Sharks at Aliwal Shoal & Kruger Park Safari
Join us on a diving trip to South Africa, and experience unlimited diving at Aliwal Shoal with sharks, including 3 baited dives. End your adventure with an unforgettable safari in the Kruger Park. Perfect for diving & nature lovers!
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Diving in Aliwal Shoal and Safari in the Kruger Park
Join us on an unforgettable trip to South Africa, combining the best of both worlds: unlimited diving at Aliwal Shoal and an exciting safari in the famous Kruger Park. Explore the fascinating underwater world and experience the magic of the African wilderness.
Diving at Aliwal Shoal
During this diving vacation you will spend 6 days diving and make a minimum of two dives per day, including two baited dives. Weather conditions determine how many additional dives you can make, thanks to the unlimited dive package. From diving with oceanic blacktip sharks and tiger sharks to exploring wrecks such as the MV Produce and the Nebo.
Safari in the Kruger Park
After diving, head to the legendary Kruger National Park. You have the chance to spot the“Big Five“: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos. You will also see giraffes, hippos, colorful birds and many other animals. Each turn in the park reveals new surprises and encounters with African nature.
Best travel time for a diving vacation to South Africa
Aliwal Shoal is a great year-round diving destination thanks to the constant presence of sharks.
May to November: During these months, you can enjoy the sight of humpback whales. Moreover, this is the time when the Ragged Tooth Sharks use Aliwal Shoal as their mating ground.
June to November: This is the best time to see Ragged Tooth Sharks, as Aliwal Shoal is their favorite place to mate.
October to March: Hammerhead Sharks are often seen during this period.
December to May: These months are ideal for spotting White Tip Reef Sharks, Manta Rays, Tiger Sharks and Bull (Zambezi) Sharks.
Year-round: Oceanic (Pelagic) Black Tip Sharks, dolphins and turtles are present year-round, ensuring there is always something special to see.
Want to combine this trip with the Sardine Run? This is only possible in June and July.
The best time for a safari in South Africa is from May to September, during the dry season. During this period, vegetation is thinner and animals gather around water sources, making them easier to spot. In addition, temperatures are milder, making it more comfortable for safari activities.
Nb. The diving conditions are challenging on Aliwal Shoal, ideal for advanced divers with at least 30 dives and an Advanced Open Water certification. Nitrox and Marine Park Fee are included.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for diving in South Africa
Between November and May, 5mm is sufficient for most divers. For the other months, a 7mm can even be considered.
What will you experience on this diving vacation?
View itinerary here
Day 1 & 2 - Arrival in Durban
This diving vacation begins with a flight from Europe to Durban. The flight likely includes a short layover at Johannesburg, in the Middle East or Turkey. Total travel time will be between approximately 13 & 17 hours. On day 2, you land at Durban International Airport. At Durban airport you will be picked up and taken to the Blue Ocean Dive Resort in Umkomaas, about 80 kilometers south of the airport and close to the coast.
Upon arrival at the resort, you will be checked into your room. The rest of the day is devoted to relaxation. You can take a walk on the beach or relax by the pool. In the late afternoon you will receive a comprehensive briefing on shark diving at Aliwal Shoal, a preview for tomorrow.
Day 3 - 8 | Unlimited diving with sharks
The next six days are all about diving as much as you can! During the Unlimited Aliwal Shoal Diving Adventure, you will have the chance to explore all the best dive sites on the Aliwal Shoal Reef System. This includes the southern reefs, depending on conditions, which are deeper and more advanced for added challenge. These reefs are rarely visited and are therefore rich in life. The two amazing wreck dives on Aliwal Shoal, the MV Produce (sunk in 1974) at 32 meters depth and the Nebo (sunk in 1884) at 24 meters depth, also make for impressive dives. Last but not least, you get the chance to do several baited dives with sharks.
Each day you can enjoy a variety of dives, from Baited Shark Dives with Oceanic Black Tip Sharks and Ragged Tooth Sharks to spotting manta rays, eagle rays, devil rays, dolphins and humpback whales.
Good to know!
During baited dives in Aliwal Shoal , the sharks are not fed.
During a baited dive, they lower a drum, a barrel with holes, into the water to about 5m deep.
Inside this barrel are remains of fish, usually sardines.
The smell of these fish remains smells super good to the sharks, and that’s what attracts them.
There are no cages or the like, during these dives you are in the water as usual.
For each day, it is possible to make more dives(unlimited!) if weather and launch conditions are favorable.
Day 9 l Flight to Nelspruit
Today you will leave the Blue Ocean Dive Resort and be transferred to the Durban airport. From Durban you will fly directly to Nelspruit, where you will be picked up for an approximately 2-hour drive to the Kruger Life Style Lodge. The rest of the day is at your own discretion, so you can relax and prepare for the safari spectacle that really begins tomorrow.
Day 10, 11 & 12 | Kruger Park Safari
Over the next three days you will explore the legendary Kruger National Park in Southern Africa. With its vast 20,000 square kilometers of wilderness, the park offers a fantastic adventure. As soon as you enter this pristine ecosystem, you are greeted by the roar of lions and the presence of the “Big Five” – lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos.
During your safari you will also see peacefully grazing elephants along the rivers, buffalo moving in impressive herds and leopards deftly climbing among the branches. Giraffes roam gracefully among the trees, while hippos seek refreshment in the calm waters of the rivers. The park is also home to a large number of bird species.
Every bend in the dusty trails offers a new surprise, an encounter with the wilderness. Graceful antelopes, striped zebras and crocodiles complete this animal symphony. At dusk, as the sun retreats, the Kruger Park transforms into a living scene, drenched in warm colors.
Day 13 & 14 | Return home
Today, unfortunately, is already the end of your unforgettable trip in South Africa. After a final breakfast at the Kruger Liftstyle lodge, depart for Nelspruit Airport.
From Nelspruit you will fly to Johannesburg where you will board the plane for home.
Don’t you want to go home yet? Then you have the option of traveling on to Tofo in Mozambique, where you can go on another of the most beautiful dives!
The accommodation
The stay and surroundings
Blue Ocean Dive Lodge
The first seven nights of this trip you will stay at the Blue Ocean Dive Lodge. The resort is beautifully situated overlooking the Indian Ocean and the Umkomaas Golf Course, and features a fully licensed ocean-view restaurant and bar, and of course a dive center. The historic 1934 building combines comfort and convenience.
With space for large groups of up to 24 (expandable to 32 with an additional boat) and a dive lodge that can accommodate up to 54 guests, they are perfectly equipped for any diver or dive association.
La Kruger Lifestyle Lodge
During your safari in the Kruger Park, you will stay at La Kruger Lifestyle Lodge. This lodge offers a wonderful stay in the African bush. Located in Marloth Park, a safari game reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, this lodge is a stone’s throw from the Mozambique and Swaziland borders.
The lodge is beautifully embedded in the bushveld of the southern Kruger National Park region. The decks are built around existing Marula trees, connected by elevated walkways. Guests are greeted by zebras, giraffes, kudu, impala, blue wildebeest, bushbucks and warthogs. Bird lovers can enjoy a variety of native birds and their songs.
After a day in the Kruger Park, guests can relax by the infinity splash pools or take an outdoor shower under the African sky. The luxurious interior offers comfort with private en-suite bathrooms and friendly service. In the evening, enjoy a delicious three-course dinner by the boma fire under the Marula tree and have an unforgettable stay at La Kruger Lifestyle Lodge.
Travel costs
What is included
This diving vacation to South Africa is available from US$ 3.363 per person based on two people in one room. The diving trip can be expanded as desired. A number of things are included by default in this travel package.
Prices are subject to price changes, increases or changing exchange rates. Flights are always based on the cheapest possible booking class.
Want to know more about this diving vacation to South Africa? Get in touch with us!
Included in this diving trip, from US$ 3.363 p.p.
- 7 nights at the Blue Ocean Dive Lodge
- Accommodation on full board basis
- Return airport transfers Durban
- Dive package consisting of 6 days of unlimited diving*
- Flight Durban - Nelspruit
- 4 nights at La Kruger Lifestyle Lodge
- Half board accommodation
- 3 Safari days Kruger Park, including entrance fees
- Lunch on safari days
- Flight Nelspruit - Johannesburg
- VZR, Calamity Fund & Administration fee
* For each day, it is possible to make more dives (unlimited!) if weather and launch conditions are favorable.
Excluding
- Flight to Durban / Johannesburg from US$ 652 p.p.
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe.
However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide.
Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
- BCD & Breathalyzer US$ 152 p.p.
- Full diving equipment US$ 228 p.p.
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Frequently asked questions about this diving vacation
Diving in the Galapagos Islands general information
Boat diving, especially with sharks. In addition, you will also dive on 2 wrecks during this trip.
You must be at least Advanced Open Water certified for this trip.
Most dive sites are up to 30 minutes away by boat.
This is an unlimited package with a minimum of 2 dives per day, and in good weather conditions this can be extended.
Not directly at the resort, but nearby is the “house reef” of Aliwal Shoal. Accessible only by boat.
Yes, on-site
Diving equipment
The tanks are DIN tanks, but there are inserts to make them INT.
Yes, by request.
Yes, this is free for certified Nitrox divers.
BCD & Respirator are US$ 152 p.p. for this trip and you can extend this with mask, snorkel and fins for a total of US$ 228 p.p.
Activities, Excursions and Wellness
Safaris and horseback riding.
Accommodation / Resort
Yes, this is free
Yes, on-site
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