There is nothing else like watching a 5-metre great white glide past a steel cage. A bucket-list encounter, but only at a handful of legal sites worldwide.
This guide covers the 4 best places in the world to encounter great white sharks from a liveaboard, when to go, what to expect underwater, and how to behave in the water so the encounter is as good for the animal as it is for you. Every recommendation comes from operators who run these dives weekly, not from textbooks.
Gansbaai May–September; Neptune Islands May–October.
Booking 6–9 months ahead is essential for peak season, top liveaboards on these routes sell out a year in advance.
Stay in the cage. Always. Even experienced freedivers use vetted operators who know specific individuals by name. Surface cages give the best photography light; bottom cages give longer encounters.
Safety: Only inside the cage. Never attempt freediving with great whites without expert supervision and a long history at the site.
Only inside the cage. Never attempt freediving with great whites without expert supervision and a long history at the site.
Gansbaai May–September; Neptune Islands May–October.
Most premium encounters happen on scuba at 15–30 m, requiring at least an Open Water certification with 30+ logged dives. Surface encounters with whale sharks, mantas, sailfish, sperm whales, humpbacks and orcas are all snorkel-friendly, and legally required in many countries.
It depends entirely on the destination. The Mexico (Guadalupe Island) routes have the highest hit rate. Browse our full Mexico (Guadalupe Island) liveaboard list to compare boats, prices and itineraries.
Browse liveaboards departing this season for the world's best great white sharks encounters. Operator-direct prices, no booking fees.