The 15 Best Scuba Diving Tours in South Africa

1.From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 684 reviews · 4.5 - 10 hours · from $137Our pick

Spend a full day near Gansbaai with an experienced skipper, marine guides, and a six-person shark cage. You get breakfast, lunch, wetsuit and safety gear, 2 to 4 hours at sea, and a certificate. Bronze whalers are common, while great white sightings are not guaranteed.

“An unbelievable experience that absolutely met all our requirements and expectations. A very pleasant crew and, above all, a friendly and welcoming approach. I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering this experience. 🦈”

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2.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 576 reviews · from $251

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a full-day shark cage experience with Marine Dynamics. You’ll get hotel transport, breakfast, gear, a marine guide, boat time near Dyer Island, snacks, and refreshments. Expect cold water, possible seasickness, and wild shark sightings that cannot be guaranteed.

“Despite the very early start and long drive it was a fantastic day. We were open minded about what we would see but we were not disappointed. We saw several bronze whalers, a sevengill, a couple of stingray and a very playful cape seal. As the sea is very murky it was quite difficult to see them below the surface but you had a great view of them swimming past the cage while your head was above water. It was amazing to get so close to them. The crew looked after us all day. We had a nice breakfast before we sailed and snacks, hot drinks on the boat with…”

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3.Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 326 reviews · 6 - 10 hours · from $237

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a carefully managed shark cage experience with Marine Dynamics. A marine biologist leads the safety briefing, then you board Slashfin for close views of bronze whaler sharks, seals, rays, and seabirds. The day also includes meals, gear, and the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary.

“great trip and plenty of sharks! don't bother with the extras (penguin home etc), we bought it and the guide said it was nothing to do with them - seems like a bit of an upsell with no gain”

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4.Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 310 reviews · from $166

Meet at 7:00 am in Van Dyks Bay for a three-hour great white shark cage experience with White Shark Projects. You receive breakfast, gear, towels, onboard refreshments, and a light lunch after returning. The small group has a maximum of 20 people, with hot showers available afterward. Hotel transfers cost extra.

“Once in a lifetime experience! My youngest, who is 9, also loved the experience!!!”

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5.Shark Cage Diving

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 221 reviews · from $118

Meet Great White Sharks off Van Dyks Bay on a 3.5-hour catamaran trip with Sharklady Adventures. Watch surface-feeding sharks from the boat, or enter the floating cage by snorkel, breath-hold, or scuba if qualified. The trip includes wetsuits, gear, snacks, hot drinks, and water, with no chumming or feeding.

“A lot of sharks were close to the boat. Good helpful staff. We had luck with weather. Sea was calm..”

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6.Shark Cage Diving – Adventure Meets Conservation!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · from $143Top rated

Travel from Gansbaai to nearby shark waters for a four-and-a-half-hour cage encounter with Great White and Bronze Whaler Sharks. Your crew supplies wetsuits, booties, masks, meals, and safety training. Take turns in the eight-person cage, then watch from the boat deck while the crew tracks shark activity.

“Our guides and the captain were great. They always told us when there was a lot of activity so that we could dive down in time to see the sharks. They taught us so much about sharks and sea life. We saw a TON of sharks. They provided breakfast, lunch, and snacks.”

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7.CapeTown: Shark Cage Diving Experience with Scuba

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 146 reviews · from $218

Meet at 1 Wharf Street in Simon’s Town for a small-group boat trip to False Bay’s Seal Island. Your crew provides scuba equipment, a cage, snacks, and drinks while you learn about sharks and watch for bronze whalers, seals, dolphins, whales, and birds. Cape Point trips may also see blue and mako sharks.

“The most amazing experience. Staff was so nice and knowledgeable, well organized. But nature was really on our side. We saw 5 sharks, dozens of dolphins and a surprise 3 humpback whales! I would say to make sure you wear your swimsuit, bring clothes that are easy to cRead more”

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8.Shark Cage Diving Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 114 reviews · from $229

Meet Apex Shark Expeditions in Simon’s Town for a four-hour shark cage experience near Seal Island or Cape Point. You’ll receive a full safety briefing, boat out with a maximum of 12 people, and enter a sturdy cage in groups of four. Possible sightings include bronze whalers, seven-gill sharks, blue sharks, and makos. Weather controls the schedule.

“Wow what an amazing experience. We saw lots of sharks as well as a visit to see the seals. The crew were amazing, very knowledgable, helpful and welcoming. Special shout out for Brandon. Would definitely recommend 🦈”

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9.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Hermanus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 81 reviews · from $234

Travel from Hermanus to Gansbaai for a three-hour cage encounter near Shark Alley aboard Slashfin. A marine biologist explains shark behavior while you watch bronze whalers and possibly seven-gill sharks from the boat or underwater cage. Breakfast, gear, transfers, refreshments, and a free penguin visit are included.

“Nice boat, nice crew, no sharks :((( They were organized and made you feel safe. Breakfast was included.”

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10.Shark Cage Diving Viewing Only

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $126

Join White Shark Diving Company in Gansbaai for a roughly 4.5-hour shark-viewing trip without entering the cage. After breakfast and a safety briefing, you take a 20-minute boat ride to the shark area, watch from the deck, enjoy snacks and drinks, then return for lunch and trip video footage.

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11.Shark Cage Diving with Snacks and Soft Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 4 hours · from $233

From 62 St George’s St, Shark Explorers takes you into False Bay for a four-hour shark encounter. Guides such as Jason, Ernesto, Stephen, Nina, and Ernest explain the safety steps and shark behavior before you enter a partially submerged cage. Expect wetsuits, sandwiches, hot drinks, and possible sightings of dolphins, seals, penguins, and whales.

“The whole experience was great! We arrived early at the meeting point and were offered complimentary coffee/tea and snacks. Moved to the boat not long after and straight out to the shark diving point. First group went down in the cage and we watched from the side and top of the boat down at the sharks, water visibility was excellent and we could see the sharks so clearly even before getting in the water. The crew on the boat helped us with our wetsuits and made sure everything fit properly so we didn’t get too cold or water in our masks. We were down in the cage for about 25…”

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12.Shark Cage Diving and Penguin Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 15 reviews · 9 hours · from $310

Leave Cape Town before sunrise for a full-day trip to Gansbaai, where you receive a safety briefing, board a boat, and enter a cage for close views of sharks. After lunch, visit African penguins at Stony Point Nature Reserve, though the penguin stop and return route may change. English and French guiding, hotel pickup, breakfast, and lunch are included.

“everything about the shark drive was awesome, the guides were friendly, helpful and it was an incredible experience! they do bait the sharks in case anyone's wondering (which I have mixed feelings about). next, the listed time says 6am on here, however, pick up was actually at 4am. we also returned much earlier than the listed time. also there was no stop at Betty's Bay to see penguins and no ride scenic along R44, with a nice stop along the way. instead, we were inland and drove through route 2. that was annoying and it wasn't even mentioned. we instead stopped at African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary - Gansbaai, which…”

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13.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $112Best value

Meet Kobus or another PADI professional at the Just Nuisance statue in Simon’s Town. After online preparation, gear fitting, and a 45-minute safety briefing, you’ll spend about 90 minutes underwater among kelp, fish, seals, penguins, and possibly small sharks. The site changes with weather and your comfort level.

“Amazing scuba diving experience! Everything was perfectly organized and very professional. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the dive both safe and fun. I really enjoyed exploring the underwater world — it was unforgettable! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great diving adventure.”

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14.Shark Cage Diving and Shark Viewing Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 3 hours · from $161

From Cape Shark Adventures’ office in Kleinbaai, you’ll head toward Dyer Island for a three-hour search for sharks and the Marine Big 5. Expect a safety briefing, breakfast, hot and cold drinks, boat viewing, and optional cage access. Children under 12 may watch from the deck only.

“Super Organisation, kleine Gruppe, Frühstück, nach dem Event gab es warme Suppe und eine warme Dusche. Alles perfekt”

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15.Scuba Dive in Cape Town: 2 Dives for certified divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $205

Meet the Diveteam crew in Simon’s Town for two boat-based scuba sessions in False Bay. You’ll explore reefs, wrecks, and tall kelp forests with a PADI professional, using supplied gear, air or Nitrox, snacks, hot showers, and towels. Expect small groups of up to eight, cold water, and weather-based site changes.

“Really friendly and helpful dive team. Professional and courteous . Sights excellent - dive 1 was the Kelp Forest and dive2 was a reef covered with starfish and anemones in all colours. Cold water though !!!”

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