A cage dive plus a whale-watching boat, or a viewing trip that looks for whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins without going in the water.
The short answer
From Kleinbaai near Gansbaai you can combine both: Cape Shark Adventures sells a shark cage trip and a whale-watching boat trip on the same day, and the Marine Big 5 boat by Marine Dynamics looks for whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins without a cage. Southern right whales are in the bay from June to December, so plan the whale part for those months.
Pick a day or your whole stay and we show the shark trips that still take bookings. The sea decides, so an early day leaves room to rebook.
Boat leaves from: Gansbaai (Kleinbaai)
Boat leaves from: Gansbaai (Kleinbaai)
The waters around Dyer Island near Gansbaai are known for more than sharks. A large colony of Cape fur seals lives on Geyser Rock, African penguins breed on Dyer Island, and from June to December southern right whales come into the bay to mate and calve. Two of the bookable trips are built around that mix.
Each card lists where the boat leaves from, the transfer and how long the trip runs. Open it for the full details.
A shark cage trip and a whale-watching trip from Kleinbaai on the same day. Transfers from Cape Town are not included.
A shark cage trip in the morning (about 2 to 3 hours) and a whale-watching boat trip of about 2 hours on the same day, both from Kleinbaai. The listing names southern right, humpback and Bryde’s whales. Light meals before and after the shark trip and a hot shower are included; transfers from Cape Town are not.
1 Swart Street, Van Dyks Bay, Gansbaai.
Inclusions, transfer and time in the cage as the operator lists them on its booking page.
A whale-watching boat that looks for whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins, without going in the water. All ages welcome.
A boat trip without a cage: a whale-watching vessel with an observation deck cruises the Dyer Island area and along Shark Alley in search of the “Marine Big 5”, which are whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins. Southern right whales are in the bay from June to December, and the Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock is part of every trip. A marine biologist is on board. Return transport from Cape Town or Hermanus is an option.
The Great White House, 5 Geelbek Street, Kleinbaai. The meeting time is confirmed the day before.
Inclusions, transfer and time in the cage as the operator lists them on its booking page.
The Shark & Whale Trip Combo by Cape Shark Adventures puts a shark cage trip of about 2 to 3 hours and a whale-watching trip of about 2 hours into one day. The listing names southern right, humpback and Bryde’s whales. Light meals before and after the shark trip, a hot shower and the dive gear are included; the transfer from Cape Town, a towel and seasickness tablets are not.
Two details from reviewers are worth knowing. The whale watching is run by a second company about five minutes’ drive away, and the order of the day follows the tide: one group did the whale trip at 6:30 in the morning instead of around midday. One reviewer also notes that the operator moved the day forward by WhatsApp when a storm was forecast.
Marine Dynamics runs this trip on a whale-watching vessel with an observation deck and a marine biologist on board. It cruises past the seal colony on Geyser Rock and along Shark Alley and looks for the “Marine Big 5”: whales, sharks, seals, dolphins and penguins. There is no cage and no bait, which one reviewer missed: sharks are only seen if they happen to be near the boat. The trip suits families, since all ages are welcome, and the boat takes two wheelchairs per trip.
Reviewers who went in whale season describe southern right whales close to the boat, mothers with calves among them, and pods of dolphins. The critical reviews mention early pickups from Cape Town, very rough seas on one day with most of the boat seasick, whales seen only briefly or far off, and commentary that was hard to hear on the lower deck.
For whales, June to December. Outside those months the combination trip still runs, but the chance of whales is lower, and one reviewer felt the whale part should not be sold when sightings are unlikely. For the cage, reviewers point to the weather in the days before, which decides how clear the water is.
Tap a column header to re-sort.
| Photo | Tour | What's in it | Rating ↕ | Tour price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Marine Big 5 boat trip | Gansbaai · no cage · whales Jun–Dec · transfer as an option | ★ 4.7 (829) | R 2,490 per person | Book now |
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Sharks and whales combo | Gansbaai · cage trip + whale watching · meals · no transfer | ★ 4.7 (13) | R 5,000 per person | Book now |
Prices are live from GetYourGuide and Viator and include taxes and booking fees. Transfers from Cape Town are only in the price where the row says so. “What’s in it” summarises the booking page. Check the full inclusions there before you book.
Divers and deck-watchers on these boats, quoted from GetYourGuide.
★ 4.7 (13 reviews)
“Amazing! We saw a lot of sharks up close and the food and warm welcome (before and after) were super. After that we had a short time to ourselves and went to the next day place for the whale spotting company (2 different organizations, 5 min drive). We saw the gorgeous whales up close (5 meters from the boat!!) with the baby whales.”
“Seeing the sharks. Hospitality at sharp center was also great. Only negative was we had to do whale watching at 6:30 iso around noon.”
“It was an awesome experience! We loved it! The entire crew and team were so supportive and welcoming. Totally worth it! Everything very planned and organized, towels, bath, food.”
Reviewers like the shark part and the food and showers at the crew house. Two point out how the day is split: the whale watching is run by a second company a few minutes’ drive away, and one group had to go whale watching early in the morning instead of around midday.
★ 4.7 (829 reviews)
“The trip was very efficiently organised, on arrival and on the boat, with plenty of staff to help direct people to good viewing spots at the railing. There was commentary about the species we saw, although it wasn't very audible on the lower deck. … We had multiple sightings of southern right whale nearby, including a female with a calf. … The seal colony was huge, and the water between boat and island was full of seals fishing, cavorting or just lolling.”
“I had a lovely experience, from pick up in Hermanus to drop off it was very pleasant. … We saw a few Southern Right Wales and Seals at Dyer Island. Returned for yummy buttenut soup and a roll.”
“this boat trip should not have gone ahead, it felt unsafe on incredibly rough seas. Of 17 people on our boat 13 were very sick to the point we missed sightings.”
“We booked the 9 a.m. tour, but they told us that our pick-up time would be at 3:40 a.m. … Also, take into account that you will only see a small part of the whale for approximately 30 seconds. The seals were cool, but the penguins were about 50 meters away. As for dolphins and sharks, we were told that seeing them depends on your luck.”
“I was dissapointed there wasn’t any attempt to throw meat to lure the sharks. I signed up this tour in hopes of seeing sharks and whales. I did see just part of the body of whale but I had imagined to see more of the body.”
Many reviewers saw southern right whales, seals and dolphins, and some all five animals. The critical reviews describe very early pickups, rough seas with many people seasick, whales seen only briefly or from a distance, penguins far off, and no attempt to attract sharks, since this is a viewing trip without bait or a cage. Commentary was hard to hear on the lower deck for one reviewer.
Taken from the GetYourGuide pages of the shark trips. Cuts are marked with …, the wording is unchanged, and names are shortened to first name and country.
Southern right whales are in the bay from June to December, according to Marine Dynamics. Humpback and Bryde’s whales are seen too.
Yes. Cape Shark Adventures sells both as one combination trip from Kleinbaai, with the whale watching run by a second company nearby. The transfer from Cape Town is not included.
No. It is a viewing trip on a whale-watching boat. Sharks are seen only if they are near the boat.
Yes, all ages are welcome, and children aged 1 to 4 only pay the conservation fee. The boat and the welcome centre are wheelchair-friendly.
Cage dives, the combination trip and the Marine Big 5 boat.
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