Gansbaai Activities From Free to Premium
Gansbaai packs its activities into a few small villages, and the cost of an outing ranges from nothing to several thousand rand. This page runs from the free options to the premium ones. All prices are in South African rand (R).
Free Ways to Spend a Morning
Penguin feeding in Kleinbaai
The African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary takes no entry fee. It is open daily from 09:00 to 16:00, and keepers feed the penguins in front of visitors at 15:00. The Dyer Island Conservation Trust set it up in 2015 to rescue and rehabilitate penguins and other seabirds, so the residents depend on who has been brought in. Donations are welcome.
Stanford’s Cove
This sheltered cove in De Kelders has a lawn, toilets and outdoor showers, which makes it the easiest place on the coast to get wet. Swim with care and keep children within arm’s reach. Perlemoenbaai has a tidal pool on Kus Weg for a similar gentle dip. The open coast is another matter, with cold water, rips and sharks, and Kleinbaai’s harbour is there for working boats, so do not plan a swim in it.
The Marine Big 5 Boat Trip
Marine Dynamics Shark and Whale Tours, the company once known as Dyer Island Cruises, sails from Kleinbaai for about 2 to 2.5 hours. The route passes seals, penguins and dolphins, with whales added when they are in the bay. Southern right whales arrive roughly from June to November, and humpback and Bryde’s whales roughly from January to May.
International fares are R2,340 for an adult and R1,725 for a child under 12. South African citizens pay R1,728 and R864. Under 5s are free, and every passenger who pays adds the compulsory R150 conservation fee.
Shark Cage Diving
Cage diving is the headline attraction and the most expensive. Marine Dynamics runs it from its office at 5 Geelbek Street in Kleinbaai, on the catamaran Slashfin, with a boat ride of about 20 to 30 minutes to the anchor point. The cage stays at the surface and you hold your breath for each pass, so scuba training is not required. Crew pour chum into the water and use a bait line to draw sharks close.
Set your hopes at the right level. White sharks have been rare here since about 2017. Most divers now see bronze whalers and broadnose sevengills, and on a poor day nothing comes to the cage at all. Trips depart all year, weather permitting.
The 2026 rates per person:
- Adults from overseas R3,655, and children under 12 from overseas R2,070.
- South African adult R2,268, South African child R1,188, under 5s free.
- The R150 conservation fee on top, with a free visit to the penguin sanctuary included.
- Shuttles at R1,000 from Cape Town and R700 from Hermanus.
Press accounts mention breakfast, a wetsuit and a snack, so confirm the inclusions at booking. White Shark Projects, at 16 Geelbek Street, is a separate company that publishes its own prices.
Getting Around
Cape Town is about 160 to 165 km away by road, and Hermanus sits 40 to 45 km along the R43. Do not drive after dark.
Read more: tours with boat and Grootbos prices , or the Cape Town guide if you are arriving from there.
Compare cage dives and boat trips on GetYourGuide , then confirm current fares on the Marine Dynamics rates page and the Marine Big 5 site .