Diving adventures with Shark Bookings

The great white shark (aka. great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death) is one of nature's most feared, and often misunderstood predators. With a number of films under its belt and an extensive amount of media coverage, this ocean creature has become one of the most popular marine animals worldwide. Shark Bookings is a Gansbaai based diving company offering unforgettable great white shark cage diving packages. Why not take advantage of their carefully crafted packages and affordable rates and book your encounter with this apex predator.

Top 5 Beach Destinations in South Africa

The coastal areas of South Africa play host to a multitude of exciting adventure activities, such as cage diving in Gansbaai or racing down the sand dunes in Cape Town. In short; the beach front is where you will want to be. As summer winds down into mild autumn weather the beaches will soon be visited less, but until then, here is a list of five great beaches to visit around the country:

1. Clifton Beach
One of the Mother City’s favourite beach spots, the strip of Clifton beaches numbered one to four is where you go to do one of two things: lounge in the sun or surf the waves. The icy water is not ideal for swimming, but many individuals brave the cold temperatures to escape the hot African sun. Cape Town boasts a plethora of beautiful beaches, and other notable beach sites to visit include Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, the nudist Sandy Beach as well as Bloubergstrand.

2. Jeffery’s Bay
Home to the biggest, most exhilarating waves, Jeffery’s Bay is an earthly paradise to every surfing enthusiast. As the unofficial surfing capital of the country, it’s no surprise that this alcove happened to be the main filming location for the sequel to the successful surfing film, Blue Crush.

3. Grotto Beach
This picturesque beach in Hermanus is a favourite for whale watching. It is easily accessible and hosts a range of spectacular restaurants and beach facilities, all pleasantly set against cascading white dunes and a grassy mountain side.

4. Durban
This coastal port city of KwaZulu Natal plays host to a number of vibrant, colourful beaches. Along the East coast of South Africa runs the warm current of the Indian Ocean and the beaches dotted along Durban’s coast offer pleasantly warm waters.

5. Gansbaai
Known as South Africa’s hub for great white shark cage diving, this quaint coastal area also offers svelte stretches of white sandy beach peppered with huge dunes and mountainous hillsides.

Original Source: Shark Bookings 

The beach bum’s guide to Mozambique

Mozambique is peppered with miles and miles of pristine, palm-fringed beaches which make it an irresistible destination for the eloquent beach bum looking for an escape from the concrete jungle. Whether you’re embarking on exciting diving in Mozambique or simply looking forward to a week of sun, sand and frozen cocktails, there’s an incredible range of beaches to visit.

Pemba

Famed as the gateway to the tres romantic Quirimbas Archipelago on the northern coastline of Mozambique, Pemba Beach is world-renowned as one of the top beach destinations for water sports and diving enthusiasts. Hawaii – eat your heart out.

Ponta De Ouro

The bustling town of Ponta do Ouro is located at the Southern tip of Mozambique and is without a doubt one of the best scuba diving locations in the world. The sparkling waters teem with a variety of marine life including dolphins and manta rays while schools of tropical fish fill the colourful coral reefs. Ponta De Ouro is the prime destination for a number of spectacular diving trips in Mozambique and provides a tranquil, secluded holiday spot for beach bums and glitzy guests alike.

Inhambane and Praia do Tofo 

Inhambane Bay lies just 470km northeast of Maputo and offers safe swimming and easy boat launching in warm, clear waters. Apart from being a good fishing spot, there are a number of vibrant coral reefs nearby for adventurous swimmers to explore. Right next door, the pristine beach at Praia do Tofo is celebrated as the most popular surfing beach in Mozambique. The powerful right point break and warm water attract professional surfers from all over the world.

Bilene

Located 160km north of Maputo, the picturesque village of Bilene is home to a sweeping 27km-long lagoon with bright, white stretches of sand for beach games, and warm, shallow water for safe swimming. This is a popular resort destination for families and water sports enthusiasts who enjoying non-motorised (quiet) water sports such as paddle-skiing and windsurfing.

Now that you’re aware of the sandy Shangri-La that awaits you, head down to one of Mozambique’s stunning beaches and make some summer memories under the warm African sun.

Original Source: Scuba Mozambique

Chris Fallows: The Shark Whisperer Shares His Secrets

Have you heard of Chris Fallows? If you love Great Whites, then you undoubtedly have. Chris is a well-known shark specialist and the discoverer of the now-famous breaching behaviour that the incredible predators use to hunt. He and his wife, Monique Fallows, run a shark cage diving company called Apex Shark Expeditions which operates in the scenic region of False Bay.

In 1989, Chris started tagging sharks and established a catch and release programme with local fishermen that effectively resulted in the release of more than 1,500 rays and sharks. From 1992-1996, he worked at Dyer Island, before co-founding African Shark Eco-Charters in False Bay.

1996 was also the year when Chris and a colleague discovered the shark’s breaching behaviour in False Bay – the shark torpedoes its entire frame out the sea and then launches itself on unsuspecting prey. Chris and Monique started Apex in 2000 – a company that prioritises the shark’s well-being and aims to educate the public about these often misunderstood fish.

With over 1,300 trips to Seal Island under his belt, Chris is an expert on Great White behaviour and, together with his team; he has catalogued 5,500 predatory events, which is the largest database of its kind in the world.

You can also read Chris’s scientific papers to familiarise yourself with the behaviour of sharks or opt to go on one of his special ‘Sharks of Southern Africa’ tours, which are specially designed to cater for shark and wildlife enthusiasts. If you are interested in shark cage diving in Gansbaai or False Bay and want to go with a responsible company that emphasises the well-being of the animal, then you can’t go wrong with Apex.

Chris will be speaking and signing books at the Two Oceans Aquarium on the 27th February. The event promises to be an unforgettable one and includes a welcome drink, snacks and a tour of the Aquarium, which currently houses in excess of 3,000 living sea animals.

The Aquarium showcases the phenomenal diversity of life found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and has numerous colourful and informative displays for guests to enjoy, including the seal enclosure and penguin zone. It was established in 1995 and has grown from strength to strength; now recognised as one of Cape Town’s most treasured tourist hot spots. 

Original Source: Apex Shark Expeditions

Johannesburg Airport

Hiring a car can be your best option for transport upon your arrival at Johannesburg airport, car hire allows you to travel at your own leisure at an affordable cost.

You can drop your car hire from Johannesburg Airport back at the airport upon your departure or at a South African car hire branch within most city centres.

Watch out for local taxis when in your Johannesburg Airport car hire that seem to have their own road rules and remember to report all dings and faults before you take the car out of the lot at the airport.

Source: Travelling from Johannesburg Airport