SCUBA TOURS WORLDWIDE - Representing the world's finest diving
South Africa
The Sardine Run | Two Oceans Tour | Add-on Tours |
Introduction to our South Africa
We have focussed our dive trips to South Africa on two very special tours; The Sardine run on the East coast accessed from Durban, and the Two Oceans Tour which includes diving on both the East and West coasts of South Africa. Each tours offers a quite different experience, read on more more details...
The Sardine Run
“The Greatest Shoal on Earth” can be found on the East Coast of South Africa during June and July. The phenomenon consists of billions of sardines that migrate northwards along the east coast of Africa following the cool water inshore current that occurs from March to August. The best time to observe and interact with this spectacular event is from June to July. Individual shoals can reach 9 to 12 miles long and over 2 miles wide and nearly 130 feet deep! At times super-pods of up to 6,000 common dolphins may follow a shoal to feed. They work
together to “corner” the sardines and bring them to the surface, forming giant baitballs. Gannets rain down while copper sharks,
seals and even whales join the frenzy swallowing as many sardines as they can. With such a vast school of fish migrating, this
phenomenon builds over a period of many weeks and predators congregate expecting to fill their bellies.
Click on the dates to open a printable PDF file with more information about the trip
Whilst these are our own exclusive dates, we can also book on any one of the Sardine Run departures scheduled throughout the year subject to availability. Please ask us for a quotation.
Sample Itinerary
We work exclusively with SEAL Expeditions who operate from the Mbotyi River lodge, supported with state-of-the-art dive boats, microlight aircraft and all the necessary equipment to make this challenging event a safe and memorable experience that lives up to expectations. Scuba Tours Worldwide offer dedicated departures. Please call for details, we can provide you with competitive air options if you require.
Day 1 Arrive Durban and transfer to Eastern Cape.
Day 2-9 Action packed days, diving and snorkelling amongst the schooling sardines as they migrate along the Eastern Cape.
To guide the RIB’s onto the best action, Microlight aircraft are launched and the pilots act as ‘spotters’.
Guests have the opportunity to join the pilots and enjoy an amazing bird’s eye view of this spectacular event.
Other activities available are horse riding, bush hikes and watching the African sunset from some of the wildest and most beautiful parts of Africa.
Day 10 Transfer back to Durban for onward travel.
Two Oceans Extreme Dive Trip
This is a wonderful 12 day adventure giving you a great variety of land and sea and the ultimate in shark diving, highlighting all that South Africa is famous for; great white sharks, tiger sharks, Zambezi (bull) sharks, ragged-tooth (sand-tiger) sharks as well as giant brindle bass, deep wreck diving and seal colonies. The itinerary covers both the east and west coasts of South Africa and her two oceans, the warm Indian and the cold Atlantic.
Again, we have chosen to work exclusively with SEAL Expeditions who operate year round itineraries that offer the best diving according to the season. Dive boats are launched in the surf and the diving can be physically challenging so guests do need to be reasonably fit to get the most from this 2 Oceans trip.
Click on the link to open a printable PDF file with more information about the trip
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 – Depart UK for Cape Town.
Day 2 – AM Early arrival, Transfer to Cape Town Hotel. PM hike or cable car ride Table Mountain to enjoy panoramic view of city, False Bay, Table Bay and all the way to Cape Point.
Day 3 – AM Transfer to boat for shark feed in False Bay and Seal Island with objective to see breaching great white shark as they chase the bait. PM Peninsula Tour by land to see Cape Point and the Atlantic Seaboard. Enjoy sunset cocktails.
Day 4 – A diving day with a wreck dive and a visit and popular dive at the seal colony with the inquisitive seals. PM depart to wine district to sample Western Cape wines.
Day 5 – AM Cage diving with great white sharks at Dyer Island and late afternoon whale watching trip looking for Southern Right Whales. Overnight at the fantastic Spier Wine estate in Stellenbosch.
Day 6 – Another day spent cage diving with the Great White Sharks in Gansbaai or exploring the Spier Wine Estate with its Cheetah rehabilitation centre and incredible wine reserves.
Day 7 – Transfer flight from the Mediterranean Western Cape to sub-tropical Kwa-Zulu for the east coast dive experience.
Day 8 – Full day diving at the Aliwal Shoal for Tiger Shark feed with a second dive on the shoal with the Ragged-tooth sharks.
Day 9 – Second day on the Aliwal Shoal with a Tiger Shark dive followed by a phenomenal wreck dive on the infamous produce -
“hunting” a glimpse of the elusive Giant Brindle Bass. Transfer to Margate and Protea Banks.
Day 10 – Two dive day on Protea Banks, drift diving and shark diving.
Day 11 – Two dive day on Protea Banks, drift diving and more sharks! PM transfer to Durban.
Day 12 – AM Visit Shakaland on the north coast for an authentic Zulu village, dancing and lunch experience before transfer to airport for flight home or onwards to Botswana for a safari.
Add-on Tours
If you wish to combine your diving trip with a safari tour, why not try a unique and spectacular cycle safari. Supported by vehicles and experienced park rangers, you will get close to the magnificent wildlife of Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana camping out in the African bush getting as close to nature as the wilderness allows. Typical itineraries are 3 nights and 4 days which operate year round. And if you don’t want to power yourself, there are also options for horse back safaris and traditional jeep safaris. Accommodation for all these trips can be in tented camps or game lodges, just ask us for details.
