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Shark Diving in KwaZulu Natal
Scuba Diving
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Shark Diving
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Coelacanth Discovery
KwaZulu Natal offers shark diving with no cages. Sharks that can be
seen are Bull Shark (known as Zambezis in South Africa) - Dusky - Spinner -
three types of Hammerhead - Copper shark - Spotted Ragged Toothed shark, Tiger
shark, and the protected Great White as an occasional sighting. Whale
sharks can be seen sporadically, throughout the year, and are particularly
satisfying to spot.
Sharks pose little threat to scuba divers whilst making a dive an exciting
experience, so put your mind at rest, your gear on, and discover the best diving
to be found around.
More
information below on:
Whale Sharks
Zambezi/Bull Sharks
Tiger Sharks
Spotted Ragged Tooth Sharks
Great White Shark
The Whale shark
is an enormous creature, growing up to 18 meters (60-odd feet) and more.
It is a dark colour with pale white or yellow spots which cover the entire body.
It has a massive mouth, in whic
h to gather food as it swims, rather than
actively catch it's prey. It's diet consists mainly of small bait fish and
plankton which are sucked into the huge mouth, although the occasional larger
fish are not refused. It is very toothy, with up to 300 rows of teeth,
each containing 100's of tiny teeth. According to one story, a
diver was once sucked into a whale sharks mouth, but was quickly spat out again,
and he lived to tell the tale. The whale shark has never been known to
attack humans, and when frightened, it will rather make a quick getaway, or sink
lower in the water. The mother breeds eggs, which are kept inside her, and
hatch to give birth to live young of approximately 15 inches long. It is
found in various places in the Indian ocean, and sightings are relatively
frequent at Sodwana and Aliwal Shoal, and is a must on any wish-list of
experiences.
The Bull Shark (Zambezi
Shark) is a dangerous species, which are considered to be
more dangerous than the Great White Shark. The body is heavy, with a
short, stout nose. The jaws are extremely pow
erful, with wide, serrated
triangular shaped upper teeth. They average in size between 3m - 3.5m,
although larger specimens are not uncommon. They tend to prefer murky
waters, such as rivers and river mouths, and most breeding is done in river
mouths. They can live in almost any waters, from a low saline content,
such as rivers, to the high saline levels found in the ocean. Although
they can be found in the oceans, they are far more common in shallow waters
close to land. Attacks are very rare, however, they can display very
aggressive behaviour. A mock charge is common, with the shark beginning to
widely circle it's target. The circling narrows with each pass, until
finally, the zambezi heads straight for the victim, veering off at the last
minute - Possibly stemming from a skewy sense of humour. They can be
commonly found on the South Coast, and are plentiful in Lake St Lucia.
The Spotted Ragged Tooth
Shark is commonly found at Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal,
and although are harmless, they make for an exciting dive. Their large,
imposing appearance with their ferocious looking teeth, is an impressive sight.
The teeth look like they could use the services of a very good orthodontist,
being curved and facing in different directions. Their teeth, however
terrifying they may appear to be, are very unsuited to biting humans and large
fish. They use Aliwal shoal as a mating ground from July to November,
and
can be seen in the various caves, and Shark Alley, whilst enjoying their siesta.
They are a common sighting along the South African East Coast.
Tiger Sharks are considered to be a dangerous species. They grow to a very large size of 6m and more, and have strong serrated upper teeth, which are hooked. They can swim in very shallow water, and often come close to shore at night, and keep to the deeps in the daytime, although there are often exceptions to the rule. Younger sharks have very distinctive stripes, which grow more indistinct as the shark gets older and larger, sometimes no longer visible. They are not fussy about their diet, and many strange items, such as clothes, wood, and metal can be found in their stomachs. One should be wary of these magnificent creatures, and be aware of the potential danger.
Great
White Shark - This dangerous but beautiful creature has had rotten press. Yes it is
dangerous, and is known to be the perfect predator however, the attacks that
have been recorded are usually 'hit and runs', or a case of mistaken
identity by juveniles for seals or turtles. Little else can
explain why there would be so many
survivors of this type of shark attack. Surfers and bodyboarders are at
the most risk bec
ause of their thrashing around, and turtle like appearance from
the sharks point of view, and there is little risk to scuba divers.
The mother gives birth to live young, which immediately fend for themselves with
no help. They are believed to be approximately 4 ft, (1.2m long) as
newborns, and grow to over 6m, reaching maturity after around 10 years.
They can regulate their body temperature to be warmer than the sea they are in.
Their senses are extremely highly developed, and can detect prey by the
electrical field generated by a beating heart or gill action. The
electrical charge can be as little as .005 microvolts. They can sense a
thrashing action from a creature in trouble from miles away. Their sense of smell is very acute, and
they can smell 1 part of blood in over a million parts of water.
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