Sarah's Birthday SEAL DIVING on 28 November

ABOUT

Join me to do something WILD and FUN to celebrate my 46th Birthday on 28 November.

It seemed an easy way to do this to simply create an online way to book and pay. Below is all the info you may need including the real question.... ARE THERE SHARKS?

Inclusions:

We provide all equipment including 5mm neoprene wetsuits with hood + 3mm neoprene vest, fins, masks and snorkels.

Cape Fur seals occur naturally on islands around the southern African coast and are found nowhere else in the world. Duiker Island in Hout Bay is home to about 5 000 seals and lies within the Karbonkelberg marine protected area, part of Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town. These Cape Fur seals are not fed or trained, they behave naturally and interact with snorkelers on their own terms. Seal Snorkelers can always see seals in the water and there are no sharks present. This is a wildlife adventure that brings you mask-to-whisker with playful and inquisitive wild animals in their natural habitat.

Meeting Location

We meet at the Seal Snorkeling Center – 8 Albert road, HOUT BAY, Cape Town. We are NOT in Albert Road, Salt River, Cape Town. 

Trip Duration

About 2.5 hours. This includes 30 minutes to sign in and kit up, briefing and travelling to and from the Harbour and island. On average, visitors spend 45 mins – 1hr in the water.

Snorkeling conditions

The seal snorkeling site is very shallow (1 – 5m deep) and you will see the bottom clearly most days. This is the ocean so there can be small waves and a choppy surface. The water temperature varies from 8C – 13C. This means that the water is COLD ! The boat is always nearby and you can return to warm up if needed.

What is provided?

We provide all snorkeling equipment, a seal guide, transfer from the office to the harbour, boat ride, educational briefing, water, biscuits, hot chocolate and hot water to pour in your wetsuit after the snorkel, along with tea and coffee at the office and a HOT shower.

What is the best time to snorkel with the seals?

The best time is whenever you can and time allows! Summer is generally best – September to May. The most consistent and warmest conditions occur from December – February. From mid-March onward the seal pups are learning how to swim and are very curious in the water!

Age limits?

Children need to be 10 years or older to snorkel. It is important that you let us know if children are joining as part of your group, as we need to make sure that the conditions are not too rough. Boat viewers can be from 6 years old and upward.

Sea Sickness

Please take medication if you are prone to motion sickness. Once we are with the seals we cannot return until after the snorkel has finished, 1 and a half hours at sea.

Are there any sharks?

No, the island is situated on the cold Atlantic side of Cape Town where temperatures range between 8C -15 C. Great White Sharks prefer seal colonies on the east coast of South Africa. The shallow reefs and thick kelp forests prevent large sharks from coming close to Duiker Island. The well-established and long-running seal watching ships have not seen a shark at the island in over 20 years of operation.

Seal viewing?

Yes, we charge a reduced rate for people who want to come look at the seals from the boat while the snorkelers are in the water. If you are booking as a boat rider it is suggested that you bring an all weather jacket with you for the trip, as the boat gets splashed!