Ethical Shark Cage Diving in South Africa: Why It Matters Beyond Great White Sharks

Gansbaai’s Shark Diving Scene Is Evolving—And More Vital Than Ever

Great White shark sightings in Gansbaai have declined, prompting questions about the ethics and relevance of shark cage diving. The answer? It’s more essential than ever. At Marine Dynamics, we’ve adapted by showcasing vulnerable Bronze Whaler sharks and other species, ensuring ethical tourism that educates guests and funds conservation. Here’s why shark cage diving remains a force for good—and how we address concerns head-on.

1. Understanding the Decline of White Shark Sightings

The drop in Great White shark sightings isn’t primarily due to orca predation, despite media headlines. While orcas do play a role in the ecosystem, decades of human activities have a far greater cumulative impact:

South African demersal shark longliners, targeting sharks for meat and export
Overfishing of prey species, reducing food availability
Outdated lethal systems, like the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Sharks Board’s drumlines and nets, which kill thousands of non-target animals annually, including sharks, turtles, and dolphins.

To adapt responsibly, Marine Dynamics now highlights Bronze Whaler sharks—a vulnerable species listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. These remarkable sharks can grow up to 3.3m in length during their 25-30 year lifespan. They mature late, only able to reproduce at around 20 years of age, making their protection critical.

2. Why Bronze Whaler Sharks Matter

Bronze Whaler sharks are found in temperate waters and are usually seen in active groups due to their schooling nature. Their late maturation and long lifespan make them particularly vulnerable to fishing pressure. The only other way to witness these sharks free-roaming in the wild is with advanced scuba skills during the annual sardine run. Shark cage diving offers this opportunity to anyone interested in seeing sharks in their natural habitat, regardless of age or diving experience.

Understanding their ecology helps explain why ethical cage diving works. With ectothermic biology, water temperature affects their metabolism and distribution, along with dissolved oxygen levels—all factors we record during tours. Bronze Whaler sharks follow national migratory patterns, with no individual sighted over extended periods in our area of operation. We differentiate between individuals using size, sex, and physical characteristics like wounds or scarring.

Seasonal variations occur during June and July, coinciding with the sardine run along South Africa’s east coast—a prey source that constitutes the majority of their diet. These natural patterns clearly indicate that our presence doesn’t alter their behaviour; they approach the area we are working in due to suitable environmental and other prey conditions.

3. Debunking the Orca vs. Fishing Impact Narrative

Orca predation grabs headlines, but it’s part of natural ecological processes. The real threats are industrial-scale fishing and bycatch from systems like KZN’s lethal shark nets. KZN drumlines and nets continue to kill significant numbers of non-target animals annually, including endangered species. These outdated methods, designed for “bather protection” in the 1950s, sacrifice marine life needlessly.

By contrast, ethical shark cage diving observes wild, free-roaming sharks without altering their behaviour. Our data, collected since 2005 for Great Whites and 2017 for Bronze Whalers, shows no dependency on our vessels or operations as a food source.

4. Animal Welfare: Addressing Ethical Concerns Head-On

Some tourism partners hesitate to promote shark cage diving, citing animal welfare concerns. Marine Dynamics follows strict ethical practices, holds a government-issued shark cage diving permit and holds responsible tourism certification through Fair Trade Tourism and WESSA Blue Flag. We are proud to lead the way in responsible marine tourism, ensuring:

No Feeding or Conditioning: Our approach uses scent trails, not feeding. The chum we use consists of discarded salmon offcuts from the aquaculture industry, creating an attraction for sharks already in the vicinity. This is fundamentally different from feeding—Bronze Whaler presence depends on natural factors like water temperature, oxygen levels, and seasonal prey availability, not our operations.

No Contact or Restraint: Sharks remain wild and free, with no touching, capturing, or enclosures. This is observation-led tourism designed to promote respect and advocacy.

Scientific Oversight: We record response times and environmental factors during each session to monitor behaviour. Our long-term dataset for both great white sharks and bronze whaler sharks shows no evidence of behavioural changes or dependency, confirming our practices don’t disrupt their migratory patterns or natural ecology.

Education Over Entertainment: Guests learn about marine threats and conservation, fostering genuine advocacy. As one recent visitor shared, “Seeing a Bronze Whaler glide through the water was humbling—it made me want to protect our oceans.”

5. Independently Audited, Not Greenwashed

In an era of bold sustainability claims, Marine Dynamics avoids greenwashing through globally recognised certifications, audited regularly for transparency and accountability:

Fair Trade Tourism Certified (since 2008): This certification confirms our operations meet strict criteria for fair wages, ethical business conduct, environmental stewardship, and meaningful community engagement. Though rooted in Africa, Fair Trade Tourism has global relevance and was recently endorsed by Travalyst—the international sustainable travel coalition supported by platforms like Google, Booking.com, and Skyscanner.

Blue Flag Certified (since 2016): Awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education, this trusted international eco-label recognises tourism operators that excel in environmental education, sustainable operations, and safety.

These certifications undergo regular audits (annually or every three years), ensuring our practices remain measurable, consistent, and impactful, not marketing spin.

6. How Ethical Shark Cage Diving Funds Conservation

Your shark diving trip directly powers the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT), driving real change across multiple fronts:

Science: Over 30 peer-reviewed studies on the Dyer Island ecosystem, including research on shark populations, wound healing, and environmental parameters that inform global conservation strategies.

Protection: Following rigorous efforts by Marine Dynamics, the shark cage diving industry and conservation partners, a government-gazetted Shark Catch Exclusion Zone was established around the greater Dyer Island area in 2021, effectively banning fishing of shark species and inshore longlining within this critical habitat. This conservation victory demonstrates how ethical tourism can drive policy change while supporting local economies.

Rescue Operations: Tourism funds the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary, rescuing hundreds of seabirds annually, plus supporting marine rescues through the National Stranding Network.

Cleanup Initiatives: Removal of kilometres of fishing line along South African and Namibian coastlines through our Clean Marine and Fishing Line Bin projects. Monthly beach cleanups are conducted with community members.

Learn more at www.dict.org.za.

7. Economic Impact and the Shark Catch Exclusion Zone

Shark cage diving employs hundreds in Gansbaai, from boat crews to hospitality staff, guides to researchers. Without this industry, jobs and conservation funding would disappear—yet sharks would still face threats from longlining, bycatch, and habitat destruction.

8. South African Context: The KZN Sharks Board Problem

South Africa’s shark conservation challenges are starkly illustrated by the KZN Sharks Board’s continued use of drumlines and nets—unchanged since the 1950s. These devices kill indiscriminately, harming marine ecosystems under the outdated guise of bather safety.

Although this is a complex issue, modern alternatives exist. Cape Town’s Shark Spotters program employs drones, AI monitoring, and flag systems to alert bathers without harming wildlife. Scaling such solutions could be a possible replacement for KZN’s lethal methods, saving thousands of animals annually while maintaining public safety.

This contrast highlights why ethical shark tourism matters: it demonstrates that coexistence is possible and profitable.

9. A Call for Balanced, Informed Tourism

Shark cage diving, when conducted ethically, serves as a lifeline for conservation, education, and local communities. It funds research, protects ecosystems, and transforms perceptions of sharks from fear to respect and wonder.

As Marine Dynamics founder Wilfred Chivell says, “A shark is worth more alive than dead.”

If ethical shark cage diving were halted due to misconceptions over animal welfare or declining Great White numbers:

Sharks would lose a vital advocate in their fight for survival
Conservation funding and scientific research would cease
Educational outreach efforts would disappear
Hundreds of local jobs and economic opportunities would vanish

The choice is clear: support transparent, responsible marine tourism that creates positive change, or watch as alternative industries continue extracting value from our oceans without giving back.

We invite customers and tourism partners to join us in this mission. Book your ethical shark cage diving experience or support conservation directly at www.dict.org.za.