The most common reaction to telling someone that we swim with sharks its, “Are you mad?”
The answer is no, we’re fascinated. Swimming with a Apex predator is simply an experience you can’t describe. We encourage everyone to try it at least once. The greatest misconception of these incredible creatures is that they are man-eaters. The infamous Jaws film had some influence on that misunderstanding. Oceanographer, Valerie Taylor, who pioneered interacting with sharks was one of the people involved in the film making of Jaws. Since the release of the movie, she’s spent most of her life trying to undo the damage to these magnificent animals reputations.
Swimming with sharks will shift your perspective from fear to fascination. The most common shark found on Aliwal Shoal is the Oceanic Blacktip. You may even have an encounter with a few Tiger Sharks in the summer if you’re lucky. Other species include Whitetip reef shark, Bull shark and Raggies (also known as Grey Nurse sharks or Sand Tiger sharks).
When you book a Shark Swim with us, everyone meets at the dive center early in the morning. The agreed launch time will be confirmed by the skipper 24 hours prior. When you arrive, help yourself to a cup of coffee while gear is being handed out. The boat and crew will be ready to go after a quick shark dive briefing. At the briefing, you will be given the rules of swimming with sharks and general launch protocols , dive do’s and don’ts. This is your opportunity to ask your dive guide any questions!
The Umkomaas launch site, considered one of the most challenging in KZN, takes about 10 minutes followed by a 20-minute boat ride out to the Aliwal Shoal MPA. We invite the sharks to the area by lowering a bait stem into the water, attracting Blacktip sharks by the dozen. As quietly as possible, everyone slips into the water where you have a panoramic view of sharks all around you.
Dive Briefing
There are certain practical rules that should be observed at all times, for safety and also to not confuse the sharks. When diving with sharks, please remember that we are in their natural environment. The guidelines given at the dive brief are for your safety. There have been no accidental incidents here at Aliwal Shoal and we aim to keep it that way.
Never touch or try to hold onto a shark or its fins. Treat them with respect. They may become reactive and unpredictable if handled. The objective is to observe them without altering their behavior. Tuck your hands under your armpits. Do not swim with your arms. Use your fins instead, with relaxed movements while floating on the surface. Splashing on the surface mimics a fish in distress alerting shark which creates unnecessary attention. Keeping calm and relaxed will allow you to have an amazing interaction with these curious creatures.
If at any point you need help, all you need to do is signal to your buddy or the dive guide, and they will make their way to you. Safety is always our main concern, therefore we reserve the right to decide whether the dive should go ahead or not once out at sea. This is mainly due to visibility out at Aliwal Shoal on the day as one should be able to see a shark from at least 5 meters away.
After an hour in the water, we’ll hop back onto the boat and head out to the reef for a short drift dive.
If you want to learn more about swimming with sharks, join us for a dive.
