The Boat and Cage

Our Boat - Purpose Built for Best Performance

The Slashfin resembles the remarkable qualities of the Great White Shark species after which it is named: sleek, streamlined and elegant with amazing power and steadiness to graciously slice through the water and effortlessly endure the most extreme sea conditions.

Slashfin is the first aluminium boat of its kind in the industry, specifically designed and built for low maintenance, stability, speed and superior safety and comfort.
The boat can comfortably accommodate 40 passengers plus the crew at a time.
The 46 feet (14m) long catamaran vessel was specifically built for the Kleinbaai slipway and is aimed at providing passengers with that veritable lap of safety and luxurious comfort while enjoying the wild, windswept open seas and its amazing wildlife.
Slashfin is powered by four large four-stroke 300 hp outboard engines, and is equipped with the best electronic equipment to navigate the area.
Built in 2010 by Veecraft in Cape Town, she was designed by well-known naval architect, Pieter Volschenk, with the input of the experience and expertise of Marine Dynamics and others in the industry.

Dandy Detail

The boat’s lightweight aluminium frame and litheness allows it to gently climb and descend mountainous swells and to effortlessly glide over foam-crested waves. However, it is the attention to fine detail that distinguishes the Slashfin even further from its compeers in the trade:

designated toilets for males and females
a canvass dressing cubicle on demand for clients who prefer more privacy
an attractive, central food drawer where light lunch packs, snacks, water and remedies for seasickness are permanently on display
double staircase on opposite sides of the boat provides easy access and a smooth flow of traffic to the spacious upper deck
Even the storage space of the life raft has been designed to be unobtrusive and out of sight to ensure all-round, unobstructed views from the top deck.
Slashfin is also the only boat in the business boasting a special platform for the bait and decoy handler from where they can follow the sharks’ movements and expertly lure them closer.

Why Slashfin?

The name 'Slashfin' was inspired by the tenacious survival instincts and healing powers of a legendary 3,3m young male shark that grabbed the imagination of shark researchers who followed his migrating patterns and recovery over a number of years.

Dubbed Slashfin after the severe damage caused to his dorsal fin - probably by a propeller or an unfortunate encounter with other sharks - the shark cage diving community was able to identify him and follow his recovery for over six years during his annual visits to the Dyer Island area between March and July. The fin used to be shredded to pieces and the researchers were astonished to see how well it healed so that now it is only distinguished by two parallel scars.

Slashfin has grown by at least 1 and a half metres since he was first spotted in the Gansbaai area. He is still a famous and favourite annual visitor to our waters and who knows, he may even be aware that he has been immortalised on our boat!

The Cage

Taking the plunge to actually get into the cage can be a bit scary if it is your first introduction to the iconic top-predators of the ocean, but rest assured. It is extremely unlikely that a shark will be able to break into a cage, or will be more interested in you than the juicy tuna head or decoy that our expert bait handler throws into the water to lure them closer. The bait is not fed to the sharks – it is merely used to entice them to come closer to the cage and is pulled back before they can get to it. Never in the 15 years of the business has a Great White Shark shown anything but mere cautious curiosity in any of the tourists in the cages!

The sturdy steel cage is professionally engineered and made out of a 25mm galvanised mild steel covered with 10mm galvanised mild steel security mesh.
It has no sharp edges on which a shark can injure itself.
The cage is firmly secured to the side of the boat and divers can easily get out whenever they want to.
The cage never sinks or floats away.
The cage can accommodate 7 divers at a time
The steel hand and foot bars inside the cage offer ample grip and support to pull yourself up or to push down.
Your head will never be more than a metre under the surface and you can decide when and how long you want to stay underwater.