Great White Shark Dive Excursions with Rodney Fox, Cage diving with the Pros!

To see a Great White Shark in the wild is absolutely grand and rare, but to come face to face with one underwater is one of the most exciting experiences available to divers today! Come and "hunt with cameras" the world's best known and most feared shark - The Great White Shark.

This trip has been described as the ultimate adventure that Australia has to offer. The 4-5 night excursions depart Port Lincoln, South Australia, and cruise through the scenic islands of Spencer Gulf and out to the Neptune islands in the clear blue Southern Ocean. These islands are the breeding grounds for thousands of New Zealand Fur Seals and the rare Australian Sea Lion- a natural feeding ground for the Great White Shark. You will also see an abundance of bird life, dolphins and other unique fish and wildlife.

The boat will visit the North and South Neptune Island Groups, where Andrew and Rodney have run many of the world's successful Great White Shark filming and research expeditions.

Click here for general information about the diving regions of South Australia.

Rodney Fox Great White Shark Expeditions are delighted to have "The Princess II": Princess II provides the unmatched comfort, space and facilities to operate safely in the clear blue offshore waters of the Neptune Islands. Rodney Fox has set this vessel up to be the worlds premier operating great white shark diving vessel.

All Princess's cabins are double or twin share accommodation, each with en-suite bathrooms. You will also enjoy a sunny and spacious lounge-room-like saloon for relaxation, meals, talks and group presentations. Other features include a separate single person cage, a warm fresh water deck shower, and a convenient tender boat on hand for island exploration.

While Rodney & Andrew still conduct regular surface cage diving so that non-certified divers can see the sharks underwater, this vessel is unique in also having the facilities to lower up to 4 divers at a time down to the ocean floor in a special submersible cage. Down here there is an abundance of unique sea life, the sharks behave differently and the entire experience is very unique! This is the world famous exclusive feature, that gives the shark divers undeniably the very best and most unforgettable shark experience possible anywhere.

23 metre length · 3.5metre draught · 6.2 metre beam, gross tonnage 169
Surveyed to operate 200nm from Australian Coastline
Twin/double en-suite air-conditioned cabins
All meals are provided, served in large air- conditioned saloon with bar
Two onboard air compressors for scuba tanks
Large dive platform/deck and camera tables
Camera rinse tank
Warm freshwater deck shower
Large upper sundeck with lazy boys
power outlets 110/240V 50Hz
1.5 tonne deck crane, for lifting/lowering diving and research equipment
Satellite communication systems
Latest satellite Furuno navigation systems
State of the art sea bed mapping technology
Two dive tenders - Naiad 5.8m - Aquapro 4m rigid inflatable
Itinerary
After an early departure we enjoy a morning cruise through the beautiful "Thorny Passage" of islands to be on location at the Neptune islands for lunch. On the way we hold orientation briefs, including cage diving techniques, as well as information on the wildlife and geography of the area. After lunch the Princess's crew will launch the surface cages.
Whilst we wait for our first shark to arrive we test dive the cages to become familiar with entry and exit with carrying the extra weights but without fins, during "Waiting for Whitey Time", a period that usually ranges from minutes to hours and occasionally days. We take the submersible cage to the bottom to visit the reef and the unique fish life of South Australia. Shore parties are also arranged whenever convenient to experience the unique and interesting wildlife of these islands.
We experience nature in the raw with thousands of sea lions and their newborns. 2-way radios keep shore parties in touch with the boat so we can hurry back as soon as the sharks arrive. Cage dives to the bottom, at 40 feet to 100 feet below, are made to view the local fishlife and to check if there are any Great Whites "down under".
An underwater surveillance camera leading to an onboard video screen is also there to watch out for the sharks below, giving us early warning of their arrival. The focus of this expedition is to have as much time as possible photographing and observing the Great White Sharks. However, these sharks are also quite rare, and despite our excellent record for sightings, their appearance should not always be taken for granted.

About Great Whites

In the last few years we have experienced unprecedented success in finding sharks at the Neptune islands, however there are some tours, particularly outside peak season where the sharks are more elusive. With hundreds of tour dates in our 33 year history our record stands at a 92% success rate, and this is even higher in peak season months.

Peak shark numbers and reliability: May to October.
Reliable sharks combined with warmer weather: December, January to most years also February.
March and April are the shark-off season.

The experience and adventure of our expeditions, even where sharks were scarce, has motivated most passengers to return more than any other major liveaboard operation. Nothing is more exciting than seeing the Great Whites arrive and our guests are fascinated by the appearance and spectacle of these "Last Dinosaurs", one of the very last great predators left that man has not yet tamed and totally controlled. Come and experience with us your grand adventure to search for this rare predator.

Passenger Information
- What To Bring: Sea sickness medication (if necessary) - Light spray jacket - Warm jacket - Casual clothing (informal) - Flat rubber-soled shoes - Shoes suitable for island rock hopping - Spirits, rum, whisky, if required - Toiletries - We suggest you bring warm clothing, jeans & jacket as well as T shirts and shorts, as it can get quite cool at night.
- Diving Gear: The water temperature is 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. We suggest you bring a warm full length wetsuit (7mm), with hood (some people wear dry suits but they are not necessary), , regulator, mask and a good pair of hard-soled dive boots as we don't wear fins in the cages, cameras, computers etc. The operator can organise the hire of thicker wetsuits, dry suits and dive gear @ AUD$20-40/day.

Schedules are changing frequently, please e-mail us, to get the latest information.