Apex Shark Expeditions

Since appearing on Air Jaws as well as more than 35 other documentaries that Apex Shark Expeditions have facilitated since 1996, the breaching great whites of Seal Island in the Western Cape, South Africa are amongst the most talked about natural phenomena worldwide. The phenomenon is not only for the worlds famous film crews but can also be witnessed by you on one of our various expeditions.

We have daily trips to Seal Island, False Bay from Cape Town to view the breaching or flying great white and to cage dive with the Great White Sharks.

Chris and Monique Fallows are the owners and operators of Apex Shark Expeditions. For 13 years we have promoted positive awareness of sharks worldwide through our Great White Shark pictures, Great White Shark expeditions and free Shark Bytes monthly newsletter.

Each Expedition is hosted by Chris & Monique Fallows whose passion, knowledge and love of the wildlife in the area makes this the most personalized and educational trip on offer, with a limited maximum of 8-12 participants to ensure the best viewing potential.

We cater for not only day trips and our special 5 and 10 day packages, but any length of time that suits you. This includes exclusive trips, group bookings, natural history filming or commercials, research projects and team building. We will arrange a package to suit your needs.

Morning trips: The morning trip is 7am to 12:30pm weather permitting. (Breaching, Natural predation and Cage diving.)
Afternoon trips: The afternoon trip is 1pm to 5pm weather permitting. (Cage diving and decoy breaching.)

The great whites of Seal island are now world famous for their highly athletic breaches that they make in pursuit of Cape Fur seals which they hunt in the area.

We will observe natural predatory behaviour for as long as possible; however it is usually the first hour and a half that is the most intense. After this period we will try a short decoy tow using a fake cut out carpet seal where we try to get the sharks to breach. It is a very unique way to elicit predatory behaviour and has been very useful to help us learn different strategies adopted by different sharks.

After the decoy tow we do an inspection lap around Seal Island looking for any signs of bitten or injured seals which are recorded for research / conservation purposes. It is also a great opportunity to get close to the 64 000 strong Cape fur seal colony that has made Seal Island its home.

We will then choose the best spot to anchor up based on weather conditions and attract sharks to our vessel. Once a shark approaches our boat a small bait is put in the water to keep the sharks interested around the boat for identification and viewing purposes. At no point are the sharks purposefully fed or handled. We do not use shark livers or any other attractants that have a negative impact on the environment and every effort is made to avoid the sharks coming into contact with our vessel.

If the weather conditions are favourable, i.e. good visibility and workable seas, the cage is lowered into the water for cage diving.

Safety precautions and operational procedures are then explained to the diver wishing to enter the cage. It is important to know that the sharks come very close to the boat so it is not necessary to dive in order to see them. So for those not wishing to dive they will still have excellent views of the Great White Shark.

Please note: Sharks are highly seasonal animals and it is important to know upfront what you can expect to see so as not to be disappointed. The high season for great white sharks at Seal Island is mid April to the middle of September. The low season is October to March and sightings are about 50%. Breaching sightings are highly unlikely then.

Cape Town and False Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa.

• Fruit, snacks and cool drinks on board
• All dive gear if needed.
• A return transfer can be organized from Cape Town.

Please enquire about Package Deals for 5 and 10 day trips.