Study: South Africa's great white sharks are heading for possible extinction

update (02 August 2016): The Earth Touch News Network asks: Are South Africa's great white sharks really "dying out"?

According to a six year study by the Stellenbosch University, South Africa's great white sharks are heading for possible extinction. The study of the country's coastal waters, the largest field research study on South Africa's great white sharks undertaken to date, concluded that only 353 to 522 great white sharks remain. This is 52% fewer than what was estimated in previous studies. The main reasons for the sharp decline in white shark numbers are the impact of shark nets and baited hooks implemented on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. Other contributing factors are poaching, habitat encroachment, pollution and depletion of their food sources.
The reseachers also found that the South African population of great white sharks is made up of an effective population size of only 333 individuals. The effective population size is the number of individuals in a population who contribute offspring to the next generation.

An integrated mark-recapture and genetic approach to estimate the population size of white shark in South Africa

Shark Diving in South Africa >>

South Africa: Great white shark population smaller than estimated?

According to a study conducted by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust using dorsal fin identification and automated software, the great white shark population in Gansbaai in South Africa is way smaller than previously thought. The number of great white sharks in the area was estimated at 2,000 animals, but the findings of the research indicate that the real population could be at 50% lower.


Research Conducted by Marine Dynamics a Shark Cage Diving Operator in Gansbaai South Africa

Cage Diving with Great White Sharks from Cape Town >>

Albino Southern Right Whale in the Walker Bay (video)

The little village of De Kelders is one of the world's best whale watching spots. Located right at shores of the famous Walker Bay and only 5 km north of Gansbaai and a about 30 minutes’ drive from Hermanus, De Kelders is renowned as the home of the Southern Right Whales. The whales are coming to stay in the warm waters of the Bay with its rocky inlets and sheltered bays usually between June and December year after year to mate and calve.

Lloyd Koppel, a local from De Kelders, filmed a rare albino Southern Right Whale along with other whales in the Walker Bay in November 2011. All the footage in the video was shot from land, indicating just how close the whales come. Kudos @ Lloyd Koppel

Video: The new Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail

The recently opened Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail, centred around Gansbaai in the Overberg, is one of South Africa's hiking trail gems.
The trail consists of three days’ hiking (with alternative shorter as well as self-catering options) and provides fascinating insight into the area – famous for its shipwrecks and infamous for its Perlemoen (abalone) poaching! It is a trail for whale watchers, fynbos lovers and cultural enthusiasts with wide open beaches, intimate coves for swimming, sea cliffs with pounding waves and limestone caves.
On Day 1 the Perlemoen Green Flag slackpacking trail hugs the coast from De Dam to Buffelsjag (15km) with the option of walking to Pearly Beach (another 7 km). On Day 2 the trail follows the beach to Franskraal (12 km) and Day 3 runs from Gansbaai, along the rocky coast, with its caves and excellent whale watching, to Die Plaat (8km).
Watch the video, provided by South Africa's outdoor mag "Weg!"/"Go!" (Afrikanns/English), for some great footage of the trail and the area!



Pls check the trail's website for detailed itineraries as well as the price structure.

Shark Cage Diving in South Africa

False Bay and Gansbaai in South Africa are two of the World’s Top Shark Cage diving destinations. It is pretty hard to say which spot to choose over the other, because False Bay is way closer to Cape Town and Gansbaai (~ 2hrs drive from CPT) is offering the better chance to meet the Great White Sharks as the seal colony on Dyer Island is attracting them in greater numbers. The drive along the coast from Cape Town to Gansbaai is also very nice - in my view even better than the Garden Route. And you can stop at Betty's Bay to see the penguin colony.



Scuba Dive or Snorkel with Great White Sharks
Join this tour for the underwater experience of a lifetime as you scuba dive or snorkel with the Great White Sharks of South Africa! Take the opportunity during your stay in Cape Town to travel to the channels around Dyer Island and get up close and personal with the animal on top of the ocean's food chain.
Travel to Gansbaai and enjoy a light breakfast before proceeding to the channel by Dyer Island, a short boat trip of approximately 20 minutes. Named after Samson Dyer in the 19th century, Dyer Island is a breeding ground for marine birdlife, while nearby Geyser Rock is home to approximately 50,000 Cape Fur Seals. As a prime breeding site for these animals, the area is a natural magnet for the ocean's deadliest predator.
Check out the sharks with a surface view, before slipping into your wetsuit to join these misunderstood creatures in their natural habitat. Choose to snorkel, or scuba cage dive (must hold a valid scuba diving certificate) with the magnificent predators in their natural feeding ground. This is a rare opportunity to share the water with the top ocean predator, and feel the ultimate adrenaline rush as it looks you in the eye with curiosity and maybe a touch of menace!
If you don't want to enter the water, you can remain on the boat and enjoy the surface viewing. Being a surface feeder by nature the sharks swim close to the boat, therefore view onboard is superb and photo opportunities are lurking everywhere. If you are lucky, you may even get the opportunity to witness a spectacular breach as these huge creatures launch themselves clear of the water surface in the hunt for the next seal meal!

The Great White shark cage diving season can be divided into three periods:

• High season : May to October
• Intermediate : April, November, December, and January
• Low season : January, February and March

book the tour online via viator.com >>

Tour in Cape Town: Scuba Dive or Snorkel with Great White Sharks

Join this tour for the underwater experience of a lifetime as you scuba dive or snorkel with the Great White Sharks of South Africa! Take the opportunity during your stay in Cape Town to travel to the channels around Dyer Island and get up close and personal with the animal on top of the ocean's food chain.
Travel to Gansbaai and enjoy a light breakfast before proceeding to the channel by Dyer Island, a short boat trip of approximately 20 minutes. Named after Samson Dyer in the 19th century, Dyer Island is a breeding ground for marine birdlife, while nearby Geyser Rock is home to approximately 50,000 Cape Fur Seals. As a prime breeding site for these animals, the area is a natural magnet for the ocean's deadliest predator.



Check out the sharks with a surface view, before slipping into your wetsuit to join these misunderstood creatures in their natural habitat. Choose to snorkel, or scuba cage dive (must hold a valid scuba diving certificate) with the magnificent predators in their natural feeding ground. This is a rare opportunity to share the water with the top ocean predator, and feel the ultimate adrenaline rush as it looks you in the eye with curiosity and maybe a touch of menace!
If you don't want to enter the water, you can remain on the boat and enjoy the surface viewing. Being a surface feeder by nature the sharks swim close to the boat, therefore view onboard is superb and photo opportunities are lurking everywhere. If you are lucky, you may even get the opportunity to witness a spectacular breach as these huge creatures launch themselves clear of the water surface in the hunt for the next seal meal!
The Great White shark cage diving season can be divided into three periods:
 - High season : May to October
- Intermediate : April, November, December, and January
- Low season : January, February and March

more info & tour booking >>

Cape Town tours & activities >>

accommodation in Cape Town >>

South Africa: Great White Shark Cage Diving

Despite all discussions raging about whether cage diving is causing shark attacks to increase in frequency or not, Shark Cage Diving became one of the top tourist activities in the Western Cape of South Africa. Studies were made pro and con the diving and both side keep on declaring to be right with what they found out. Well, in the end it is your choice if you want to do it or not.

Great White Cage Diving, SA from George Pagliero on Vimeo.

 

Scuba Dive or Snorkel with Great White Sharks »
Location: Cape Town, South Africa - Duration: 11 hours (approx.)
Join this tour for the underwater experience of a lifetime as you scuba dive or snorkel with the Great White Sharks of South Africa! Take the opportunity during your stay in Cape Town to travel to the channels around Dyer Island and get up close and personal with the animal on top of the ocean's food chain.
Travel to Gansbaai and enjoy a light breakfast before proceeding to the channel by Dyer Island, a short boat trip of approximately 20 minutes. Named after Samson Dyer in the 19th century, Dyer Island is a breeding ground for marine birdlife, while nearby Geyser Rock is home to approximately 50,000 Cape Fur Seals. As a prime breeding site for these animals, the area is a natural magnet for the ocean's deadliest predator.
Check out the sharks with a surface view, before slipping into your wetsuit to join these misunderstood creatures in their natural habitat. Choose to snorkel, or scuba cage dive (must hold a valid scuba diving certificate) with the magnificent predators in their natural feeding ground. This is a rare opportunity to share the water with the top ocean predator, and feel the ultimate adrenaline rush as it looks you in the eye with curiosity and maybe a touch of menace!
If you don't want to enter the water, you can remain on the boat and enjoy the surface viewing. Being a surface feeder by nature the sharks swim close to the boat, therefore view onboard is superb and photo opportunities are lurking everywhere. If you are lucky, you may even get the opportunity to witness a spectacular breach as these huge creatures launch themselves clear of the water surface in the hunt for the next seal meal!

The Great White shark cage diving season can be divided into three periods:

• High season : May to October
• Intermediate : April, November, December, and January
• Low season : January, February and March

book the tour online >>

more tours & activities in Cape Town >>

accommodation in Cape Town >>