’SharkWeek’ has been designed for divers wanting the best possible experience of diving with sharks. All diving takes place without cages. Our dive team will introduce you to the many different species of shark that we have on our coastline.
You will get to dive the reefs between the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, observing the sharks, learning how to identify the different species, understanding the sharks behaviour and find out how sharks interpret your behaviour underwater.
Package Summary
Duration : - 7-days / 6-nights
Package Starts : - Durban, South Africa [every Sunday]
Package Ends : - Durban, South Africa [every Saturday]
Accommodation : - En Suite room in our very own Dive Lodge
Diving : - 8 x Shark Dives & 1 x Tiger Shark Dive
Special Notes : - Our diving is focused on diving with the different species of shark found on our coast. We are your hosts, guides and dive guides for the duration of your stay.
We offer a Shark Guarantee - Sharks or diving is FREE !!!
Detailed Itinerary for Shark Week
Day 1 : Arrive Durban, South Africa
We will meet you at Durban International Airport or other pick-up points as required. You can arrive at anytime during the day. You will be transferred [+/- 30mins] to our lodge, where you will meet the team and spend the day relaxing. In the evening you can enjoy dinner at the lodge or at one of the local bars or restaurants. Overnight at ScubaAddicts Lodge.
Day 2 to 6 : 8 x Shark Dives & 1 x Tiger Shark Dive
An early morning rise for breakfast. We receive information about the conditions before deciding where we dive. The diving takes place along the KwaZulu Natal South Coast on the reefs between the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks. The reefs are rated as some of the best in the world for shark diving and our aim is to show you as many different species of sharks as possible.
On one of the days when the conditions are best suited you will also experience our Tiger Shark Dive on the southern end of the Aliwal Shoal.
Optional extra dives are available should the conditions allow
In the evening enjoy dinner at the lodge or at one of the local restaurants. Overnight at Dive Lodge.
Day 7 : Airport Transfers or Extend your stay.
In the morning you enjoy breakfast at the lodge and then you will be transferred to Durban International Airport where we will bid you farewell [until the next time.....]
You can now add the Cape Town Shark Week extension for a adrenaline pumping combination of two shark filled weeks! Cape Town Shark Week brings you the Great White Shark, Blue, Mako and 7 Gill Cow Shark.
More about the diving.
We are a specialist dive operator based 30-minutes south of Durban Airport at Umkomaas, We dive the reefs between the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, focusing on the best dive sites for the conditions each day.
Aliwal Shoal, South Africa
The dives start with an awesome surf launch from the Umkomaas River and the trip to the Aliwal Shoal takes 20-mins. The Aliwal Shoal is 5kms in length and has a huge diversity of marine life. It is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with the Tiger Sharks, Ragged Tooth [Sand Tiger] Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Guitar Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks and Bull [Zambezi] Sharks. The shoal also attracts a huge variety of other marine life including Morey Eels, Manta Rays, Whales, Dolphin, game fish and reef fish.
Dive sites on the Aliwal Shoal include Raggies Cave, Shark Alley, Cathedral, Manta Point, Chunnel, Pinnacles, Anvil Flats, South Sands, False Cathedral, Tiger Cove, North Sands and Eel Skin as well as two wrecks, the Produce and the Nebo.
Protea Banks, South Africa
Diving on the Protea Banks has changed over the past few years with the declining numbers of shark and its only worth while to dive Protea Banks when the conditions are perfect. When the conditions are good, you can see Zambezi [Bull] Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Hammerheads, Blacktip Sharks, Ragged-Tooth Sharks, Dusky Sharks, Bronze Whalers, Giant Guitar Sharks and others. During a dive on the Protea Banks you can also see game fish, dolphins, rays & more.
Tiger Shark Diving (part of Shark Week)
Our dive with Tiger Sharks will rate as one of the top-5 dives you will ever do. The dives take place on the southern end of the Aliwal Shoal. We then create an odour corridor to attract the sharks. Once the sharks arrive we enter the water to observe the sharks in their natural enviroment.
Over many years of diving with Tiger Sharks, we have experienced many behaviour patterns and this knowledge enables us to experience up-close encounters with these fantastic creatures. We generally have between two and six [but can be as many as nine or more] Tiger Sharks as well as many Blacktip Sharks, Dusky Sharks and on occasion other species of sharks.
Before the Tiger Shark Dive, we will give a full briefing to help you to understand their behaviour and how we behave in return. Tiger Sharks are very shy, they are also very inquisitive and intelligent animals which is why they are one of the ocean’s apex predators and deserve the highest respect. The Tiger Shark Diving is a truly amazing experience...
Ragged Tooth Shark Diving (part of Shark Week)
Ragged Tooth Sharks are generally around between April and November although this year there have been 6 female Raggies that have stayed on the Aliwal Shoal for the entire year.
During the winter months, hundreds of Ragged Tooth Sharks can be found on the reefs between the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks. Fierce in appearance due to the long, sharp teeth, the sharks are remarkably docile and offer some great opportunities to get up close and personal with them. Perfect for photographers.
More shark species (part of Shark Week)
BLACKTIP SHARKS - We dive with Blacktip Shark all year. The dives take place on the reefs south of the Aliwal Shoal. We generally drop on a reef and use various [baitless] methods to attract the Blacktips. Once the sharks turn-up we leave the bottom and drift in mid-water with the sharks. This dive is a great chance to enjoy the Blacktip sharks, observe their behaviour and understand how the sharks interpret our behaviour.
DUSKY SHARKS are around during our winter months, generally May to October. The sharks are great to dive with and they behave very similarly to the Blacktip Sharks. We use various techniques to attract the Dusky Sharks and they are also often seen during the Tiger Shark dive.
BULL SHARKS - Diving with the Bull Sharks takes place at both the Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, the shark are also often seen during the Tiger Shark dive and when we dive the wrecks at Aliwal Shoal.
HAMMERHEAD SHARKS - The dives with the Hammerhead Sharks take place on the outside edge of the Aliwal Shoal. The dives are mid-water drifts and while we have had sightings of Hammerheads during most the year, our best time is during our summer months.
GIANT GUITAR SHARKS - The Guitar Sharks are found on the sandy patches on both the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks during our summer months. The are generally very calm and you can get up close and personal for some great viewing and photos.
A typical day on Shark Week
Early Morning Rise....
Wake up in the Dive lodge and enjoy watching the sunrise from your room with a view of the Indian Ocean. At around 7am we meet for breakfast [continental buffet style] and we receive updates about the days conditions so we can decide where the best diving will be.
Kit-up and dive briefing.....
Our dive center is on-site and once breakfast is finished, we meet for you to gear up for your days diving. ScubaAddicts dive team are there to help you with all your diving needs and to brief you on your days diving and the sharks you are likely to see.
The season determines which species of sharks, i.e. in summer we aim to dive with Hammerheads, Blacktip Sharks, Bull Sharks, Guitar Sharks, Dusky sharks and Tiger Sharks. In the winter we dive with Ragged Tooth Sharks, Blacktip Sharks and Tiger Sharks. Water Temperature ranges between 21 degrees C in winter to 25 degrees C in summer.
Dive dive dive.....
Jump on the vehicles and we are off to the launch site, where you will experience an exciting surf launch on our 8m RIB. We enjoy two dives on the reefs between Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, getting up-close with the different types of sharks as well as the rest of the many different species of marine-life.
We are often lucky enough to see dolphin, turtles, rays, game fish and loads more. We also often enjoy watching Humpback whales [during May and November]. We generally do two dives a day but we can do more if the conditions are suitable. After the diving we head on back to the dive centre to enjoy a hot shower and rinse the dive gear, ready for the next day.
Rest of the day.....
In the afternoon, enjoy lunch at the lodge and then you can choose to relax by the pool, chat to the dive guides to learn more about what you’ve seen on the dive, download photos & video footage or even enjoy a massage!
We can also arrange local excursions to some of the many local attractions. On one of the afternoons we will also go into Durban where you can enjoy the local bars, restaurants or visit Durban’s Ushaka Aquarium.
The evening.....
In the evening you can choose to eat at the lodge, we have braai [BBQ] nights, pizza nights etc, or you can go to one of the restaurants in the area, where we take care of all the transport. The evening finishes at the lodge, if you are not completely tired by your days diving and sight seeing, you can have a drink at the bar, watch TV [Satellite] or choose from a range of DVD’s.
After a full day you retire to your bedroom with en-suite facilities to enjoy a relaxing sleep with the sound of the waves in the background, ready for the next days diving.
More about the Accommodation for Shark Week
The Dive Lodge is perfectly situated for your ultimate Shark Diving Adventure in South Africa. Our lodge has been purpose built to make your stay with us as enjoyable as possible - wake-up, roll out of bed and go shark diving...
The lodge is right on the beach, overlooking the launch site and the Aliwal Shoal. We have access to miles of sandy beaches. Whales, Dolphin and even Whale Sharks often pass close by in front of the lodge.
We have 8-bedrooms all with 100% ocean views, overlooking the Indian Ocean and are available as single rooms, twin rooms [2 x single beds] or double occupancy [king size bed]. All rooms have private en-suite facilities with showers, private balconies and are serviced daily Our dive centre is on-site which means no traveling between accommodation and dive centre, enjoy breakfast and wonder down to the dive deck to kit up...
After the diving enjoy a hot shower at the dive center and rinse the dive gear, before you enjoy lunch at the lodge, relax with a drink by the pool, chat to the guides to learn more about what you’ve seen on the dives, download photos & video footage or even enjoy a massage!
In the evening you can choose to have dinner at the lodge, we have braai [BBQ] nights, pizza nights etc, or you can go to one of the local restaurants, we take care of all the transport.
In the evening if you are not completely tired by your days diving and sight seeing, relax with a drink, watch TV [Satellite] or choose from a range of DVD’s before you retire to your room to enjoy a relaxing sleep with the sound of the waves in the backround, ready for the next day of shark diving.
Transport is available at the lodge.
Extend your stay with Cape Town Shark Week
Cape Town Shark Week is a 7 day package that includes cage diving with the Great White Sharks, air jaws breaching trip with the Great White Shark, dive with Mako and Blue sharks during season and a scuba dive with the rare 7 Gill Broad Nose Cow shark. The package also includes a visit to a penguin colony, a seal dive and a kayak trip with Southern Right and Humpback whales during season. Please ask for Shark Week Cape Town in the comments box of this package’s booking form should you be interested in having a double up shark week – Durban and Cape Town (Gansbaai).
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South Africa: 0283843763
Overseas: 0027283843763
Cell: 0824595522
Fax: 0027283843763
