{"id":158825,"date":"2025-09-21T08:20:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T08:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/158825\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T08:20:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T08:20:06","slug":"great-white-shark-tourism-in-south-africa-faces-crisis-as-sightings-plunge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/158825\/","title":{"rendered":"Great White Shark Tourism in South Africa Faces Crisis as Sightings Plunge"},"content":{"rendered":"

In South Africa\u2019s waters just a few years ago, an experience like mine of seeing white sharks in the wild in their natural habitat was possible daily, and multiple times per day. Now, it\u2019s becoming less frequent. A 2024 study<\/a> from the Oceans Research Institute<\/a> showed a 90 percent loss of tracked white sharks between 2019 and 2024.<\/p>\n

Because of this, the wildlife tourism industry had to reinvent itself, creating a new, broader marine experience. Simultaneously, it created a global call for environmental action to protect sharks, much like the push to save African rhinos<\/a> that gained global attention in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

Where did South Africa\u2019s white sharks go?
\n
\n\"great<\/p>\n

A white shark as soon through a diving cage in South Africa. Photo: Holger Kirk<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

The answer, sadly, may be nowhere. White sharks may just be disappearing. That\u2019s the sense tour operators and conservationists have in places like Gansbaai Village and False Bay, both well-known coastal locations for shark cage diving near Cape Town<\/a>, where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans merge.<\/p>\n

Biologists have reported going from 15 to 20 white shark sightings on a daily basis to counting on sheer luck to catch sight of just one the whole day. That\u2019s the experience shared by Mary Rowlinson, marine biologist at the Shark and Marine Research Institute<\/a>, in the 2024 documentary The Last Shark.<\/a> The documentary warns of the decreasing Carcharodon carcharias (white shark) numbers, and set off alarm bells in the scientific community for the speed at which it suggested numbers are dropping.<\/p>\n

What caused such a sharp decline in the great white shark population in the area? Many threats, but the most often cited are illegal fishing and the controversial setting of shark nets and drumlines<\/a>. The latter are devices put in water to reduce the probability of shark attacks, which have been placed around the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal region for decades. It\u2019s a strategy called the \u201cbather protection program.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of this, the South African great white shark cage diving industry had to look for a different approach. \u201cWe immediately shifted our marketing from \u2018white shark cage diving\u2019 to simply \u2018shark diving,\u2019\u201d says Wilfred Chivell, managing director of Gansbaai-based Marine Dynamics<\/a>. \u201cThis change helps highlight the variety of shark species our guests can encounter, rather than focusing on just one.\u201d<\/p>\n

The majority decided to come clean and stressed that, in spite of this phenomenon, other shark species are still present in large numbers, like Carcharhinus brachyurus \u2014 the bronze whaler shark. And they emphasize that while finding white sharks is the goal, it\u2019s not always a reality.<\/p>\n

How South Africa is adapting to protect tourism and sharks
\n
\n\"great<\/p>\n

Bronze whaler sharks and dolphins feeding on sardines in South Africa. Photo: wildestanimal<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Is adaptation enough to keep the shark diving industry alive? Not entirely, according to some local operators. Excursion bookings dropped drastically between 2014 and 2024, says Samantha Hansen, managing director of the Shark and Marine Research Institute<\/a>. \u201cAcross the industry, we estimate there\u2019s been a 20 to 30 percent drop in bookings over the past few years,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

While COVID is partially to blame, she says the decline in white shark sightings also played a major role. She also points to illegal fishing, poor protection in marine reserves, and \u201coutdated practices\u201d like shark nets and drumlines. Natural predation by orcas also played a role, like the now-famous Port and Starboard<\/a>: a pair of adult male orcas notable for preying on great white sharks off the coast of South Africa.<\/p>\n

Hansen is also the marketing director at White Shark Diving Company<\/a>, a leading shark diving tour operator in Gansbaai. She estimates that in the absence of great white sharks, they lose about 50 confirmed bookings per year when potential guests \u201clearn about the decline in white shark sightings during our pre-trip correspondence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe choose to be fully transparent and manage expectations early, so visitors don\u2019t feel misled,\u201d she says. \u201cThankfully, many travelers remain incredibly supportive and still choose to join us.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear from both Chivell and Hansen that the solution has to be two-fold: orienting the cage dive offerings to a broader, more educational and ecological approach, while also putting strong pressure on the government and public to preserve these amazing animals, which are, above anything else, essential in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n

An ongoing challenge for the industry
\n
\n\"shark<\/p>\n

Tourists entering a shark cage in South Africa. Photo: Nico Calandra<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Chivell also provided his insight on the sharks\u2019 decline. \u201cIn 2016, the industry took out around 85,000 people on shark cage diving trips,\u201d he says. \u201cBy 2024, that number had dropped to about 28,000, mainly because of the misconception that we have no sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hansen echoes the thought that there are still plenty of other sharks left to see. \u201cBronze whaler sharks often arrive in schools and are highly curious and interactive,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019ve provided us with truly unforgettable diving encounters, alongside broadnose sevengill cow sharks, and many other fascinating marine species.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chivell agrees that many visitors \u201care blown away and leave with a deep appreciation\u201d of the wildlife in general. That\u2019s even true for travelers from the United States, who are often \u201cinfluenced by Discovery Shark Week\u201d and are \u201cfocused on seeing white sharks specifically.\u201d Each tour from Marine Dynamics also includes a visit to the area\u2019s African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary<\/a>, where guests learn about seabird conservation and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

Nets, orcas, and a controversy at a dead end
\n
\n\"great<\/p>\n

Beachgoers at Gordon\u2019s Bay, on South Africa\u2019s False Bay. Photo: Ahturner<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

The documentary The Last Shark exposes the dark side of nets and drumlines installed since 1952 on the tourist beaches of KwaZulu-Natal. In the documentary, one activist refers to them as \u201ccurtains of death.\u201d Between 1978 and 2000, shark nets along South Africa\u2019s beaches killed 28,687 large sharks<\/a>, plus thousands of rays, dolphins, turtles, and whales. This destabilized the marine ecosystem and at the heart of South Africa\u2019s marine tourism. <\/p>\n

Some tour operators, researchers, and activists put blame on the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board<\/a> (KZNSB), which is responsible for the \u201cbather protection program,\u201d which uses nets and drumlines to reduce human-shark encounters. \u201cThe Sharks Board remains resistant to change, largely tied to financial interests,\u201d Hansen says. She\u2019d like to see the board make changes, but it would have a cost. \u201cShifting away from that model would mean redirecting resources into testing and implementing modern, non-lethal alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chivell agrees the nets and drumlines are a problem, saying \u201cblaming the two orcas oversimplifies the situation. Our sharks are being brutally caught in outdated nets and drumlines. More than 1,000 white sharks<\/a> have been killed in these nets over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"great<\/p>\n

Shark nets are put just below the waterline to prevent sharks from entering designated swimming areas (as shown here in Australia). Photo: John Carnemolla<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

But the official story fully contradicts that view. In a statement for this story, Matt Dicken, acting head of research for KZNSB, says he believes research that points to orcas for keeping other species away. He also notes this is primarily an issue in the Western Cape, but not necessarily in other areas of South Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dicken claims that protection devices have \u201creduced the incidence of unprovoked shark attacks\u201d in KwaZulu-Natal. It\u2019s a program he describes as vital, as beach tourism is a major draw in the region. The bather protection programs \u201cprovide public confidence in beach safety,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Activists have proposed other ways to keep beaches safe, such as surveillance with binoculars, automatic drones, acoustic receivers, and electric deterrence. Dicken says the Sharks Board \u201cis constantly investigating the potential to use any non-lethal alternates,\u201d but that none are suitable for use along the region\u2019s coasts.<\/p>\n

How travelers can get involved
\n
\n\"great<\/p>\n

Photo: Wirestock Creators<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Those who travel to South Africa can get involved in protecting great white sharks, part of the country\u2019s natural heritage at risk of disappearing as we know it. <\/p>\n

The most accessible way to be part of the solution, from anywhere on the planet, is to join a campaign for change. A petition<\/a> launched collaboratively in late 2023 by a coalition of concerned organizations and citizens demands more sustainable alternatives of protection than shark nets and drumlines.<\/p>\n

Another option is to become a volunteer with shark research<\/a> in Cape Town, a program targeted to students and researchers but open to anyone. The research and conservation program receives between 50 and 60 international collaborators a year, mainly from the US, United Kingdom, Europe, and Brazil, as well as South Africans. Volunteers work with biologists to tag and monitor species, clean beaches, and support the scientists\u2019 studies. You don\u2019t need previous experience, just passion for the ocean and its diversity.<\/p>\n

Choosing to dive with licensed companies that don\u2019t use harmful baiting techniques<\/a>, such those mentioned in this article, also makes a difference and helps fund shark protection. Baiting is controversial, since it can change the sharks\u2019 normal feeding behavior and teach them to associate humans with food \u2014 one of many reasons to choose reputable shark tourism options. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick way to decide: if the company seems to push a certain shark sighting over and above teaching its guests about marine ecology and conservation, take that as an alert sign. As it so often is, the fate of these vulnerable ecosystems relies on responsible travel. That moment of awe in the cage means little if the species vanishes. The fate of these controlled encounters depends in part on how much travelers who care about the species chip in. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In South Africa\u2019s waters just a few years ago, an experience like mine of seeing white sharks in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":158826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":{"0":"post-158825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}