The Boat and Cage

We have recently acquired one of the largest, most modern and luxurious boats available in the shark diving industry Megalodon II is a newly built 11 x 3.8 meter catamaran, providing the ultimate stability at sea. Although she has been designed to accommodate 50 seated passengers on the top and bottom, we usually do not take more than 25 passengers per tour, ensuring plenty extra room and maximum cage diving time for all divers. Our boat is fully licensed to SA marine safety standards as a passenger vessel.

Facilities Onboard Include:

• Spacious cabin
• Private/lockable and flushable toilet
• Private restroom with bed
• Large upper shark-viewing / sunbathing deck
• Seperate wet and dry deck - for maximum comfort
• Fresh water showers
• 50-man life raft
• SART (special rescue tracking device)
• Two powerful 200 hp Yamaha outboard motors
• More than 20 x 5mm wetsuits, available in all regular sizes

The following electronic equipment is available on-board

• VHF radio's x 2,
• 29 Meg. Radio,
• GPS (Global Positioning System),
• Radio / CD player,
• Radar equipment,
• Navigation equipment,
• Depth finder, echo sounder,
• 12 volt charging facilities (for cell phones, cameras and lap top computers).

The following medical and safety equipment is available on-board

• First Aid Kits x 2,
• Oxygen Cylinders,
• Fluid replacement,
• Life vests for all passengers,
• Fire Extinguishers,
• Capsize bottle with additional safety equipment.

We are the only boat in the shark diving industry with specially designed motors which lift completely out of the water, ensuring that the propellers do not harm the sharks in any way. Our boat, cage and life-raft are inspected on an annual basis, ensuring maximum safety for all our passengers.

The Cage

We make use of a securely structured, galvanized, 6-man steel cage. It is operated with a winch from a sturdy gantry, ensuring effective cage retrieval.

Our surface cage is constructed of re-enforced mild steel and built in accordance with specifications provided by coded welders and registered engineers. It has a convenient port hole for easy photography, as well as a 300mm free-board above the surface, allowing divers to effectively communicate with the Dive Master on the boat.

We make use of the hookah system in the cage, meaning that the diving cylinders remain on the boat, since we have 5mm air hoses running into the cage. Cage dimensions are; 2.3m high, 3.0m in length and 1.0m in width. The cage has been carefully designed for the safety of the diver/s as well as the animal. You will therefore find no sharp edges around the cage, ensuring that the sharks are not harmed in any way. Our cage is replaced annually and is inspected by authorities on a regular basis.

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White Shark Diving Ecoventures Shark Cage Diving

Established in 1992 (when shark cage diving was unknown at Dyer Island), White Shark Ecoventures became one of the first companies to offer shark viewing / diving tours in the channel at Dyer Island. The company has gone from strength to strength and today, are better known as the most experienced and longest established operator in the field. Our directors consist of Cindy Thornhill, Mariette Hopley, Margo Francis and Nyami Booi. Our company is Black Economically Empowered, since we believe in gender and race equality as well as job creation in order to fight poverty in South Africa.

Our tours are not only highly educational, but we also actively participate in documenting valuable research information on great white sharks, which is forwarded to Marine & Coastal Management Research and various Marine Biologists world-wide. Our company were the founders of the Great White Shark Protection Foundation, a body dedicated to the protection and preservation of the great white shark globally.

Our crew consists of; SATOUR registered specialized tour guides; Dive Masters; Level 3 Medics; Qualified shark handlers and PDP licensed drivers. Our skippers are licensed with ICASA (Independent Commission Authority of South Africa), as well as SAMSA (South African Maritime and Safety Authority

Management and staff:

Each staff /crew member is highly qualified in his/her specific field and combined have more than 20 years experience with the great white shark;

• Cindy Thornhill – Chief Executive Officer
• Mariette Hopley – Managing Director
• Jackie Booi – Director
• Nyami Booi - Director
• Eileen McCausland: Marketing Manager
• Robert Cope: Satour Registered Tour Guide, Level 3 Medic, PADI Dive Master, A1(1) Commercially licenced skipper, ICASA licensed radio operator and PDP licensed driver. Registered with SAMSA (South African Maritime & Safety Authority.
• Wiehann Myburgh: Satour Registered Tour Guide, Level 3 Medic, NAUI Dive Master, A1(1) Commercially licensed skipper, ICASA licensed radio operator and PDP licensed driver. Registered with SAMSA (South African Maritime & Safety Authority.
• Hansie van der Merwe: A1(1) Commercially licensed skipper, Qualified shark handler, ICASA licensed ratio operator and Captain of the boat. Registered with SAMSA (South African Maritime & Safety Authority.
• Sarel Esterhuizen: Logistical Manager
• Lucas Magungxu: Field Guide / Crew
• Zwayi Jonase: Field Guide / Logistics Assistant
• Andile Tubela: Logistics Assistant
• Lauwrence Mjivu: General worker / Tour Guide
• Joana Vrees: General worker / Catering
• Catherine van Wyk: Admin / General

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