Marine Dynamics Shark Tours

From the Operator

Marine Dynamics Shark Tours is a DEA permitted 5-star white shark cage diving operation with an emphasis on marine conservation. We are continually recognized for our purpose-built vessel, Slashfin, as well as our enthusiastic and helpful crew, including a marine biologist on every trip. We live by our motto, “Discover & Protect”.

Shark Diving Experiences

Our guests are welcomed at the Great White House in Kleinbaai, South Africa. There, we provide complimentary breakfast/lunch under the country’s only privately owned Southern right whale skeleton. Then, our guests will register their preferred wetsuit size with our gear team before receiving a safety briefing and conservation-focused introduction to the white shark and the Dyer Island ecosystem. Our guaranteed clean and dry wetsuits/boots are then issued to each client onboard in a dedicated bag for each client. The peak season for great white sharks is the austral winter (May – August) months, although white sharks are present in Gansbaai year-round. During summer months, we find white sharks in the shallow reef systems of Joubertsdam while in winter months we operate at the seal colony of Geyser Rock. We do not require SCUBA certifications as the “dive” is a breath-holding exercise. We often say, if you can take a bath, you can shark cage dive! Our facilities and vessel were built with every client in mind including professional photographers/videographers/divers to entire family reunions, from 6 years old to 88 years young.

Other Experiences

Where possible Marine Dynamics visits Dyer Island, the world-famous Shark Alley, and our 60,000 strong Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock. It is not uncommon to spot white sharks cruising Shark Alley to capture seals during winter. We are often visited by incredible pelagic seabirds, including 3 species of albatross, 6 species of petrel, and our local gannet and cormorant populations. Our endangered African penguin breeds on Dyer Island and is a special sighting. Our coastline is also the main winter aggregation for Southern right whales, and we often spot groups of whales from August – November (some whales have even visited our cage!). Our sister company, Dyer Island Cruises, does whale watching and eco marine trips and offers guests the ability to see great white sharks without getting wet. Every tour stops by the cage diving vessels to spot sharks from the surface.

Shark Research & Conservation

Marine Dynamics Shark Tours supports the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, a registered non-profit organization focusing on research, conservation and education. Marine Dynamics has contributed to +17+ peer-reviewed scientific publications, including the first white shark population estimate in South Africa using non-invasive dorsal fin IDs. We began the national fishing-line bin project that has reduced seabird and shark fishing-line entanglements along the entire South African coastline. Our on-board marine biologists collects data on environmental variables on the surface and below while also monitoring shark behaviour. We are also conducting long-term white shark acoustic tagging and tracking studies as well as BRUV, shark personality studies, and predatory interactions.

Marine Dynamics exceeds the national requirements for ethical white shark diving and we are always improving our best practices for white shark interactions. Our goal is to show guests the real white shark; a curious, cautious, powerful predator that should be viewed with awe and respect rather than fear.