Best Dive operations for underwater photographers in South Africa

Hi everyone

This coming October I will be going to South Africa for couple of weeks. I'm planing to do some diving around Protea Banks, Aliwal Shoal and Cape Town for the Great Whites.

Does any one know any good dive operations for photographers around these areas?

Thanks

David

Hi David,

I just got back from SA last Sunday and had an absolutely BLAST. I did the raggies, Tiger shark dives at Aliwah Shaol as well as the Sardine Run with Mark Addison from Blue Wilderness and HIGHLY recommended him. He is a shark expert. http://www.bluewilderness.co.za/. I believe that he also do the white shark (cageless) at Cape Town. Alternatively, you can contact Steve Benjamin @ email: stevenbenjamin1@gmail.com. He is the skipper for my Sardine Run trips and is a marine biologist and runs white shark dive trips in Cape Town. I can't wait to go back next year to dive with them ;-)

Happy Bubbles,

Jovin-

David

still in SA

just did the great white breaching trip out of false bay with chris fallows at www.apexpredators.co.za

sharks jumping out of the water everywhere, including a 4m shark just at the back of the boat that stole 2 dummy seals

it was really, really good. includes a cage dive also for only R500 more than just the cage diving in gansbaai

and only 12 pax so the boat is not cramped.

oceanworx at aliwal shoal were good also. stay in umkomaas for them.

did 8 days with them and got some cool pics including a 7 finger starfish.

enjoy.

ps oceanworx do the tiger shark diving also. will see maybe 1-2 this time of year and heaps of blacktips.

Also recommend Blue Wilderness for the shark dives at Aliwal , Steve and Mark are great, you can go with them with your eyes closed. They are really passionate about what they do and surely will put you in the right spot at the right moment .

Protea Banks can be a exiting dive but not as productive as Aliwal in terms of photography . Deep profile dives and strong currents will limit greatly your photo opportunities ; also you separate from your group and then you can be in serious trouble.

False Bay is great for breaching and surface action , both original operators ( Apex Predators / Chris Fallows and African Sharks Eco Charters / Rob Lawrence ) are very good you can't go wrong with any of them . They have great demand so i suggest you book in advance and spare some days in case weather is not good which is not an uncommon ocurrence . Also check with them , i think october is not the best time for gws around False Bay ( hope i'm wrong ) but they do some alternative trips during such slow times there . Is worth to try some penguin at Boulders Beach and also a short trip to the Cape of Good Hope is great for some landscape photography specially early mornings or late afternoon.

Good Luck

JA

also Pisces divers in glencairn/simons town (cape town) for the broardnose 7 gill sharks (cow sharks).

can hire the gear from there and do it from the shore if you have a car and are confident enough.

cheers

7

Thanks far all your help,

Finally I will be diving with blue wilderness in Umkomaas but after contacting Chris and Monique Fallows for the Great Whites in Cape Town they told me that October is off seasson for the GW in False Bay in I should have a better chance to see them in Gansbaai.

Does anyone knows a good operation in Gansbaai for the Great White?

Thanks

David

Hola David

I'm sure you will have a great time with Blue Wilderness .

In Gansbaai i used http://www.sharkcagediving.co.za/index.htm , they were recommended to me by Andre Hartman ( the pioneer of gws diving at Gansbaai ) .

Their shark wrangler Coenie used to work with Andre and he knows how to work with photographers .

I can recommend you to use a polecam to maximize your oportunities . Gansbaai is very popular and is possible that your time inside the cage is limited.

Also if you want to stay in a nice place , i strongly recommend you Cliff Lodge or Whale Song Lodge , both at The Kelders ; about 10-12 minutes driving time from the departuring dock .

Let me know if you need more info.

JA

Hi all!

This is my first post on WetPixel!

I'm so excited to be joining suce a wonderful group of people!

I am going to South Africa in December for three weeks and I wanted to do some underwater macro photography.

Ill be in the Eastern Cape in Saint Francis Bay and Port Elizabeth. I don't think I am ready for shark diving right now, but I would like to do some under water photography down there.

On another note, how important is recycled air breathing? I just got my open water certification and I dont know how to breath recycled air.

_________________

Kristina Sherk

Kristina@Kristinasherk.com]Kristina@Kristinasherk.com

DC Corporate Headshot Photographer

Do you mean a reabreather? Don't worry about it. 95% of divers don't know or use one, no problem at all not knowing how to use one