Half a day on False Bay instead of a full day to Gansbaai: the trips from Simon’s Town, the sharks you are likely to meet and what to plan around them.
The short answer
Simon’s Town is the closer alternative to Gansbaai: about 45 minutes from Cape Town, with trips of 3 to 4 hours on False Bay. The boats look for bronze whaler and sevengill sharks, and reviewers describe about 25 minutes per group in the cage. Neither trip includes a transfer, so you drive or take a taxi to the harbour.
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: Simon’s Town
Boat leaves from: Simon’s Town
Simon’s Town is the naval harbour town on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, a few minutes from the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Two of the bookable shark trips leave from here. The setup is the same as in Gansbaai, a cage alongside the boat at the surface and bait to bring the sharks in, but the day is shorter because the drive from Cape Town is about 45 minutes instead of 2 to 2.5 hours.
Each card lists where the boat leaves from, the transfer and how long the trip runs. Open it for the full details.
False Bay, about 45 minutes from Cape Town, with bronze whaler and sevengill sharks. Four hours, snacks and drinks on board.
Cage diving in False Bay from Simon’s Town, about 45 minutes from Cape Town and a short walk from the penguins at Boulders Beach. The owner-run boat looks for bronze whaler and sevengill sharks. The cage sits partly in the water, so your head and shoulders stay above the surface between looks. If you would rather not go in, you can watch from the boat.
62 St George’s Street, Simon’s Town.
Inclusions, transfer and time in the cage as the operator lists them on its booking page.
A cage dive from Simon’s Town with a stop at Seal Island when the weather allows. You make your own way to the harbour.
A cage dive in False Bay from Simon’s Town that the operator runs like a marine safari: weather permitting, the boat also stops at the Cape fur seal colony on Seal Island and looks out for other wildlife on the way. The cage is fixed to the side of the boat just above the surface. There are two to three departures a day, and you make your own way to Simon’s Town.
Simon’s Town Boardwalk Centre, Wharf Street, Simon’s Town.
Inclusions, transfer and time in the cage as the operator lists them on its booking page.
Taken from the booking pages: where the boat leaves from, whether the transfer from Cape Town is in the price, how long you get in the cage and from what age children can come.
| Trip | Boat leaves from | Transfer from Cape Town | Cage | Time in the cage | Minimum age | Length of trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award-Winning Shark Cage Diving in Simon’s Town | Simon’s Town | Not included, you get there | Cage dive | 25 min per reviews | From 5 | 4 h |
| Shark Cage Dive and Marine Wildlife Safari from Simon’s Town | Simon’s Town | Not included, you get there | Cage dive | 25 min per reviews | Not stated | 3 h |
Checked on the booking pages on 5 November 2026. Time in the cage marked as from reviews is what reviewers describe, not a figure from the operator. The length of the trip is the current figure from the listing.
| Trip | Length | Meeting point | On board | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cage diving, Simon’s Town Shark Explorers |
4 h | 62 St George’s Street | Hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, snacks, fruit | Not for children under 5; photos and video not included |
| Cage dive and wildlife safari Apex Shark Expeditions |
3 h (description: about 4) | Boardwalk Centre, Wharf Street | Tea and coffee on arrival, snacks, fruit | Seal Island if weather allows; minimum 5 guests |
As listed on the booking pages on 5 November 2026.
Shark Explorers names bronze whaler and sevengill sharks, and reviewers of both boats describe groups of bronze whalers, around 10 to 15 on good days, some about 3 metres long. One reviewer was pleased about the sevengills, which are seen less often. Apex runs its trip like a marine safari, and reviewers describe large pods of dolphins, whales and the seals on Seal Island on the way. Great whites have become unlikely in False Bay too, which one Apex reviewer notes as well.
Simon’s Town wins on time: about 45 minutes from the city and half a day on the water, which leaves the afternoon for the penguins at Boulders Beach or the drive on to Cape Point. A reviewer of Shark Explorers points out that Boulders Beach is about a 10-minute walk away. Gansbaai has more boats and trips with breakfast, lunch and a transfer from Cape Town, but it costs most of a day. The sharks at the cage are bronze whalers in both places.
Times depend on weather and tide here too. Apex asks you to keep the whole day free because the time is confirmed the day before, and recommends booking an early day of your stay. A Shark Explorers reviewer had a trip moved for the weather and rebooked without trouble.
Tap a column header to re-sort.
| Photo | Tour | What's in it | Rating ↕ | Tour price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cage dive and wildlife safari | False Bay · Seal Island if weather allows · no transfer | ★ 4.8 (54) | R 4,400 per person | Book now |
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Cage diving, Simon’s Town | False Bay · 45 min from Cape Town · bronze whalers + sevengills · no transfer | ★ 5.0 (40) | R 3,550 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.
★ 5.0 (40 reviews)
“We arrived early at the meeting point and were offered complimentary coffee/tea and snacks. Moved to the boat not long after and straight out to the shark diving point. … We were down in the cage for about 25 minutes and there were 10-15 sharks swimming around, some of the about a metre and a big one about 3 metres long. Also some naughty seals trying to scare off the sharks for the food.”
“The team were very communicative as our initial dive had to be cancelled due to the weather but they rearranged to a perfect day with no hassle. … bonus that it's only a 10 minute walk from boulders beach where you can see the African penguins …”
“We saw 10 to 12 sharks, they seemed genuinely excited for us and especially about sightings of the slightly more rare 7 gilled sharks!”
“Amazing experience being so close to the sharks. On the way we also saw dolphins and whales which was a bonus! I would definitely recommend this trip.”
Every review we found for this trip with a written text is positive. Reviewers describe clear water on their day, up to 10 to 15 sharks including sevengills and about 25 minutes in the cage, often with dolphins on the way. One trip was moved because of the weather. No reviewer saw a great white, and the operator does not promise one.
★ 4.8 (54 reviews)
“We booked Apex in Simons Town because it is just 45 minutes from the cruise terminal (rather than some of the other sites which are up to 3 hours away). This is nature, so there is no guarantee of anything, … After a brief stop at the seal colony we stopped at the cage dive site, once the cage was fixed the bait went in and the sharks came!! We were split into 3 groups of four and as each group took their turn in the cage (about 25 mins each!) the crew kept the dozen or so Bronze Whalers close to the cage and entertained. You are unlikely to see Great Whites in False Bay these days, but 3 meters of Bronze Whaler more than makes up for it!”
“Amazing tour, guides went out of their way to make our day the best ever. Not only did we see sharks, but literally thousands of dolphins, seals and two whales!”
“Our trip was great! We had so much time in the cage and got to see so many sharks. Then stop at Seal Island was cool and we stopped for other animals on the way in and out.”
“We had an amazing dive and were able to see 6-8 bronze wheeler sharks. Instructions were clearly provided by the guides and they helped us throughout”
The written reviews are positive throughout and mention bronze whalers in the cage, the stop at the seal colony and large pods of dolphins. One reviewer chose Simon’s Town because it is about 45 minutes from the city and notes that great whites are unlikely in False Bay these days.
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.
About 45 minutes by road. Neither shark trip includes a transfer, so you drive or take a taxi to the harbour.
Mainly bronze whaler sharks, and sometimes broadnose sevengill sharks. Great whites have become unlikely in False Bay.
The listings give no figure. Reviewers of both trips describe about 25 minutes per group.
Yes. The penguin colony at Boulders Beach is a few minutes from Simon’s Town harbour; a reviewer of Shark Explorers walked there in about 10 minutes. For guided day tours to Cape Point and Boulders Beach, see our sister site visitcapepoint.com.
On both trips you can watch from the boat. Shark Explorers says so in its listing.
The Kleinbaai trips, some with transfer from Cape Town.
Why sightings fell along this coast.
Cape Point and Boulders Beach on the same side of the peninsula.
The Seal Island boat from Hout Bay on the hop-on hop-off bus.
