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  • Shark cage diving in Gansbaai, South Africa with Marine Dynamics. Experience the exceptional and come face to face with a great white shark! 

  • The exact world record white shark is a contested issue, but chances are it is between 6-7m. In Gansbaai, the largest white shark ever caught was at Danger Point and measured up to 5.9m.

  • If you see a white shark in the water don’t panic. Chances are high that the shark has already detected you and isn’t interested. White shark attacks are normally associated with poor visibility, so avoid murky conditions.

  • White sharks have a unique system called a “counter current heat exchange”, which keeps their body  tempreture +/- 7C above the surrounding water temperature. 

  • All sharks have an incredibly unique system on the tip of their nose called the “ampillae of Lorenzini”. These are small pores filled with a gel that transmits the electrical currents in the water to the shark’s brain so that it can assess its environment.

  • White sharks give birth to live young (not eggs), and they give birth to 6-8 pups at one time. Pups are usually between 1.0-1.5m in length and are born with teeth.

  • Body language has been a well documented form of shark communication and has identified body arching, jaw gaping, and other postures as specific social tactics.

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The Crew

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Khwezi Baleni

Decoy Master

Khwezi Baleni is a qualified marine wild life tour guide and used to be the "doctor" on board the whale watching boat Whale Whisperer for more than 4 years before he joined the shark cage diving team on Slashfin a year ago. Armed with a First Aid certificate and vivid recollections of his own first seasick days at sea before he acquired "sea legs", Khwezi is an expert at recognising the symptoms and lending professional assistance to those who feel queasy. He is still the ideal "doctor" to have on board, although these days he mentors his successor in that art and has become an expert decoy master.

He loves the excitement of luring the sharks closer to the boat with the decoy and works closely in sync with bait line handler Pieter du Toit. Khwezi hails from Umtata in the Eastern Cape. He came a long way since he first joined Wilfred Chivell's company almost 6 years ago as an ignorant appy with little knowledge and experience of the ocean. Today, Khwezi also boasts a driver's licence and cannot wait to learn more about the sea and marine life.

"I love my job and the opportunities it provides for training and ongoing studies. Skipper Hennie treats his crew members as equals with mutual trust and respect. We are all involved in decision-making and our opinions are valued."  Khwezi's long interaction with the Southern Right Whales earned them a special place in his heart. "Of all the sea animaIs, I still prefer the whales. These giants are friendly, curious animals. However, the Great Whites are fascinating too. The most extraordinary experience I have had at sea was witnessing a Great White breaching right in front of me to catch a seagull. It was amazing - it came right out of the water, caught the gull and then spat it out again - sharks don't like the feathers!"

Khwezi's eight year old boy Zola lives in Umtata with his grandmother, but regularly comes to visit Khwezi during school holidays and loves joining him on the boat trips.

Saving the Ocean

At Marine Dynamics we live by our motto of Discover & Protect and believe that collaboration is the key to conservation success.

Join us in saving the marine life that we all hold so dear to our hearts and remember that Your Choice Does Make A Difference!

The Crew

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