Why so expensive to dive with Great Whites?

[daniel1948]

I see this thread was started over two years ago, but has been revived. So the OP may not be reading it any more or may have already done his shark trip.

On crime: There's some crime everywhere, and some risk in everything we do. But a reputable tour operator will tell you what places/activities to avoid to minimize your risk. The drives to and from the airport are still probably the riskiest part of any trip, unless you're engaged in some of the more dangerous extreme sports. For me, the trip distance and jet lag are a greater deterrent to South Africa than the incidence of crime.

On sharks: I talked to someone who did a caged dive with great whites. She described them bumping the cage hard, and generally in a very agitated state. But I've also talked to someone who operates non-cage shark dives, including with great whites, and he says you can dive with them safely if you know what you're doing. He showed me some pictures of divers and sharks together, sometimes quite close. I gather that the cage operators are doing something to agitate the sharks.

I'd be wary (read: "scared") of diving with sharks under any circumstances, but I would not entirely rule it out if the opportunity presented itself. A very long boat ride would discourage me more than the cost. And I'd be more inclined to do a non-cage dive than a caged one, provided that I completely trusted the operator and the operator had a good safety record. It would have to be an operator I'd been with for non-shark diving, and knew personally.

 

[widget]

I see this thread was started over two years ago, but has been revived. So the OP may not be reading it any more or may have already done his shark trip.

On crime: There's some crime everywhere, and some risk in everything we do. But a reputable tour operator will tell you what places/activities to avoid to minimize your risk. The drives to and from the airport are still probably the riskiest part of any trip, unless you're engaged in some of the more dangerous extreme sports. For me, the trip distance and jet lag are a greater deterrent to South Africa than the incidence of crime.

Yes, you are right, a good tour operator is critical, but in general you should not let crime deter you, sure its here, but its unlikely you will see it, the main centres, hotels shopping malls and all tourist venues are perfectly safe, in fact clinically so, tourism is a big business here, dont let the media deter you.

Yes, its a far destination, 25 hours flying time at least, but I see tourists from all over the world every day, diving, snorkelling,shopping, enjoying the sun and visiting the safari parks - they will be hard pressed to see a pick pocketer let alone any form of serious crime.

As for the great white diving, its superb, around $70.00 for a full day s (lunch on board) cage diving with the sharks, Gansbaai is well known, but you can also see them in Cape Town, a stones throw from your comfortable hotel.

 

[mr-sea]

thats nice

 

[smellzlikefish]

Depending on what level of risk you are willing to take, you could go out there yourself.

 

[daniel1948]

Yes, you are right, a good tour operator is critical, but in general you should not let crime deter you, sure its here, but its unlikely you will see it, the main centres, hotels shopping malls and all tourist venues are perfectly safe, in fact clinically so, tourism is a big business here, dont let the media deter you.

Yes, its a far destination, 25 hours flying time at least, but I see tourists from all over the world every day, diving, snorkelling,shopping, enjoying the sun and visiting the safari parks - they will be hard pressed to see a pick pocketer let alone any form of serious crime.

As for the great white diving, its superb, around $70.00 for a full day s (lunch on board) cage diving with the sharks, Gansbaai is well known, but you can also see them in Cape Town, a stones throw from your comfortable hotel.

Note that I did say it was trip distance and jet lag (not crime) that would deter me from visiting South Africa. In fact, now that the apartheid regime is gone, I'd regard it as an ideal destination, were it not for the distance, both in air miles and in longitude.

Since posting my last comment in this thread I have seem the documentary Sharkwater, and would now be more interested than ever to swim with sharks. I'd prefer non-cage. As always, a reputable operator is for me a requirement.

I would seriously consider Africa if I had a companion with whom to share the ordeal of the long flights and boring airport layovers. At the present time, I would not consider such a grueling trip alone. (If the South Africa board of tourism wants me to visit, they need only find me a girlfriend. What a great honeymoon that would be: Safari on the veldt and scuba diving, including with sharks.)

 

[DerekFORJ]

Hmmm... chumming 300 yds of one of California's most popular coastlines... hmm... there's something that seems wrong about that but I can't put my finger on it. Oh well, I'm sure it will come to me. I'm in. When are we going?

 

[DerekFORJ]

Oh shoot, I seem to have responded to a thread on page one. Hey, does anyone know where they might run these cageless great white dives on the west coast of the US?