Shark cage diving in Australia with white sharks! Woohoo! A long-dreamt dream finally came true for me. (Video ↓)
When I got the opportunity to fly to Australia, specifically to fly to Adelaide, it was clear to me that I wanted to fulfill this dream of seeing white sharks in their natural habitat.
This article contains ads and affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase using one of the links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. More about it in the Disclosure Policy.
Contents
Great White Shark Cage Diving Australia – My Experience
Port Lincoln, which is a 7-hour drive or a 50-minute flight from Adelaide, is THE White Shark mecca in Australia.
I planned my entire 14-day-long trip in Australia around this particular day (which was not easy at all).
I flew in with Qantas on the previous evening from Adelaide and stayed two days in the coastal town.
The next morning, I was picked up at 6:10 AM from the Port Lincoln Hotel.
After a short briefing on board the Shark Warrior boat, we left for the Port Lincoln Shark diving tour during sunrise.
We headed south for 2 hours. Past the Lincoln National Park, where sea lions lay lazily on the rocks.
We had breakfast (vegetarian for me) in calm(er) seas, which was included in the tour. After leaving the protection of the peninsula, the waves got larger, and some of the passengers got seasick.
Very seasick. (I will leave it to your imagination.)
I highly recommend you bring these motion sickness patches with you.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the case for me. I enjoyed the ride and remembered the time when I was living on an 18-meter catamaran for 10 months.
Once we reached the Neptune Islands, where the Great White Sharks are, the cage was released into the water, and we got a wetsuit, neoprene boots, a diving mask, and a weight belt. It was all included in the cage diving tour.
You breathe through the mouthpiece as you do during diving, but without wearing an oxygen bottle. Instead, the oxygen comes from a pipe, which is fixed to the cage and makes it a lot easier to enjoy the time underwater. Especially if you are new to diving, it makes it a lot easier and enjoyable for you.
I climbed into the cage first because I was so excited to see the white sharks.
The water was 18 degrees Celsius, just like the temperature outside that day. (May)
Right after I entered the cage, three others came into the water, and we were waiting for the sharks.
It took a couple of minutes (I lost track of time) until the first white shark came out of nowhere. I wasn’t afraid when I saw the big White Shark. They aren’t like you see them in movies like Jaws. They were curious to see what was going on, and they circled around and underneath the boat.
If you are too scared to get into a cage and still want to see the White Sharks without getting wet, you also have the chance to do so. The company has the first Aqua Sub worldwide, where you can sit underwater watching the White Shark(s) swim by.
Great White Shark Diving South Australia: The main reason I chose Adventure Bay Charters
What I really like about the company Adventure Bay Charters is that they don’t lure the sharks with bait. Instead, they use sound.
The reason for this, as the founder of Adventure Bay Charters told me later, is that the sharks are hurt when they bite into the bait and crash into the cage.
Many of the sharks have scratches and scrapes on the head, which come from luring with bait.
With the help of sound, the sharks are also attracted, because they are curious and follow the sound.
Because of this animal-friendly way, Adventure Bay Charters received quite a few awards.
This type of attraction and watching sharks was the main reason why I chose Adventure Bay Charters. (Update: Adventure Bay Charters was purchased by their former competitor, but they’re offering the same tours.)
If you are interested in doing this one-day trip (which I highly recommend), you can check out this page for more information: Great White Shark Cruise with Great White Sharks
The company also offers a half-day sea lion snorkeling tour, which I would have loved to do. I didn’t know about it beforehand, and my flight was already leaving the next morning.
What to bring to the Cage Diving Tour:
On the boat, you can take a shower after enjoying the cool temperature in the water. So it’s good to bring a towel with you, shampoo, and shower gel.
As for the sea sickness, I swear by these little helpers (I used them while I was living 10 months on a catamaran). The sea gets really rough. So you’d better be prepared.
For taking videos and photos: While the crew has one camera you can take photos with, I used my own favorite gear to capture the White Sharks underwater. It is very helpful to use a floating grip for your gear.
What do you think? Is this an adventure you would like to do once, or have you already seen Great White Sharks? Let me know about it in the comments section.
Sources to check out:
Website from the cage-diving tour operator
Where I stayed: Website from the cage-diving tour operator
zuletzt aktualisiert am January 27, 2026
ive always thought sharks should be left alone, and then they’d leave humans alone. i like the stance this company has taken
That’s exactly why I chose this company for this trip. It is important that they aren’t hurt. I’m sure as long as we treat them with respect and know that it is THEIR habitat not ours, we should be fine. 😉
The sad thing is that many choose other companies (those that use baits) because they get more thrill out of it when the sharks are crashing into the cage.
Not exactly what I like or think is acceptable.
Isn’t it harmful if the sharks eat the decoys that were in almost every shot. How is a synthetic decoy with metal rings any better than a bait?
Hi Tom, thanks for your comment. The synthetic decoys with metal rings you talk about are bells that produce the sound. None of the sharks I saw bit into the bells and the sharks also didn’t touch the cage.