We have been planning for the past few months to get everything in place for this one. We will in fact be running two trips but not back to back as originally planned. The World Cup and the resulting exhorbitant pricing put paid to that. So we are straddling the event with one 'Run' before and the second one just after the tournament.
Read on for complete details:
Duration: 28 Days.
Dates:
* Trip 1 – May 10th – June 6th, 2010
* Trip 2 – July 15th – August 11th, 2010
Cost per person: U.S $8,750.
Guide: Mark Thorpe
Number of spaces: 8 Per Trip
Target Species:
Great white shark, Seven gill shark, Tiger shark, Bull shark, Mako shark, Blue shark, Sand tiger shark, Blacktip shark, Dusky shark, Silky shark.
Africa – a land steeped in history and culture. The mere sound of the name conjures up images of dusty plains, scantily clad hunter warriors and steaming jungles. For a continent with such remarkable, natural beauty on land, it is hardly surprising that this continent is also blessed with an astonishing amount of marine life, notably of the large ‘toothy’ variety.
False Bay
False Bay is located just to the south east of Cape Town and is home, at the right time of year, to a consistent population of great white sharks. These impressive animals time their arrival in False Bay to coincide with the pupping season of Cape fur seals. If anyone has seen the images of breaching Great White Sharks then that is our starting point. This first part of the expedition will be spent with five days of great white shark photography and videography from the safety of our collaborators boat. Early morning starts are the order of the day as the incredible aerial displays performed by the resident sharks happen before the sun peers over the impressive surrounding peaks of Table Mountain and Cape Point National Parks. We will also be taking two days to dive local dive sites searching for the elusive seven gill shark as well as diving around Cape fur seal colonies. On the last day of our time in False Bay we will receive a presentation by a local scientist who has been studying the great white sharks of the area for many years.
Gansabaai
From Cape Town we drive a few hours along the coast to the small fishing town of Gansbaai. This unassuming location can safely lay claim to offering some of the best cage diving with great white sharks in the world. For two days we will be concentrating out diving activities between two rocky outcrops located just a few miles offshore, in a natural channel known as ‘Shark Alley’. Once again, the resident seals attract large numbers of great whites and we will be witness to the incredible power of these sharks as they go about their daily hunt.
Aliwal Shoal
From Gansbaai we return to Cape Town to catch a flight to the northern province of KwaZulu Natal. Located just south of Durban we will be staying in the small town of Umkomaas. From here our daily activities will revolve around interacting with one of the most enigmatic and photogenic of all shark species – the tiger shark. Because of local weather conditions, we will be making just one dive a day – but what dives they will be. We ride out through the surf every morning and travel to the site selected for the day’s diving. Dives normally last anything up to 75 minutes and we expect to be in the presence of a lot of sharks as the chum used also attracts packs of blacktip sharks and the occasional bull shark. Our tiger shark diving based out of Umkomaas will last for 5 diving days.
Sodwana Bay
Once we bid farewell to the tiger sharks of Aliwal Shoals we will drive four hours north along what is called the Dolphin Coast to one of South Africa’s diving hot spots, Sodwana Bay. This, our final diving destination, is famous for congregations of sand tiger sharks, or ‘Raggies’ as they are known locally. The females congregate here at certain times throughout the year. We will spend 5 days diving this region to interact with these gentle giants. Sodwana Bay also offers possibilities to encounter bull sharks and tiger Sharks and, on occasion, scalloped hammerhead – a true shark divers paradise. We plan to make two tank dives here a day as there are plenty of imaging opportunities with diving conditions here more forgiving than those at some of the previous dive locations.
Ending our diving activities we will spend a couple of days discovering the natural splendors of the St. Lucia Wetlands park and the HluHluwe (ShlooShlooee) Umfolozi National Park, one of southern Africas most popular attractions. Guests will depart from Durban International.
Itinerary: Trip 1 – May 10th – June 6th, 2010
May 10th – Guests Arrive in Cape Town, south Africa, settle into accommodation
May 11th – Great White Sharks in False Bay / PM – Visit to Shark Center at Kaulk Bay
May 12th – Group splits between Great White Sharks and Seven Gill Shark Dives
May 13th – Group rotates between Great White Sharks and Seven Gill Shark Dives / PM Presentation @ Shark Center
May 14th – Great White Shark activities / PM – Meal with Alison and Morne
May 15th – False Bay Dive Day – Species depending on weather – Evening Free
May 16th – False Bay Dive Day – Species depending on weather – Evening Free
May 17th – Drive to Gansbaai
May 18th – Great White Shark Cage Diving
May 19th – Great White Shark Cage Diving
May 20th – Land Based Attractions around Gansbaai / PM Meal with collaborators.
May 21st – Flight to Durban / Settle into accommodation in Umkomaas
May 22nd – Tiger Shark Diving
May 23rd – Tiger Shark Diving
May 24th – Tiger Shark Diving
May 25th – Tiger Shark Diving
May 26th – Tiger Shark Diving
May 27th – Day off from Diving. Day trip to Thala Game Reserve / Evening meal with collaborators
May 28th – Drive to Sodwana Bay.
May 29th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
May 30th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
May 31st – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
June 1st – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
June 2nd – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay – Last Day of Diving
June 3rd – Day Trip to St. Lucia Wetlands National Park ( Hippo, Crocodile and Bird photo opportunities)
June 4th – Day Trip to HluHluwe Umfolozi National Park (Safari photo opportunities)
June 5th – Transport to Durban and check in to Hotel – End of Trip Group Meal
June 6th – Guests depart South Africa
Itinerary: Trip 2 – July 15th – August 11th, 2010
July 15th – Guests Arrive in Cape Town, south Africa, settle into accommodation
July 16th – Great White Sharks in False Bay / PM – Visit to Shark Center at Kaulk Bay
July 17th – Group splits between Great White Sharks and Seven Gill Shark Dives
July 18th – Group rotates between Great White Sharks and Seven Gill Shark Dives / PM Presentation @ Shark Center
July 19th – Great White Shark activities / PM – Meal with Alison and Morne
July 20th – False Bay Dive Day – Species depending on weather – Evening Free
July 21st – False Bay Dive Day – Species depending on weather – Evening Free
July 22nd – Drive to Gansbaai
July 23rd – Great White Shark Cage Diving
July 24th – Great White Shark Cage Diving
July 25th – Land Based Attractions around Gansbaai / PM Meal with collaborators.
July 26th – Flight to Durban / Settle into accommodation in Umkomaas
July 27th – Tiger Shark Diving
July 28th – Tiger Shark Diving
July 29th – Tiger Shark Diving
July 30th – Tiger Shark Diving
July 31st – Tiger Shark Diving
August 1st – Day off from Diving. Day trip to Thala Game Reserve / Evening meal with collaborators
August 2nd – Drive to Sodwana Bay.
August 3rd – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
August 4th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
August 5th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
August 6th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay
August 7th – Diving Activities in Sodwana Bay – Last Day of Diving
August 8th – Day Trip to St. Lucia Wetlands National Park ( Hippo, Crocodile and Bird photo opportunities)
August 9th – Day Trip to HluHluwe Umfolozi National Park (Safari photo opportunities)
August 10th – Transport to Durban and check in to Hotel – End of Trip Group Meal
August 11th – Guests depart South Africa
Package includes:
* All Boating and Diving activities.
* All accommodation based on double occupancy.
* All meals.
* Evening Meal with scientific collaborators in False Bay.
* Air Travel between Cape Town and Durban. (This does not include any excess baggage costs).
* All road travel.
* Entrance fee for private game reserve.
* Entrance fees for national parks visits during off-gas days.
* Contingency activities when weather disrupts diving activities. To be decided by group vote.
What to bring:
* Sunscreen.
* Sunglasses with good UV protection for long days on the Ocean.
* Sea sickness medication if required.
* Hat / head protection.
* 7mm wet suit or semi-dry suit for the cooler waters of the Cape. A 5mm Suit will suffice for Aliwal Shoal and Sodwana Bay activities.
* Wet weather protection.
* Insect repellent.
* Anti-Malaria tablets for northern KwaZulu Natal activities.
Please visit our website for full details on signing up for this amazing trip of a lifetime.
Cheers,
Mark Thorpe.
