Shark Cage Diving from Hermanus

A mere 30 minute drive from Hermanus, you will find the one of the world's best locations for shark cage diving – Gansbaai. This is one of the very few places in the world that Great White sharks occur in such large numbers.

Shark Alley, the channel between Geyser Rock and Dyer Island, is home to a population of more than 40 000 Cape Fur seals and these seals are one of the Great White's primary sources of food, making this an ideal hunting ground for them. This also means that Shark Alley is the prime location for shark cage diving when you're on holiday in Hermanus as the location so rife in activity and marine life that none other destination could match. In this area, you are also most likely to enjoy some breathtaking surface viewing form the shark cage diving double storey boats.

The winter period, from May to September, provides the best time for shark cage diving outside Hermanus. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness these creatures first hand and revel in their sheer magnificence as they go about their underwater business.

If you are planning a holiday to Hermanus during that time, why not be adventurous and book for shark cage diving? While you're there you can also take in some of the best land-based whale watching in the world and explore the town's array of quaint restaurants and shops. As the Windsor Hotel is located on a cliff edge, it sports some of the most magnificent ocean views the coastal town has to offer.

Book Hermanus accommodation at the Windsor Hotel now.

Shark cage diving in Gansbaai can be enjoyed both in the morning and in the afternoon – usually with two trips conducted daily by a staff of shark-loving professionals. Early morning shark cage diving trips can offer lucky shark viewers the chance to witness the Great White's hunting prowess in action.

On these expeditions, you will have the opportunity to see these mighty beasts breach, their colossal bodies clearing the water as they attack their prey from below. Shark cage diving is not as scary as many may perceive it to be – it is actually a thrilling sensation to be submerged under the water and watch the sharks glide by unobtrusively through the cold Atlantic waters, mere meters from the cage.

Shark cage diving is sure to change your opinion of these mighty creatures – you will find that you will have a newfound respect for their size, their sheer beauty and come back more knowledgeable and informed about their species as a whole.

• The Great White shark is a protected species in South Africa.
• They are the largest predatory fish in the world.
• Their diet includes other sharks and marine mammals. Cape Fur seals are the primary food source in the Dyer Island area.
• The average Great White is between 3 and 5 metres in length. Growing at about 25-30 cm per year, they can reach 7 metres.
• The scientific name for the Great White is Carcharodon carcharias.

Find out what else there is to do while you're on holiday in Hermanus.