APRIL
2006 - SEPTEMBER 2006
We
have just introduced an exciting shark expedition for
any shark enthusiast. This 14 day expedition focuses on
observing and diving with ten different shark species.
These included great whites, mako’s, blues, bronze
whalers (copper sharks), smooth hammerheads, ragged tooth’s
and a variety of small endemic cat sharks, as well as
spotted seven gill cow sharks. This expedition is a great
opportunity to see a variety of sharks in a short space
of time.
Please
contact Extreme Sports Cafe for
further info.
PLEASE ALSO ENQUIRE
FOR EXPEDITIONS AND DAY TRIPS TO SEE GREAT WHITE SHARKS,
MAKO AND BLUE SHARKS, AS WELL AS PELAGIC BIRDS.
Whilst
great white sharks are commonly portrayed as invincible
killing machines the reality is quite the opposite. They
are highly vulnerable masters of evolution and whilst
their hunting prowess is remarkable they are highly selective
in what they attack and consume, indeed to see one hunting
is a rare event.
Great whites are no more abundant on earth than in South
Africa yet even there they are not common .To be able
to witness these great animals flying out of the water
to hunt was until recently thought to be the product of
a rich imagination, however Seal Island False Bay is one
such place that has no match.
It is our privilege to be able to interact with these
sharks and our duty to conserve them. We hope that when
you see the great white for yourself you to will be left
with a burning desire to protect these amazing marine
predators and their kin.
The
information below is here to help make your expedition
as enjoyable and successful as possible. If you have any
questions at the end of this introduction please feel
free to contact us.
Remember
we can help you with all aspects of your trip, including
ancillary activities
and accommodation.
Our
center in South Africa has been working with sharks on
a daily basis since 1989 and have specialized in leading
and hosting shark expeditions since 1996 when we started
the first successful Great White Shark eco-tourism operation
at Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa. Great white
shark eco-tourism is strictly controlled and only very
limited numbers of permits are issued of which our center
was the first to obtain one in 1998.
The
great whites of Seal island are now world famous for their
highly athletic breaches that they make in pursuit of
Cape Fur seals which they hunt in the area. The sharks
and their very unique behaviour have been the subject
of over 30 international documentaries which we have facilitated,
as well as many research projects that we and others who
have joined us have undertaken.
Notwithstanding
the white sharks that patrol the Island there are more
than 60,000 seals as well as a host of bird species on
Seal Island that make this a truly fascinating area to
visit and a naturalist’s paradise.
The main focus of our tour is on a natural interaction
with the sharks and we make our very best efforts to treat
these animals with the respect they deserve and at the
same time try to share our passion for these animals with
you, our guest.
Our
trips to Seal Island leave at around 07h00
in winter (May-Sept) as we try to get to the island at
first light each morning allowing us to observe the natural
predation which is most prevalent near to sunrise.
Each morning we will observe natural predatory behaviour
for as long as possible, however it is usually the first
hour and a half that is the most intense. After this period
we will try a short decoy tow using a fake cut out carpet
seal where we try to get the sharks to breach. It is a
very unique way to elicit predatory behaviour and has
been very useful to help us learn different strategies
adopted by different sharks.
We
do this for short periods, despite it being very spectacular,
so as to ensure that the sharks do not waste too much
energy in pursuit of a non regular prey item. After the
decoy tow we do an inspection lap around Seal Island looking
for any signs of bitten or injured seals which are recorded
for research/conservation purposes.
We
will then choose the best spot to anchor up based on weather
conditions and attract sharks to our vessel. This is done
by using very small quantities of sardines mixed with
water. Due to very few other boats operating in the area
there are many days we do not actually even use a scent
trail to attract sharks to our vessel.
Once
a shark approaches our boat a small bait is put in the
water to keep the sharks interested around the boat for
identification purposes. At no point are the sharks
purposefully fed or handled. We do not use shark
livers or any other attractants that have a negative impact
on the environment and every effort is made to avoid the
sharks coming into contact with our vessel.
We
do offer the opportunity to cage dive with the sharks
for any guest who is qualified however it really is recommended
that more emphasis be placed on the surface viewing.
Each
and every encounter with a great white is a unique experience
and it is our intention to share with our guests the knowledge
we have built up over the years as well as the intense
passion we have for these super predators.
In addition to working with Great White sharks we also
offer various trips to see other sharks at different times
of the year.
These
trips include our Pelagic Shark trips where our target
species are the magnificent mako and blue sharks as well
as the massive yellowfin tuna that they hunt. Whilst not
as big and bulky as the great white, the mako certainly
does not stand back as it is the fastest shark in the
sea and coupled with it’s beautiful blue and silver
colouring is a truly magnificent creature, aptly described
by Peter Goadby as “Blue dynamite”
For the last 4 years our center has been the only operator
offering these trips in Africa.
These
trips take place during our summer and autumn months and
a variety of shark species are seen as well as being one
of the best areas in the world to see pelagic birds.
To find these animals we head out into the warm Agulhas
current off Cape Point and it is this warm current and
multitude of fish species that attract the great predators
of the deep.
Here the emphasis is on free diving but
if you prefer a great time can still be had viewing these
beautiful sharks from the boat as they are very curious
and often swim up and alongside the vessel.
To view these sharks we use sophisticated low frequency
sound equipment to attract them .Once they are around
the boat and conditions permitting you will then have
the chance to dive with them or simply watch them cruise
around the boat at your leisure.
Many
who have cage dived
with white sharks have actually said that this open water
free dive with the pelagic sharks was the real highlight
of their trip. Expect the unexpected.
| Sharks
of Southern Africa Safari |
We
also offer a Sharks of Southern Africa Safari where we
head up the East coast of South Africa to a few undisclosed
localities to dive with dozens of smooth hammerheads,
bronze whalers , ragged tooth and spotted gulley sharks.
We keep these areas secret to avoid the decimation of
these stocks as has happened elsewhere along our coast
line.
In
addition to this you can also see mako and blue sharks
during the Cape Town
part of these expeditions.
Also
on offer for the real shark aficionado are Exploratory
Expeditions to various very remote offshore localities
in Africa to dive with various species of large shark.
Most of these localities are unexplored from a shark point
of view and many others that we have explored have delivered
spectacular results. Target species include Tiger sharks,
Great & Scalloped Hammerheads, Oceanic White Tips,
Bull sharks, Galapagos sharks, whale sharks and massive
Silver tip sharks . These trips are extremely well researched
before hand and every effort is made to ensure the best
chances of finding our target species. As the areas are
remote and often unexplored there is however no guarantee
other than that it will be a great adventure. These trips
are seasonal and are run from live aboard catamarans,
mostly in the western Indian Ocean and are aimed at the
serious shark enthusiast who wants to be part of discovering
new shark sites or seeing large numbers of sharks in very
remote and untouched areas. If you are interested in such
an expedition please enquire
and we will give you full details of planned expeditions.
The
offshore waters off Cape Point offer some of the best
pelagic birding in the world.
During our dedicated pelagic shark trips you will have
the opportunity to see many of pelagic bird species occurring
off our coast. We do not however dedicate our time to
looking for the large trawlers that attract thousands
of these birds and for the serious birder we would recommend
one of our exclusive pelagic bird expeditions which cater
for small groups of dedicated avian enthusiasts.
There
are several reasons for this abundance of pelagic bird
species the most important being the nutrient rich waters
caused by up-welling which flow through this area.
The current responsible for this is the cold Benguela
current .The warm Agulhas current flows down the East
coast of South Africa and it too brings a host of sub
tropical species with it particularly during the summer
months.
The cold Benguela Current brings highly nutrient-rich
waters up from the south, and the strong winds (predominately
from the south-east) create an up-welling that brings
all the nutrients to the surface. This, in turn, sustains
the phytoplankton that forms the basis of the marine food
chain. Pelagic fisheries thrive in the area, and discards
from the trawlers provide a constant food source for pelagic
birds.
Throughout the year, one has a very good chance of seeing
pelagic species like White-chinned Petrel, Sooty Shearwater,
Cape Gannet, Sub Antarctic Skua, the diminutive Wilson's
Storm Petrel and 4 species of albatross (Shy, Black-browed
and Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses).
During winter, when numbers of birds are at their highest,
other species that are normally present are Southern and
Northern Giant Petrel, the spectacularly plumaged Pintado
Petrel, Antarctic Prion and Antarctic Tern. Winter trips
also provide the possibility of many sought after species
including those ocean going giants, Wandering and Southern
and Northern Royal Albatrosses as well as Grey-headed
Albatross and Antarctic Fulmar. During passage periods
(April-May and September-October), other birds which visit
our waters reasonably regularly include Great Shearwater,
Soft-plumaged Petrel and, with a little bit of luck, Black-bellied
Storm Petrel.
The
summer species lists are supplemented with the likes of
Cory's and Manx Shearwater, Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed
Skua, Great-winged Petrel, European Storm Petrel, Sabine's
Gull, Arctic Tern and Grey Phalarope.
All of our expeditions are run from high powered 28ft
catamarans equipped with two new 140hp low emission 4
stroke engines and are capable of speeds in excess of
30knots if need be. These vessels are custom built for
our activities ,are safe ,fast and reliable offering a
well designed layout suitable for photography ,filming,
diving and general surface observation.
Please
note the high seasons for booking any particular shark
trip with us as we want all of our clients to be aware
of the very best times to see their target shark species.
As sharks are entirely wild animals with no boundaries
we do not guarantee any sightings at any time of the year
however there are certainly better times than others.
| Seal
Islands
hunting Great Whites |
Chances
of seeing one or more sharks |
|
|
| |
High
Season |
May
to Sept (95%) |
| |
Intermediate
season |
April
and Oct (65%) |
Pelagic
Sharks – Mako’s & Blues >>> |
Low
season |
Nov
to March (55%) |
| |
High
Season |
Dec-June
(90%) |
| |
Intermediate
season |
Oct,
Nov, (65%) |
Weather
usually too bad offshore |
Low
season |
July-Sept
|
| Sharks
of Southern Africa |
We
run these trips in Feb & March and have a 100% success
rate in showing at least one species of shark per sea
going day with an average of more than 10 sharks per day
often comprising 3 different species.
Exploratory
trips and other remote destinations.
Each year we run at least two exploratory trips each lasting
14-21 days for a maximum of 6 guests who need to apply
for these limited spaces.
Candidates
are required to have diving experience, be comfortable
on boats for long periods and be willing to involve themselves
in the daily workings on a yacht as well as helping in
all aspects of shark work.
Each
trip is carefully planned and sites that offer the best
potential based on all available information and past
experiences in similar areas are selected. If you are
interested a questionnaire will be sent to you to assess
each candidate’s suitability for that particular
expedition.
The
white shark expeditions as well as the pelagic trips take
place near to Cape Town.
This
is an area that has a mild climate and is predominantly
a winter rainfall area, May-Sept.
Average
day temperatures in summer are around 25C
and in winter around 19C.
Water
temperatures for the white sharks are around
17-20C in summer and 13-15C in
winter.
Pelagic
water temperatures are around 18-23 degrees
C throughout the season. Oct-June
Visibility
at Seal Island is around 5-8
meters with good days being 12-15m.
The
visibility on the pelagic trips is on
average 15-20m with good days being 30-40m
The
summer winds are predominantly South-South East and average
15-20knots during Nov-Jan with lighter winds earlier in
the mornings.
From
Feb-mid May winds moderate and more winds from the South
West and West become common averaging 10-15knots most
days, with flat calm days in between.
June-Sept
sees West to North West winds dominating and during cold
fronts which seldom last more than one to two days winds
can blow 30-50knots.
Between
the fronts light North-North West Winds are the expected
winds.
All
trips are carried out based on the best weather reports
available and are at the skipper’s discretion.
| Other
animals that have been seen on the various expeditions |
| Great
white shark expeditions |
Cape
Fur Seal colony of 60 000, breeding African penguin colony,
3 species of cormorant nesting including Bank cormorants
numbering less than 6000 worldwide; common & dusky
dolphin; Bryde’s ,Southern right, humpback, &
Minke whales. Variety of sea birds including Cape Gannets.
| Pelagic
shark expeditions |
Dozens
of pelagic birds including 5 species of Albatross, terns,
shearwaters, petrels, prions, skuas, gulls, penguins and
others. Adult Smooth Hammerheads, Thresher sharks, Bronze
whaler sharks; Yellowfin, longfin and skipjack tuna. Sunfish,
Common, Dusky, Humpback, Bottlenose & Striped dolphin;
Humpback, Brydes, Pilot, False Killer, Melonheaded, Minke,
Sperm & Southern Right whales. Cape Fur Seals.
| Exploratory
shark expeditions |
Example:
Mozambiquean channel Oct 21-Nov14 2003 : Search for
Oceanic White Tip sharks.
Shark
Species seen-Tiger, Scalloped Hammerhead, Oceanic White
Tip, Silky, Galapagos, Silvertip, Grey Reef and Blue shark.
Large
fish species dived with: Marlin, Tuna, Giant Kingfish
and 4 other kingfish species, Rainbow runner, various
species of reef fish over 100lbs and hundreds of different
reef fish species.
Also
seen, two species of turtle, 4 species of cetacean as
well as three unidentified species including beaked whales.
Also seen where many species of tropical pelagic birds
and multiple species of coastal birds.
Water
temp 29C, average visibility 20m, average day temperature
27C
| Great
white sharks |
| |
High
season: Mid Apr-Mid Sept |
R1500-00
per person per day |
| |
Low
season |
R1200-00
per person per day
Exclusive
boat rate R7000-00 per day |
| |
|
|
Daily
rate includes: Lunch, snacks and refreshments, all
dive gear and air fill if required. |
Departure
times |
07h00-14h00
from Simonstown. |
Maximum
group size 6 pax |
| Pelagic
shark trips |
| |
R1500-00
per person per day
|
Exclusive
boat rate R5000-00 per day |
| |
|
|
Daily
rate includes: Lunch, snacks and refreshments, all
dive gear and air fill if required. |
Departure
times |
Simonstown:
Around 5h30 depending on the time of sunrise, returning
17h00 onwards. |
Maximum
group size 4 pax
Minimum group size 2 pax |
| Sharks
of Southern Africa |
| |
R1500-00
(minimum stay 7 days)
|
Exclusive
boat rate R5000-00 per day |
| |
|
|
Includes
all meals and accommodation, as well as transport
and transfers. |
|
|
Maximum
group size 8 pax
|
| Pelagic
Birds |
| |
R1200-00
|
Exclusive
charter rate R5000-00 per day |
| |
|
|
Includes
snacks and refreshments as well as qualified guide |
Departure
times |
07h00
returning 14h00 from Simonstown. |
Maximum
group size 7 pax
Minimum group size 2 pax
|
| Extreme
Sports Cafe Open Ocean Exploratory Shark Expeditions. |
Each
and every expedition has different costs and itineraries.
There
are two separate expeditions per annum catering for an
average of 4-6 pax.
Details
will be supplied upon completion of each expeditions planning.
Trips
are offered subject to availability and are also subject
to weather.
In the event of a trip cancelled due to weather alternative
dates will be offered or a full refund will be given excluding
any accommodation costs and booking fees.
Please
see our Terms and Conditions
also.
Confirmation of bookings is subject to a deposit.
Recommendations
and requirements. |
