The shark-diving town of the Whale Coast, 40 minutes east of Hermanus. Boats run out to Shark Alley off Dyer Island to cage dive with sharks, alongside a marine Big Five of whales, seals, penguins and dolphins.
Gansbaai is the Whale Coast’s adventure town, a working fishing port 40 minutes east of Hermanus that made its name on sharks. Just offshore lies Dyer Island and, beside it, Geyser Rock, home to a Cape fur seal colony tens of thousands strong. The channel between them, Shark Alley, is where the boats go, and for years it was the most reliable place on earth to see a great white.
That picture has changed. In recent years great whites have grown scarce at Gansbaai, pushed out in large part by orcas hunting them along this coast, and the sharks most trips now encounter are bronze whalers, the so-called copper sharks. They’re impressive in their own right and often turn up in numbers, but it’s worth going in clear-eyed: book a cage dive here for the experience and the marine life, not for a guaranteed great white. The dive itself is optional, and many people simply watch from the deck.
There’s far more in the water than the sharks. Boats run a ‘marine Big Five’ of whales in season, seals, African penguins and dolphins, a gentler outing that suits families. On land, De Kelders just to the west is a fine spot for watching whales from the shore, and the Grootbos fynbos reserve nearby is a destination of its own. Whatever you book, watch the weather, because rough seas off Dyer Island cancel boats at short notice, so leave yourself a spare day.
Cage dive, watch the sharks and the marine Big Five, or take the wildlife in from land.
Boats launch from Kleinbaai harbour and run out to Shark Alley, the channel by Dyer Island and its huge seal colony. You can drop into a cage at the side of the boat or watch from the deck. Be clear on what you'll likely see: bronze whaler sharks are the regulars now, and great whites have become rare here, so book the trip for the sharks and the sea rather than a guaranteed great white.
Beyond the sharks, a boat safari off Gansbaai goes for the 'marine Big Five': whales in season, the Cape fur seals of Geyser Rock, African penguins and dolphins. On land, De Kelders just west is a good spot for shore whale watching, and the Grootbos fynbos reserve is close by.
Bronze whaler sharks are the ones most trips now encounter, and great whites have grown rare at Gansbaai. Pick a trip for the experience and the marine life, not a guaranteed great white.
Rough seas cancel boats at short notice. Book ahead and leave a spare day in your plans so a cancellation doesn't lose you the trip.
The cage is optional. Plenty of people watch the sharks from the deck and stay dry, which is just as good a view.
The open water off Dyer Island can be choppy. Take something for motion sickness before you sail if you're prone to it.
Whales in season, seals, penguins and dolphins are all out there. A marine safari is a gentler alternative or add-on to the cage.
De Kelders just west is good for whales from the shore, and the Grootbos fynbos reserve nearby is worth a stop or a stay.
Book the boat and the cage through our trusted partners, at the same price as booking direct.
A half-day boat trip out to Shark Alley off Dyer Island, with a cage dive or deck viewing and the seal colony.
Book on GetYourGuide →A half-day boat trip to Shark Alley off Gansbaai to cage dive with great whites, or watch them from the deck.
Book on Viator →A boat safari off Gansbaai or Walker Bay for whales, seals, penguins, dolphins and sharks, the gentler way to see the marine wildlife.
See sea safaris →A boat trip that pairs the shark cage dive with whale watching in season, the two big Gansbaai experiences in one.
See combo trips →Guesthouses and lodges in Gansbaai and De Kelders, and the Grootbos reserve nearby, for an early launch.
Find a stay →We may earn a commission when you book through our partner links — at no extra cost to you.
Gansbaai is the wild, salt-sprayed edge of the Whale Coast. See the rest of what the coast holds.
