worth Booking

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

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

Travel from Cape Town or Hermanus to Gansbaai for breakfast, a safety briefing, and 2 to 4 hours at sea with White Shark Projects. You’ll use a supplied 7 mm wetsuit and share a cage with up to five others, often seeing bronze whalers and sometimes seven-gill sharks, seals, whales, or great whites.

“I loved the entire day! Very well organized. They had everything planned out to the minute and ran so smoothly. Sharks were amazing! Was so nervous but they helped alleviate the fear. I accidentally left my swim trunks at their site and they made sure to arrange transpiration to return them. So nice and kind of them.”

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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 encounter with Marine Dynamics. You get hotel transport, breakfast, safety briefing, gear, boat time near Dyer Island, marine education, snacks, and a chance to see bronze whalers, sevengill sharks, stingrays, seals, or great whites.

“Their who operation what awesome, they went the extra mile to make sure people were taken care of and had a good time and the tour includes lots of little extras that really made it great, like a hot shower after you get out of the water, snacks before, after, and during the tour, they offered blankets and hot water bottles if people were cold, and for people like me that ended up seasick for part of it, they were very attentive and tried their best to make me comfortable given the situation.”

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3.Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

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

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a supervised shark cage experience with Marine Dynamics. Meet bronze whaler sharks from the cage or boat deck, learn from a marine biologist, and visit the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Breakfast, lunch, equipment, and transfers are available.

“this trip was absolutely amazing goronia (sorry for sure spelt wrong) was awesome, so much knowledge and so enthusiastic 😀 the experience itself was awesome. loads of sharks even banged into cage which was totally amazing, the videographer bee was so funny and got great shots of ppl in cage and the sharks, the crew on a whole was crazy and fun loving 😀 couldn't have asked for a better experience”

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4.Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

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

Start at 7:00 a.m. in Van Dyks Bay for a three-hour great white shark cage encounter with White Shark Projects. You get breakfast, gear, towels, boat refreshments, a light lunch, and hot showers afterward. The cage sessions last about 20 minutes, but sightings depend on wildlife and weather.

“This was horrible- long and far from Cape Town, poor communication, and no one told us that the Great White are no longer coming around the waters they cruise. They did not even put the cage in the water and only 2 sharks came and went. NOT worth the money or the time. The only saving grace was the scenery down to the dock.”

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5.Shark Cage Diving

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

Join Sharklady Adventures from Van Dyk’s Bay for about 3.5 hours at sea. Watch Great White Sharks from a 12-meter catamaran, then enter a floating cage if qualified or snorkel and breath-hold. Equipment, wetsuits, snacks, drinks, and unlimited cage time are included.

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

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6.Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

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

From Gansbaai, you spend about 4.5 hours at sea, taking turns in an eight-person cage near great white and bronze whaler sharks. The crew supplies wetsuits, masks, meals, and conservation guidance. Cape Town transfers are available for R800 per person.

“Experiencia única y trato estupendo. Totalmente recomendable. Se ven un monto de tiburones y los puedes ver de cerca.”

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7.CapeTown: Shark Cage Diving Experience with Scuba

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

Meet the crew at Simon’s Town for a small-group boat trip to Seal Island or Cape Point. You’ll learn about shark behavior, use scuba equipment in the cage, and may see bronze whalers, blue sharks, makos, seals, dolphins, or whales. Transfers cost extra, and weather can change the plan.

“It was an amazing experiences. The boat ride was truly mesmerizing and I loved the additional stops especially seeing the small seals. We ran into a family of dolphins and it was amazing. Out of this world experience.”

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8.Shark Cage Diving Cape Town

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

Meet Apex Shark Expeditions in Simon’s Town for a four-hour shark cage experience near Seal Island or Cape Point. You’ll receive a safety briefing, boat out with up to 12 people, and use supplied gear while guides search for bronze whalers, seven-gills, blue sharks, or makos. Breakfast, snacks, towels, and refreshments are included.

“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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9.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 81 reviews · from $234

From Hermanus, ride to Gansbaai for a 2.5 to 3-hour cage encounter aboard Slashfin. A marine biologist explains shark behavior while you look for bronze whalers and seven-gill sharks near Shark Alley. Transfers, breakfast, gear, towels, refreshments, and a penguin sanctuary visit are included.

“Nice boat, nice crew, no sharks :((( They were organized and made you feel safe. Breakfast was included.”

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10.Shark Cage Diving Viewing Only

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $126

Join White Shark Diving Company in Gansbaai for a 4.5-hour shark viewing trip without entering the cage. You’ll enjoy breakfast, a boat ride to the site, expert commentary, snacks, lunch, and post-trip video footage while watching sharks and other marine animals from the deck.

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11.Shark Cage Diving with Snacks and Soft Drinks

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

Join Shark Explorers for a four-hour False Bay boat trip from 62 St George’s St. Guides including Ernesto, Jason, Stephen, and Nina explain shark behavior before you enter a partially submerged cage. Expect wetsuits, snacks, hot drinks, and possible sightings of dolphins, seals, penguins, whales, and seven-gilled sharks.

“10/10 experience. Nina, Jason and Ernest were all incredibly welcoming and friendly. They made sure to explain everything (so that we felt re-assured) and answered any questions that we had about the sharks. We saw 10 to 12 sharks, they seemed genuinely excited for us and especially about sightings of the slightly more rare 7 gilled sharks! Shoutout must also go to Lindy, who was super responsive to any queries beforehand and was welcoming and approachable on the day. Would highly recommend cage diving with this crew.”

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12.Shark Cage Diving and Penguin Tour

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

Leave Cape Town before sunrise for Gansbaai, where a three-hour boat trip gives you a chance to see great white sharks from a shared cage. After lunch, visit African penguins at Stony Point or, on some departures, a nearby rescue center. Expect a weather-dependent day and changing schedules.

“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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13.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

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

Meet Kobus and the African Ocean Adventures team at Just Nuisance statue in Simon’s Town. After e-learning, gear fitting, and a 45-minute safety briefing, enjoy a private beginner scuba session chosen for your comfort, experience, and weather.

“Amazing scuba diving experience! Everything was perfectly organized and very professional. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the dive both safe and fun. I really enjoyed exploring the underwater world — it was unforgettable! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great diving adventure.”

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14.Shark Cage Diving and Shark Viewing Boat Trip

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

From Cape Shark Adventures in Kleinbaai, you’ll head toward Dyer Island with an experienced English- or Afrikaans-speaking crew. Watch for sharks and the Marine Big 5, then enter the underwater cage if conditions and confidence allow. Children under 12 can watch safely from the boat deck.

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

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15.Discover Scuba Diving – 1 day experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 4 hours · from $155

Learn the basics with a PADI instructor at Dive Team in Simon’s Town, then spend at least 45 minutes exploring Long Beach’s kelp forests and marine life. Small groups, full equipment, hot showers, fruit, and no prior qualification make this a friendly first scuba experience.

“We had an incredible dive experience with the Dive Team in Simon’s Town! Baz, our dive master, was absolutely fantastic. He led our small group with great knowledge and professionalism, making sure everyone felt comfortable and confident. My wife and I were particularly impressed with how attentive and patient Baz was, especially since it was our first time diving in the area. The marine life we encountered was amazing—we got to see a wide variety of species, including two huge stingrays! It was truly a memorable experience, and we can’t wait to return and dive with them again. Highly recommended for both beginners and experienced divers alike!”

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