The ultimate underwater tourism experience in the world!

If there is one thing you must add to your bucket list, it has to be shark cage diving with Great Whites!

As the creators of Australia’s first advanced eco certified shark cage diving experience, we offer visitors the once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with the legendary Great White Shark in its natural habitat.

Our full day tour takes you from Port Lincoln marina to ‘shark bay’ at Neptune Island, approximately 70kms south of Port Lincoln, South Australia. On the way, see spectacular scenery as you cruise through the Thorny Passage and expect sightings of inquisitive local dolphins and sea birds.

To ensure we are protecting the natural environment, we use audio sound vibrations to attract the sharks to the boat rather than berley. The benefits of using sound vibration is that it is omnidirectional (that is, it travels in all directions underwater), it’s instantaneous and completely eco friendly – and funnily enough, the Great White shark’s favourite choice of music is the rock tunes from AC/DC – go figure!

When the Great White’s arrive at the boat, you can choose to swim with the sharks from the safety of a hardened steel cage, or take in the thrilling sight from the safety of the boat above the water!

Check out some of our awesome YouTube clips and images on our blog of our shark cage diving, or if you’re keen to experience the thrill of our shark cage diving with great whites tour, check our availability and book your spot on the boat now!

Don’t forget… $50 discount available on all subsequent tours booked with Adventure Bay Charters (please contact us to apply the discount to your next booking!)

What does is cost to go shark cage diving?

Adult $345

Child (5-16 years) $245

Upgrade to swim: $100.00 (Payable onboard when sharks are sighted - Only pay for what you see!)

Upgrade to Swim Includes: Mask, Snorkel, Wetsuit and cage access.

Return Transfers: $10 per person, pick ups/drop offs from CBD accomodation to/from departure point only.

Departure Point: Marina Hotel Boarding Pontoon, Jubilee Drive. Please be at the
departure gate 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Duration: 1 day

Minimum Passengers: 6

Maximum Passengers: 18

Facilities: Toilet on board, change room and hot water shower
Includes: Tea, Coffee, Lunch, Morning Tea and Afternoon tea

Drinks and light snacks available for purchase

Merchandise available on board

Want to see what shark cage diving is all about?!

A few quick facts about shark cage diving

What is the best time of year to go shark cage diving?

We are always hesitant to say the ‘best’ time of year to swim with the sharks, as they are nomadic and somewhat unpredictable. Historically however, the best time of year for viewing great white sharks is from May through to October. At this time the seal pups that were born in the summer months start leaving the safety of the shore and therefore make an easy food supply for the sharks.

Unfortunately this period is in our winter months and therefore the chance of bad weather is also increased. Although we will do our best to ensure trips depart, the weather is out of our control and we encourage passengers to contact us 3 days prior to departure for an updated forecast. We also recommend travel insurance in case departures need to be adjusted.

December through to February has always been another great time to swim with the sharks as this is their annual breeding season. The weather is also warmer at this time of year making trips popular in these months.

The current 2011/2012 season has seen above average sightings of great white sharks. We are always happy to give you up to date information on recent sightings so either contact us or check our recent blog!

Do you have to have diving qualifications to do the tour?

Scuba Diver certification is not required! All dives are surface dives using “hookah” (surface air supply) meaning no cumbersome air tanks! You will only be 2-4 feet below the surface at all times and free to surface at any time. We will provide you with training on the day!

Where is Port Lincoln Located?

Port Lincoln is located 640km from Adelaide, South Australia. Either a short 45-minute plane flight, or a 7 – 7.5 hour drive. The shark cage diving is carried out at North Neptune Islands, which is approximately 2 ½ hours boat ride from Port Lincoln. For more information on how to get to Port Lincoln, please visit out Experience Eyre Peninsula page >

How does Adventure Bay Charters attract sharks without berley?

Adventure Bay Charters has pioneered the use of acoustic attraction for great white shark cage diving in Australia. By playing music through underwater speakers we encourage curious sharks to venture around the boat to investigate the source of the sound.

Does acoustic attraction really work?

Yes, acoustic attraction works. We have being trialling acoustic attraction for more than eight months and results so far suggest that this is a viable alternative to berleying. This appears to reflect the limited scientific research that has been conducted into the acoustic attraction of sharks.

What are the benefits of acoustic attraction?

Two of the main concerns that scientists have regarding the Great White Shark Cage Diving industry is the use of baits to distract sharks from normal feeding activities and the damage caused to sharks by attacking the shark cage and boat. We see very different behaviour from sharks attracted by acoustics compared to attraction by berley. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when sharks are not lured by food they are not as aggressive and do not attack the shark cage or vessel.

How do you know that the sharks are not just attracted by other operator’s berley?

Prevailing tides and currents create a unidirectional ‘slick’ when berley is added to the water. We never deliberately operate in another operator’s slick and have ample evidence of attracting sharks even when in a different bay at the Neptune Islands.

That being said, it can never be ruled out that sharks that visit one vessel have not been attracted by another vessel. In fact this type of behaviour or ‘shark sharing’ is actively encouraged by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a way of maximising the economic benefit of shark attraction activities.

It is also highly probable that other operators benefit from sharks attracted to our vessel. One of the advantages of acoustics is that it is omnidirectional and therefore has the ability to attract sharks that are not directly down-current from the vessel. It is likely that at times these sharks are attracted to our vessel using acoustics and then visit other vessels in search of food.

Would you use berley if you could?
Adventure Bay Charters has built its reputation on providing sustainable and educational eco-tourism products and our customers are increasingly demanding lower impact tourism. Our goal is therefore to use the lowest impact methods available at all times and currently we believe that acoustic attraction is the lowest impact method of attraction for great white sharks. We will work with scientists to prove the benefits of acoustic attraction. If acoustic attraction is not shown to offer significant benefits or alternative lower impact approaches are identified then we may trial different methods in the future.

Is acoustic attraction an unnecessary risk to the customer experience and the reputation of the Great White Shark Cage Diving industry in South Australia?

There are ample reviews on websites such as Trip Advisor detailing the quality of our customer’s experience and a growing proportion of these customers are only interested in our Swim with the Great White Sharks tour because we do not use berley and baits. Furthermore, we believe that identified risk to the great white shark population for existing berleying and baiting methods has far greater potential to harm the reputation of the Shark Cage Diving Industry.

What does it mean to be Advanced Eco certified?

The ECO Certification logo is a globally recognized brand which assists travellers to choose and experience a genuine and authentic tour or attraction that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. The ECO Certification program assures travellers that certified products are backed by a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high quality nature-based tourism experiences.

Advanced Ecotourism is the highest level of ECO Certification in Australia. It identifies Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism products, providing an opportunity to learn about the environment with an operator who is committed to achieving best practice when using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities.

Want more information about the Neptune Island Conservation Park?

Department of Environment and Natural Resources have several fact sheets. Click here to follow the link.