DIVE SITES

Gansbaai

GANSBAAI : THE FACTS

Gansbaai is a little fishing village situated on the western side of Cape Agulhas (the southernmost tip of Africa) on the coast between Cape Town and the Garden Route

Gansbaai was named after Mountain Geese that made their home in the area. (The Afrikaans name for Goose is Gans - hence the name).

The harbour at Gansbaai is in a sheltered bay with Gansbaai itself nestling at the foot of Duyenefontein Mountains. Gansbaai boasts a beautiful coastline with magnificent “Fynbos” vegetation of which there are 164 species.

Divers stay at the nearby Grootbos Nature Reserve.

In spring and winter, Southern Right Whales come into Walker Bay to calve and can be seen from the shore in Gansbaai.

DYER ISLAND

Dyer Island lies approximately 5.2 nautical miles off the coast.

There is a narrow channel in the sea between Geyser Rock and Dyer Island which is home to up to 60 000 Cape Fur Seals. This is also the natural feeding ground to the Great White Shark.

Since the area around Dyer Island has been declared a nature reserve, boats may only enter this area with a permit given by the Department of Nature Conservation.
A warder, stationed on Dyer Island, protects the birds breeding there. A number of these are endemic species, such as the Oyster Catcher and the Swift Tern.
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Shark Cage diving in Gansbaai
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Great White Shark viewing - Simonstown vs. Gansbaai

Dive The Big 5 offers both locations. The choice is yours.

Advantages that Simon's Town has over Gansbaai the reputed "Great White Capital Of The World".

  • Less travelling time from Cape Town central. 40 minutes vs. 2 hours, one way.
  • You are on the water earlier and that's when the Great Whites are more active. In the early mornings.
  • Seal Island in False Bay is more protected that Dyer Island / Geyser Rock, so less chance of cancellations due to weather.
  • Smaller boat, only accommodates a maximum of 10 people vs. boats carrying up to 30 people out of Gansbaai.
  • More personal attention.
  • More cage time.
  • Simons Town offers a better chance of witnessing Great White "breaching" than off Gansbaai.
  • Simons Town offers a better opportunity to witness natural predations than Gansbaai, because there are no kelp forests for the seals to conceal themselves in off Seal Island in False Bay than off Dyer Island / Geyser Rock in Gansbaai..
  • You get more "sea time" at Simon's Town, 4 / 5 hours at sea vs. 3 hours at Gansbaai
  • Less operators operate out of Simons Town, only 3 vs. 8 operators operating out of Gansbaai. Far less crowded resulting that there are less boats trying to attract a given number of sharks.

    Disadvantage is that its more expensive at Simon's Town than Gansbaai.
Gansbaai Harbour Dyer Island Shark approaches boat shark cage diving simonstown
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 Problems with this site?  Contact our Webmasters: Celestine Ventures cc • Date of entry: July 1997 • Friday, February 10, 2012