White Shark Ventures

White Shark Ventures

White Shark Ventures
4
Shark DivingAdrenaline & Extreme ToursBoat ToursEco ToursDolphin & Whale Watching
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
White Shark Ventures invites you cage diving in the aptly named "Shark Alley", near the fishing village of Gansbaai, South Africa. Due to various geographical reasons, water temperatures and easy access to food, this area has earned worldwide recognition as the single most successful area to view the great white shark in a short period of time. In successful operation for more than 25 years, White Shark Ventures were the founders of shark cage diving in Gansbaai. Our tours are not only highly educational, as we also participate in documenting valuable research information on great white sharks, made available to Government Researchers and various Marine Biologists world-wide. Our directors and employees are passionate about conservation and rehabilitation of all wildlife species. Our company were the founders of the Great White Shark Protection Foundation, a body dedicated to the protection and preservation of great white sharks globally. Join us for the ultimate experience…
Kleinbaai, South Africa
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Tours and Tickets by White Shark Ventures

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles378 reviews
Excellent
218
Very good
70
Average
27
Poor
28
Terrible
35

chrisadey4141
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Just finished our trip and we are all a little disappointed. We did not see any white sharks which is the whole point of the trip hence the name of the company. I know they are wild creatures but the guides told us during they hadn’t seen a white shark in weeks which leads me to believe they only see them once in a blue moon. At £220 for 2 people it is way to pricey and for lunch there was a vegetable lasagne which was horrible. Just choose wisely before going
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Coastal583457
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Solo
I was a bit dubious to chose White Shark Ventures at first due to the lower number of reviews in comparison to let’s say Marine Dynamics etc but because I had a few restrictions (such as I had to book very last minute, for the following day for various reasons), and White Ventures were the only company with availability, I booked with them (via an external company called Caleb Express Tours) but boy was I wrong to at all doubt their service. They are an excellent company inside and out in my opinion. Everything ran 100% smoothly and I have come away from the experience being thankful that I went with this company.

I am a solo female traveller of 23 (for context) and I got picked up extremely early (5.10am!!) to commence the journey to Gansbaai. I’m not sure how to spell his name (sorry!) but Ivan picked me up and was lovely from start to finish but knows that at that early time, people aren’t too fussed to chit chat and would rather rest or go back to sleep. We had a few more pick ups and then on we went to the dive shop. Once we were there, we had breakfast (there’s a big selection of food and plenty of it, so you won’t go hungry and there’s something for everyone) and then we had a safety meeting and he gave us some general info about sharks, what to expect etc etc.

Once on the boat, it was a 15 minute journey to where we anchored (as explained) and the skippers started to Chum the water. Ivan then gave everyone lots of information and facts about sharks until it was time to get ready. It’s first come first serve, so whoever is ready to go into the cage when it’s time, gets to go first but everyone gets a turn to that’s not really an issue!! If you’re not in the cage, you get a great view from the top deck anyway (what I did after my go in the cage). I went in the cage first and saw 2 GREAT WHITE SHARKS !!!!!!!!! I was so happy, such an incredible experience, you’ll love it. One was bigger and one was smaller. It took a while for them to come but once they did it was amazing. You had about 20 mins in the cage (that would be my guess... I’m not actually too sure) and then the next people went and you warmed up on the front of the bot where the sun is shining! There’s refreshments on board in case you get hungry or thirsty etc. The view of the white sharks is unbelievable from the top deck so even if you don’t fancy going in the cage, you’ll have a great time.

I went in the cage a second time right at the end of the trip as they were asking for volunteers for one last go (5 people went in the cage at a time and we had 22 people on the trip so the last ‘go’ had 3 spaces spare). I think the amount of time you have in the cage/ how often you swap over will depend on 1) how many people dive with White Shark Ventures that day and also 2) luck, how many sharks are about that day!! Although, there was about 4 other boats out on the same day as us and apparently while we were lucky and had pretty much continuous shark action throughout the trip, the other boats were a bit unlucky. So unlucky in fact that towards the end of our trip, a boat came to join next to us to try their luck in our area of the sea to see if they’d see more sharks that way!

After everyone had had their turns, we went back to shore. They provide hot showers and also if you’re not too bothered about a hot shower or the queue is a bit too long, upstairs they provide hot flannels ! Then lunch is served, a hot lunch! We got veggie lasagne, cold slaw and salad. They show you the video of the day which is available for purchase and then talk you through the sharks that you saw and there is some more info about sharks, and the possibility to ask any questions that have not yet been asked/answered throughout the day although you can ask questions any time, not just at this point of the day.

Then after a bit more chill time, we headed back to Cape Town. Ivan was really nice and as it was the beginning of whale season he made some detours and stops to see if we could spot any whales, unfortunately we had used up all of our luck with the sharks but a very nice extra attempt to make our day even better !! The views were beautiful too. Most people slept on the way back and we got into Cape Town just after 4pm. So it’s a full day!!! I was so tired after this day and all the adrenaline.

I never write reviews really unless a company really truly warrants one and I thought they provided a 5 star service and would use them again in a heart beat. I would also recommend this company to anyone wanting to go cage diving with white sharks !!!! My dad is coming to South Africa in a few weeks and I’ve told him to go with this company :)
Written 12 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

London_Stu_B
Sydney, Australia59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Whilst on honeymoon in South Africa we looked at doing a number of activities to liven up the days and Great White Shark diving was one of them. We had been around Cape Town for 3 nights, The wine regions for 2 nights and were making our way down the Garden Route.

You can pick up the tour with "Great White Ecoventures" from Cape Town however this means getting up at approximately 4.30 am to get the shuttle bus. This is good (the bus is there and back) however we were going to travel down the garden route regardless so decided to make our own way to Gansbaai. We left the wine regions at 7.30am for a 10.00 trip. Very relaxed and easy to find.

I was nervous the night before about making someone I loved and just married go near one of this planets most lethal animals. So much so I thought about just driving by however our experience with this tour group was fantastic. Safety is priority - which for me in hindsight is the main thing!.

In fact the sharks aren't really that interested in you and glide by beautifully. The cage is sturdy, strapped strongly to the boat (I checked!) and the crew highlight the fact that if anything just looks or smells bad they will call it a day. There is none of this 'Jaws' stuff where the shark crashes into the cage although we did see over 20 great whites, all of different size and all close enough to warrant the next sequel. There are some big ones and some less so large - it's all really a matter of luck.

If you are nervous about a company to use you cannot go wrong with these chaps. You can hire a camera to use underwater (see photos - recommended), hire a towel. You get a wet suit etc.... it's all catered for.

Tips:
1. The water is icy cold. Prepare yourself and use the socks if possible.
2. Hire a camera
3. It was mildly choppy when we went out. this is pure luck however 7 out of 12 people were sea sick. I used to work on a boat and felt queezy (however didnt throw!) - take the sea sickness tablets!
4. Do it! It was one of the best experiences of our honeymoon. There were mostly fella's however 3 girls. It's not just male dominated which was good for my wife.
5. If you dont want to go in you dont have to but you will regret not getting in the cage (if only for 3 minutes). It is really (strangely) safe.
Written 8 April 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrey_igorevich
Almaty, Kazakhstan3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
We came in a group of 13 people which was enough to pack the whole boat but the company added two other tourists so it was too crowded onboard.

The smell of gasolin was so strong that it made many of our team members sick.

The cage is quite small, suitable for three to four people max, but the company put six people every time so we kept pushing each other.

After coming back to the base frozen and shaking (water was 14 degrees celcium) we waited in queue for shower for at least 20 minutes. The shower and toilet are in very poor condition, it has not been refurbished for 30 or 40 years.

Finally, we were “treated” with lunch. There were two salads (enough for half of our team) and veg lasagne that I could not eat. It was probably very overcooked so it looked like a jelly consisting of 60% cheese, 35% dough and 5% vegetables. It looked disgusting and tasted like pure fat (no taste)

The only positive side that we saw small grey sharks really close, there were many of them.
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kate157
Northampton, UK2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Couples
We booked "White Shark Ventures" as part of our trip to South Africa and overall we have to say we were largely disappointed with the company. This is not due to things beyond the company's control (weather, choppiness of the water, visibility whilst in the water, or the viewing of the sharks) it was purely due to their lack of organisation and what I can only describe as "chaos" on board.

We were exceedingly fortunate to see some sharks on our dive (killer whales had apparently eaten several great whites in the weeks leading up to this so sharks had only recently returned to the area). This aspect of our dive; the whole reason we booked it, was fantastic. It was everything else that can only be described as pretty horrendous.

Firstly we were picked up at 6.30 in the morning, which I understood as it is a two and a half hour drive from Cape Town. What I didn't then understand is why they make you sit in what can only be attributed to the "losers cafe" in the Apprentice for well over an hour. This is for them to get you fill out your name, email, next of kin etc - why this couldn't have been done on the drive down I don't know as when 30 people are scrambling over one piece of paper it begins to take its toll. Then we spent a good 20 minutes with people sorting out their payments, half payments, calling their booking agent because they thought they'd paid and they hadn't, paying for towels or bags. It was just a disorganised a mess which all could have been avoided.

The boat itself is a whole other disaster zone. We were packed onto the boat which was ok for the boat ride in but when the tour guide says that anyone who wants to dive needs to come and get a wet suit now, it was like a stampede! People were grabbing and wetsuits and getting changed in any small amount of space (and trust me there is barely any!), people were getting changed in the cabin and therefore blocking anyone else from getting a wetsuit. Trying to get changed when the boat is rocking and you have zero space is not a good experience. Again why this couldn't have been done back on land before setting sail, I don't know (the boat ride in is only 15 minutes so you wouldn't get cold). Further to this there is no real sensible space to store your belongings (they give you "dry bags") but these are pretty much just tossed into a cupboard inside the cabin all on top of one another and you basically can't get to it again until you dock.

The rush to get in the cage is like people the are wild animals themselves. If you are of a slightly mild mannered disposition, this isn't for you. People were pushing and shoving to get in the cage first, with no thought or consideration for anyone else - again there was no organisation or system on "White Shark Ventures" behalf. It was an absolute free for all.

"White Shark Ventures" claim before you dive that you can have "two or three goes" in the cage and can spend "15 minutes to an hour" in there. Whilst we thought an hour was over ambitious before we set sail, we didn't realise the 15 minutes was too! We were able to go in the cage just once for around 10 minutes. Not exactly what I would call good value for money! We were also told we would be at sea for three hours; we were out for a maximum of two. We also did not go to shark alley like the website advertises.

When you get out of the cage, people are trying to get in before you've even got out. When you manage to get out, there are obviously people just all over the boat. You are stepping on people's belongings, clothes, extra wetsuits and boots. There were just far too many people on board. If you are slightly prudish/have any self pride then you will need to fight to get in the toilet to get changed. The experience of changing, as being one of only 5 females on the boat out of 25 people, was definitely not a pleasant one or one I would care to repeat.

The actual experience in cage and seeing the sharks was amazing. And had we not seen anything we would have been disappointed but not blamed this on the company.

The journey back to Cape Town wasn't really much better. This is obviously a long drive back which we clearly already knew, what made it even longer however was having to stop for petrol in the village (why couldn't this be done by one of the site staff whilst we were on the boat?) and our driver running a personal errand at his house on the way back! It was unbelievable! We believe that our experience on the boat was rushed/cut short due to these things.

Overall I am really pleased we booked shark diving however I strongly recommend you research which company to dive with. I would look for companies that are organised and don't pack people on to the boat. "White Shark Ventures" certainly doesn't fit this category and I would advise you go elsewhere.
Written 21 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cirrus835
Cape Town, South Africa1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2018 • Friends
The worst organization in ten years of my shark-diving activity. Twenty five customers on a tiny ship were knocked together into a bait-ball as sardines on Sardin Run. Respect for the staff to clients is in full accordance with the dolphins' respect for their sardines. One of the tourists was refused a prepaid dive because of it look like one of the previously dived passenger.
Written 2 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
On all our literature (website, brochures and everywhere else on social media), it clearly states that our boat is licenced by government to safely take a maximum of 25 passengers. Ample photos and specs on our boat (including the maximum passengers allowed), are also available online for your info. Our reservations office is also at your disposal 24/7 to be of further assistance, should you have had any specific questions. Based on your claim that you have been familiar with shark diving around here for the past 10 years, I expected that you would have known perfectly well to do your homework prior to booking on our boat. You had all the info and cannot hold us responsible if you did not take the time to read it. If maximum luxury and space were your main focus, you should perhaps have considered chartering the vessel for yourself only. We sell shark cage dives. How can we possibly refuse a paying passenger to dive in the cage? This is untrue and due to your lack of any further info on this (such as a name of the passenger), and also due to the childish tone of your letter (which could have been written by my 6 year old) I am definitely not taking this too seriously.
Written 28 July 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cd805
Chester, UK134 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Friends
I have done this 3 times now with this company - my last time being last year.
I felt I had to review again to dispel any of the poor reviews recently uloaded on this site.

This is simply the best thing I have ever done & this is a very reputable company.
The wetsuits on my last trip were also wet - once you put them on and enter the cage they are going to get even wetter, so why is this a problem? It isn't! You get onto the boat to (hopefully) see Great White Sharks. Who cares how many are on the boat too - just find yourself a decent spot on the boat and stay there when not in the cage is my advice & what I have done each time. I have always managed to stand and stay right next to the bait handler on the right of the cage. Each time - I have managed to spend 3 half an hour goes in the cage, with very different water visibility each time - this is no problem.

Do your research and plan your trip is my best advice to increase your chances of seeing these stunning wild animals - Shark season here is between April - September & any dates outside this time it is obviously a gamble whether you see any.The cost of this trip is a small price to pay for such an incredible experience - you are going to get up close to one of the worlds apex predators - this is a privilege and would be a bargain at double the price, given you get picked up & dropped off en-route and also get food & drink included. I think it is all too easy to log onto an internet website (Trip Advisor) and moan moan moan, when infact why not weigh up exactly what this trip offers - this company is far better than all other companies I saw who operate bigger boats and therefore even more people in a cage no bigger than this one.

Im not in any way connected to this company (see my previous reviews) im just someone who is honest and blunt. Its very easy to find faults but instead, look at the positives and the bigger picture.
Written 9 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bardsi
Great Malvern, UK19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
I wrote a massive review explaining why they were so bad but then IE crashed and I lost it so I will summarise again.

First very important point to make is that shark diving is amazing and I highly recommend it as an experience. This is a review of the operator (if you could call them that).

1. Boat - small, old, dirty, cramped, shabby and certainly not luxurious (as stated on their website). Restroom was full being used as bag storage. Capacity was all used so no way 50% full as website suggests.
2. Diving - all done but ducking under and holding your breath NO SCUBA equipment aboard
3. Cage - many people crammed in for only a very brief dip
4. Kit - too few damaged wetsuits so had to take and off and put on for each dive
5. Food & drink - cheap, nasty and horrible

White Shark Ecoventures is ambiguous and in some instances just lies. They are greedy overcharged. They very nearly totally ruined what should have been the experience of a lifetime.
Written 10 June 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kalle123189839
Malmö, Sweden10 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Couples
Well, i should have shared my experience earlier as it is already over a month since, but better late than never i reckon...
Sorry to say, i do not have too much positive to say about my experience with this company and i will try to explain why. First i want to say that i own a yacht by myself and know what one should expect from a cruise. I am also an experienced scubadiver, so one can say that i am used to spend time in and around the sea.

This company failed in giving a good experience to their customers in various ways. The boat, "Megalodon 2" was totally overpacked with people. They DO have åpproval for the amount of passengers they took onboard but i can say that it was hard to get a good sight of the sharks, as people almost climbed over each other to be at the one side the sharks appeared. But the balance between ability to give their customers a nice experience and making money is far to aimed at the latter!
My expression of the boat is that it was very poor maintained. At the short trip of twenty minutes one of the two engines stopped twice. The small wc was not to welcoming...Overall the boat gave the impression that it was outranged, or in need of a major overhaul.
When the wetsuits was handed out a smaller chaos occurred as everybody trying to switch to get ready for the cage. The wetsuits was indeed wet. And cold. And not rinsed since the earlier excursion. I tried hard to find a pair of boots in the pile that was working, but all boots had broken zippers.
As the crew had a fixed position of the cage and mooring lines on location at sea, they could not switch to another place. There was a number of other boats out on excursions that day, but all the other was further away from land. I can not say that the visibility in the water was better further out, but due to the fixed position crew could not try another place. And at this position the visibility was very bad, about 20 cm/8 inches. Due to this, there was totally impossible to sight any shark from the cage.
I do not hesitate on the crews competency regarding this business. They managed to attract three sharks during our trip, but the fail in organisation and equipment eclipsed the crews efforts.
I have dreamt about meeting these animals through many years but was, sadly to say, disappointed when i finally had the chance to fulfill my dream.
A few weeks before i travelled to South africa i was in contact with another company (sharkcagediving.net) and i regret i did not fulfill my intentions to buy the trip with them as i, on location, could confirm that they had much more professional gear, boat and wetsuits. As i was lazy i asked my hotel to manage the excursion and of some reason they booked me with this company....

My advice to WhiteSharkVenture is that to take serious action regarding organisation and gear, if you want to have happy customers!
Written 3 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pau B
Oslo, Norway6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016 • Solo
Waste of my time - no sharks - boat way too packed.
We spent 1,5 h on the boat. Saw no sharks. Went back to shore with no further trying.
Used half of day for nothing.
Written 5 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Mr. Wayne Segers I am sorry you had bad luck twice in a row and have to add that in my 24 years in this business, this is unheard of. A case of real bad luck in my opinion but as you say they are wild animals and unpredictable. Although we have successful sightings all year round, Jan and February are the least favorite months as the sharks tend to be less active from time to time during this period. So event though we still encounter successful sharks during this time, it is also a fact that should we have a miss – it would be during this period. This is also indicated on our website (see below), in an effort to assist guests when booking their dates of travel. We appreciate the fact that you have come out several times to see the sharks and understand the disappointment that goes along with this. To compensate, we have therefore issued you with a voucher for another tour, free of charge. Again, we fully understand your disappointment and would advise that you book during one of the other months, if and when you consider another dive. Wishing you all the best. Cindy Thornhill CEO PEAK SEASON – April to October. (99% success rate) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED* HIGH SEASON Nov and Dec. (90 – 99% success rate) INTERM. SEASON Jan to March ( 80 – 90% success rate)
Written 6 January 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

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