Caged and Cageless Shark Snorkelling on Durban's Aliwal Shoal
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Delve into the mystical shark world with the Blue Wilderness team. Based on Durban’s Aliwal Shoal, we offer an exhilarating cageless shark snorkel, open to everyone who is comfortable floating in the water. This includes children from 10yo upwards. The trips occur early in the morning when the sharks are most active and the weather conditions are at their calmest. Spend between 45 and 60 minutes in the water with between 10 and 30 oceanic black-tip sharks on an ultimate bucket list adventure.
Additional Info
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Our shark snorkel adventure starts at 6.30am (although times may vary depending on conditions and your availability) with guests arriving at our shark centre. All equipment will be provided for you, so only bring yourself, a sense of adventure, and a bathing costume. After a wakeup coffee, our guide will present to you a briefing on the shark diving adventure. This will include biological information on the sharks and the process's that we will be following to ensure that you have a safe, educational and enjoyable shark adventure with us. You will then move to our changing rooms to be fitted with a suitably sized wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins. Once changed into your wetsuit and stored any valuables and keys, you will hop onto our vehicle for a two minute drive down to our launch site. At the beach you will wave to your expedition videographer (who makes an edited expedition video for you), and arrive at our 8m semi rigid vessel. The guide will give you a quick boat safety briefing and hand out life jackets. From here, you will climb onto the boat for launching.
Aliwal North
It is a 8-minute boat ride to Aliwal Shoal where the sharks are located. On arrival we will put a 'chum drum' into the water to attract the sharks. We will also deploy our 6-person shark cage that floats at the surface. Once we have a good number of sharks around (usually within 2-minutes) we will pull the cage adjacent to the boat and you can slip into the water. You can then enjoy viewing between 10 and 30 black tip sharks circling you for up to 60 minutes. Our guide will be in the water with you at all times, and assist you if required. The guide will assist you into the water and ensure your are feeling comfortable. They will then assist you across to a floating beam that you can hold whilst the sharks circle you. Once you are feeling comfortable in the water, you are welcome to release the beam and swim around with the sharks unaided. If you are an experienced free-diver, we are happy to provide a weight belt that will allow you to dive down below the surface to view the sharks from below. After the shark snorkel, we climb onto the boat and head back to land. At our shark centre, you can enjoy a hot shower and dry towel. Whilst our videographer is busy editing your expedition video, you can eat a light snack of sandwiches and soft-drinks. When the videographer is ready, we all crowd around the TV to watch your expedition video - prepare to gasp in amazement!
What‘s Included
VAT (Value Added Tax)
Use of Snorkelling equipment
Expedition guide
Experienced skipper
Live commentary on board
Hot Shower and towels
Gratuities
Souvenir video and photos (available to purchase)
Transportation to/from attraction (available to purchase)
Options
Caged and Cageless Shark Snorkelling on Durban's Aliwal Shoal
Reviews
9 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
First time under water
Daniel J,,Feb 24, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a great first time experience The first time we tried diving only in the pool but it was a great introduction will come back to do the course
Mr V
KarenV 11,,Mar 27, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Booking process and communication was excellent. Pick up at 5am from the hotel was prompt. Thanks to Mia for a superb briefing and explained the types of sharks. Down to the beach for a thrilling ride through the surf to our dive location. The sharks were awesome coming right up and bumping into me - what an experience. All the team at Blue Wilderness (especially Mia) we’re professional , enthusiastic and friendly . Thanks all , I could not recommend this experience enough xx
Amazing experience
murendeniclifford,,Mar 15, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a great experience full of fun and learning. Sharks are not man eating monsters like how media puts it...and 10/10 for the Blue Wildeness team 👍🏾,they are good at what they do . Definitely going to come back again.
Hello Shark Dive......Amazing Day
Flamehorse2020,,Mar 8, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Well something I have always wanted to do was swim or scuba with sharks. But I’ve only had the chance to do it in an aquarium......which to me is not a experience. We found this place and thought wow. We got there had a fantastic briefing. Had one hell of a rib ride out to the dive site. Once in the water.......well words cannot describe. But I will say that this experience will stay with me for life. The crew where amazing and so much attention to the guys that where a tad nervous. All I will say is do it, just do it. You only live once.
Snorkelling Diving with Blue Wilderness
Raph1904,,Feb 26, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely awesome!! I booked my dive a few weeks before my departure for South Africa and superb pick up and communication from the team of "Blue Wilderness"!! Once there, I was contacted to inform me about the appointment etc! the day of the dive.. Personalized and neat Welcoming, warm! Superb house with all the comforts to prepare (breakfast, briefing, shower etc) ... departure for diving .. barely 2 minutes by car to get to the beach then departure for 10 minutes by boat before reaching the meeting place with sharks! And the ... beautiful!! superb encounters, they are there and it is a great show! the Blue Wilderness Team is very serious and competent! awareness, respect and protection!! I highly recommend this unforgettable experience accessible to all!!
A memorable day!!
343michels,,Feb 9, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were thrilled by the Welcoming and professionalism of Charlie and Jessica(?). Coffee was waiting for us when we arrived. Good explanations of our upcoming adventure. The team puts us in confidence quickly. We dived with the sharks, there were more than twenty. They rub against us and we never felt threatened. Sandwiches prepared by the cook were waiting for us when we returned. During the dive, a member ‘Busy filming us with sharks. Don’t forget to take seasickness medication because in the high seas, the waves stir a little! Thank you again to the whole team who were very professional and well organized!
Really good
Clarebear13,,Jan 13, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really amazing experience, staff were super professional and friendly, and the swim was incredible. Highly recommend!
Cageless diving with sharks
gabz 399,,Jan 9, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Friendly and very professional team... I went on my own and was VERY nervous (I almost couldn't believe I had chosen to do this) but was treated so well by the staff. I'd love to go swimming with sharks again! Definitely a safe environment and they provide you with snacks, soft drinks and warm showers post-diving. Thank you to Charlie, Dillon and Marcus. You'll be seeing me again (hopefully in a more relaxed state of mind)
Blown away
Stevegray111,,Dec 30, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an absolutely incredible experience, myself my wife my two kids aged 11 and 13 and my 80 year mom did a shark dive this morning. After a brief intro by Charlie explaining the do’s and dont’s and some information about these awesome creatures we set out . The sea was quite choppy with some large swells but the skippers handled this beautifully and were out at sea very quickly. Visibility under the water was very good and it was just like the pictures advertised , it’s another beautiful world under the surface , stunning stunning stunning, there were plenty of sharks ranging from 5 ft to a lot larger. For my dear old mum she was a bit more comfortable behind bars so she stayed in the cage for the slightly more nervous but still had a great experience. The kids haven’t stopped talking about it since getting out of the water. Anybody who is a little hesitant about going swimming with them , please don’t be , it’s an amazing experience you will never ever ever forget. Highly recommended. So a huge thank you to Charlie, the Lovely South American lady and the rest of the fantastic crew sorry I didn’t get all your names for a seriously cool day out, and thanks for the lollypop. Steve
From ZAR 1,540.00
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Operated by Oceans Discovery CC