Gansbaai South Africa

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARIS AND GANSBAAI

Gansbaai derived its name from the Afrikaans word that means ‘Bay of Geese’, despite this name Gansbaai is more commonly known for its great white sharks, seals and whales… In 1995 shark cage diving was established near Dyer Island and has since then become a popular South African holiday destination (second to the Kruger National Park).

De Kelders (near Gansbaai) is home to one of the oldest human remains dating back 70 000 years. This is one of only 3 known places in South Africa that has found & excavated ancient human remains – this is actually the oldest ‘man’ finding around!! This makes De Kelders a fascinating and historic area to discover for all travellers…

In Danger Point the HMS Birkenhead was wrecked in 1852... After this dramatic historic event the rock situated 2 km away from the coastal line that caused the accident, was aptly named the ‘Birkenhead Rock’. The ship carried Welsh and Scottish soldiers and officers. Most people wouldn’t find this very unusual but this ship was the first in history to use the ‘children & women first’ rule. Most of the women and children were saved while many of the soldiers and officers drowned… These waters are and still remain extremely dangerous as more the 140 ships have been shipwrecked here…

Gansbaai was founded in 1881 after an 18-year old fisherman (Johannes Cornelis Wessels) happened upon this fishing area... Shortly after that, other families came to join him and created the town ‘Gansbaai’. In 1939 a small factory was built for the processing of shark livers for WW2 and in 1963 Gansbaai become a municipality. Today Gansbaai is still a popular and productive fishing village!

Gansbaai boasts a stunning landscape with lush vegetation and a huge array of the Cape Kingdom Fynbos (over 9000 species)! Even though it boasts a stunning landscape it is more well-known for its whales (Southern Right whales seen in June, July and Dec when they migrate from the Antarctica), seals and, of course, its sharks (Great Whites).

Great White Shark Cage Diving is optimal at Dyer Island – depending on sea conditions, weather and shark behaviour. Travellers can either view sharks from the surface or get into a secure cage and see them from below the boat! Shark season is between June and September and normally about 4 - 5 sharks are encountered each day!

The weather in Gansbaai is temperate with a pleasant climate - with warm and sunny days for most days of the year. The best months are December and January for the summer season.

Have a look at our shark cage diving trip that is done at Gansbaai… There are also other South African attractions beneath that you might want to visit on your South African Safari.

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