10/04/2018
Location: Joubertsdam
Water Temperature: 16.3°C + 16.5°C
Depth: 9.7m + 8.5m
Visibility: 2.0m + 2.0m
Number of White sharks: 4 + 4
Conditions: Chilly day with patches of rain, very low swell but increasing southerly winds
A gloomy start to the day with low laying clouds and a sprinkling of rain here and there but as we headed out of the harbour the day immediately brightened up as we spied a large pod of Common dolphins heading our way! We slowed down to make room for them to move by and so we were able to enjoy the beautiful sight that was right in front of us and listen as they communicated with their special clicks and whistles heard from the boat. Onto the main attraction for the day, our White sharks! Once on site we had a wait with no sign of fin or tooth but with a slight move of anchor things started to look up. The first shark was the female with a bite scar on her right flank and natural pigmentation on the left side of her dorsal fin, soon after a new shark to the bay revealed itself, a male, smaller than our usual sightings at the moment but one of the most active we have seen for a while (see pictures below if you don’t believe us!). The third and fourth sharks for the morning were both females, one was none other than Clampy, the female with the distinctive marks on her dorsal fin and the other a very large female right at the end of the trip that cruised by before disappearing into the deep.
The second trip of the day started off with a quick down pour of rain before clearing for a dry afternoon on sea, starting with a encounter with the dolphins on the way out of the harbour yet again. Once back on anchor the sharks we quick to arrive with the same first female from the earlier trip first around again followed quickly by a new shark for the day, the female missing the upper lobe to her caudal fin. These females disappeared with time making room for our other two sharks of the afternoon, the same smaller male from the morning and another female, one we have been acquainted with over the last few weeks but that hasn’t visited as often as some of the others in the bay at the moment.
The Short-tailed stingrays showed a big presence around the boat today, coming and going as they pleased.
Whilst we had Common dolphins today the day was by no means common, more like a ‘Great White’ day…
If you are looking to get up close and personal with the great white shark then White Shark Diving in Gansbaai, and more specifically with Marine Dynamics, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you won’t want to miss. Book and pay online with us and get a free video of your encounter with the world’s apex predator.
