Shark Diving in Umkomaas for Certified Divers

Face your fear and go shark diving in Umkomaas - an experience of a lifetime that should not be left out when visiting South Africa! Dive down into one of the local tiger sharks' most popular breeding grounds and get up close and personal with these highly misunderstood creatures. On this baited shark dive, we will introduce you to the notorious predators of the seas and help you understand that sharks are really not as bloodthirsty as they are often made out to be.

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Dive Area
We dive at the Aliwal Shoal reef which is listed as one of Jacques Cousteau's best dive sites in the world. It consists of a rocky reef that sits in the middle of a sandy plain with many caves and overhangs that shelter all sorts of marine species. Indeed, the nearby Agulhas Current brings warmth and nutrients to the area, whereby the aquatic wildlife at Aliwal Shoal can thrive. This is also why sharks, often frequent the area in search of prey and to breed. Sightings of these fascinating creatures present a real highlight for all those who go shark diving in Umkomaas. We use a bait stem and a bucket which we suspend at about 8 to 10 metres in depth and let it drift in the current. This attracts several different shark species, most notably the tiger shark (during the summer months) and the pelagic black-tip shark which roams the area nearly all year round. As such, shark diving in Umkomaas is on countless divers' bucket list.

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Programme
- Meeting & Preparation:
In order to go shark diving in Umkomaas, we ask you to arrive at our dive centre at 07:00 am where you will check-in, fill out the necessary paperwork and get geared up. We're happy to provide you with rental equipment for the day for an additional fee if necessary. Moreover, we will start loading the boat at around 07:30 to be ready and set for an 08:00 am launch from the Umkomaas River Mouth. The boat ride to Aliwal Shoal takes around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on which of the many spots around Aliwal Shoal we choose.

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Highlights
- Boat trip to the dive site and back
- Back-roll entry into the water
- Use of bait stem and bucket to attract sharks
- Swim with tiger sharks and/or pelagic black-tip sharks
-Learn how to behave around sharks, develop a better understanding of them and overcome your fear

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Facts
- Total duration: 3h
- Group size per guide: 10 people
- Number of dives per trip: 1

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Included Services
- Certified dive guide
- Boat ride to and from the dive site
- Optional: Hard gear set (BCD regulator) rental for R200 per day
- Optional: Full gear set (hard gear, wetsuit, mask, fins, weight belt & cylinder) rental for R400

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Requirements
- Minimum age: 10 years
- Certified Open Water Diver
- At least 1 logged dive within the last year
- Marine Permit (obtainable from our Dive Centre or any Post Office in South Africa)