No, the Shark Route is divided into three zones, the cool temperate (Zone 1), the warm temperate(Zone 2), and the sub-tropical (Zone 3). Clients can choose to run one, two or all three of these zones depending on availability and interests.
The participation in any adventure is totally your decision, but people rarely choose not to partake. Due to pre-bookings, refunds are not possible if guests choose not to partake in any activity.
Groups range in size from 4 to 8 people in the premium option, and from 6 to 12 people in the economy.
Bad weather is likely to affect any shark route adventure. To compensate for this we have built in two rest/contingency days into each zone of the tour. In the event of bad weather a land based alternative adventure will be offered and the dive moved to a contingency day. If weather is also bad for the contingency day, then the specific dive will be missed and we will continue to travel the route. The costs of alternative activities are built into the budget and no refund will be given for missing certain dives due to inclement weather.
Your needs will be specific to you, the season and what parts of the shark route you are running. In general, you are welcome to bring your own soft scuba equipment, however, we do provide this if you cannot. We have a plenty of storage, so you are welcome to bring your photographic and video equipment (just let us know).
A range of drinks will be offered freely from an on board bar facility during this tour. The bar will be restocked as needed when the opportunity presents itself. Drinks at restaurants, bars etc. will be at the cost of the guest.
At each location, cylinders and weights will be provided to all clients. Soft equipment can be supplied as needed to all clients, or you can bring your own. When applying for a position, a form will be required outlining the equipment you will be bringing and thus enabling us to make sure you are fully kitted out. As water temperature varies considerably throughout the tour, a minimum of two wetsuits will be required.
For the premium guests all meals, including restaurants, is included in the cost. For economy guests meals are the responsibility of the guest.
At most of the locations in South Africa internet access will be available, and can be used at a small additional cost provided to the accommodation provider. In Mozambique (Zone 3), internet is occasionally available, but cannot be guaranteed.
Approximately 70 percent of the marine adventures involve scuba diving and qualifications. The remaining marine adventures are snorkelling based or cage diving. You are still able to run the route as a non-diver, but you will miss out on all scuba activities. A great solution is to arrive a week early and let us qualify you as a scuba diver.
You can only dive on the advanced dives with the appropriate qualification. The best solution is to come a few days early and let us upgrade you to advanced. Alternatively, we can schedule in the advanced course over parts of the tour, but this may be at the expense of some shark adventures.
In South Africa, white shark diving is only from a cage. So no you will not be able to scuba dive with white sharks outside of a cage on the Shark Route.
As the Shark Route traverses different marine biomes, different levels of protection are needed. Zone 1 = 5 – 7mm, Zone 2 = 5mm, Zone 3 = 3 – 5mm.
Yes! The Shark Route premier is designed to meet all your needs. Let us know about any specific food requirements and we will ensure that a custom menu is always available for you.
DAN evacuation plans are in place for all locations in South Africa and Mozambique. The route is guided by many South Africa’s top guides and instructors to ensure the safety of all guests.
We will be travelling the route with an additional trailer for kit so there is plenty of room for additional equipment. We recommend a bag for clothing, a bag for diving kit, and a bag for camera equipment.
In Zone 3 Yes, in Zones 1 and 2 No. Mozambique (Zone 3) is a malaria country, so anti malaria will be required. The most readily used options are (a) Mefloquine (Lariam) or (b) Doxycycline
Whenever you travel, it is a good idea to have medical insurance, and this is a necessity when travelling the Shark Route. We also recommend that you have DAN diver insurance (www.dan.org).
The economy is designed to allow you the flexibility to pick and choose many of the adventures that are offered standard on the premium package. You can chop and change your mind during the tour as long as space on the vessels exist.
No. The economy package does every dive but, whilst the premier package offers some dives twice, the economy offers only single dives. Economy guests can participate in additional dives as an optional ‘add-in’.
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