Program of the Sharks Rock Expedition in South Africa

SHARKS ROCK EXPEDITION featuring RUUD JOLIE from WITHIN TEMPTATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Apex Shark Expeditions with Alessandro De Maddalena

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Guitarist Ruud Jolie from rock band Within Temptation will join our very special Sharks Rock Expedition in South Africa, to share his guitar technique and his stories from studio recordings and world tours by giving daily masterclasses to our guests. Ruud Jolie will also join us on board to observe up to 5 species of sharks (great white, blue, shortfin mako, bronze whaler, sevengill shark) in False Bay, Cape Point and Gansbaai, on this five full day expedition which will take place from 24 February to 1 March 2020 during the glorious South African summer. The expedition is operated by Apex Shark Expeditions, owned by Chris and Monique Fallows. The expedition will be hosted by Professor Alessandro De Maddalena, one of the world’s foremost shark experts. Everyone can join this expedition, you don’t need any diving certification, biology universitary degree, guitar skill. If you can play, just bring your guitar and you’ll be able to improve your skills, but if you don’t play you can simply watch, listen and ask questions and you’ll fully enjoy the experience anyway. 10 places are availabile and a minimum of 6 guests is required for the expedition to take place. Guests must land in Cape Town, South Africa, and leave from the same airport.

THE TEAM

Apex Shark Expeditions is owned by Chris and Monique Fallows, who have worked in the area from 1996. In addition to being one of the leading authorities on great white shark behaviour, Chris is a professional wildlife photographer. Apex Shark Expeditions has worked with many research institutes and with the foremost media of BBC, Discovery Channel, CNN & National Geographic. They work in a manner as to interfere as least as possible with the natural behavior of animals (at no point are the sharks purposefully fed or handled, they do not use shark livers or any other attractants that have a negative impact on the environment and every effort is made to avoid the sharks coming into contact with their vessel).

Alessandro De Maddalena (Milan, 1970) is one of the world’s foremost shark experts. He’s a researcher, writer, illustrator, photographer and expedition leader. He earned a Master of Natural Science, M.Sc., from the University of Milan. His Thesis was on the presence of the great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea. He is an Adjunct Professor of Vertebrate Zoology for the post-graduate course in Marine Sciences at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. He’s a collaborator of Apex Shark Expeditions (South Africa), of Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions (South Australia), of Strømsholmen Sjøsportsenter (Norway), and has hosted over 50 expeditions with them. During these expeditions he gives courses in biology of sharks (in South Africa and Australia) and orcas (in Norway). He’s also the curator of the Italian Great White Shark Data Bank, a founding member of the Mediterranean Shark Research Group, a Regional Investigator of the Global Shark Attack File, and an Ambassador of the Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance. He is the author of 20 books on sharks, 35 research reports in peer reviewed scientific journals and 80 articles in popular and professional magazines, published in 17 Nations. He has also given many lectures on shark biology at many universities, museums and diving associations around the world.

COST OF THE PACKAGE

The cost includes:

– daily masterclasses of electric guitar by Ruud Jolie from Within Temptation,

– land transports (from Cape Town airport to Simon’s Town, from Simon’s Town to Gansbaai, from Gansbaai to Simon’s Town, and from Simon’s Town to Cape Town airport),

– 6 nights accommodation at The Grosvenor in Simon’s Town,

– course in biology, ethology and ecology of sharks taught by Professor Alessandro De Maddalena,

– 5 trips (weather permitting) to observe sharks and to dive (snorkelling), including 3 trips at Seal Island in False Bay (to observe great white sharks and broadnose sevengill sharks), 1 trip off Cape Point (to observe blue and shortfin mako sharks), and 1 trip off Gansbaai (to observe great white sharks and bronze whaler sharks),

– wetsuit, booties, mask and weight belt,

– possibility to observe other marine animals (Cape fur seals, southern right and Brydes whales, long-beaked common dolphins, African penguins, etc.),

– sandwiches, snacks and drinks on board.

NB: Flights and meals are NOT included.

ITINERARY

Day 1 (24 February): transport from Cape Town airport to Simon’s Town,

Day 2 (25 February): great white shark / sevengill shark trip at Seal Island,

Day 3 (26 February): great white shark / sevengill shark trip at Seal Island,

Day 4 (27 February): great white shark / sevengill shark trip at Seal Island,

Day 5 (28 February): blue and mako shark trip off Cape Point,

Day 6 (29 February): great white shark / bronze whaler shark trip off Gansbaai,

Day 7 (1 March): transport from Simon’s Town to Cape Town airport.

NB: This itinerary is merely indicative and subject to change at the discretion of the operator.

MEETING WITH THE GROUP

Participants will communicate to Alessandro De Maddalena their arrival at Cape Town International Airport (please provide fly company, flight number, date and time). Pick up at the airport will be arranged for every participant. They will find a driver from Apex Shark Expeditions waiting for them at Cape Town airport (passed the documents’ check point and the baggage claim point, in the next hall, after the sliding glass door). The transfer is a 50 minute drive to Simon’s Town. Participants will meet Alessandro De Maddalena upon their arrival at The Grosvenor in Simon’s Town.

GUITAR MASTERCLASSES

Marvelous virtuoso guitarist Ruud Jolie ( www.instagram.com/ruudjolieofficial ) from worldwide famous rock band Within Temptation ( www.resist-temptation.com ) will join our very special Sharks Rock Expedition in South Africa, to share his art, his guitar technique and his stories from studio recordings and a life on the road playing around the world, by giving daily masterclasses to our guests. Each masterclass should be about one hour. Ruud Jolie will also join us on board for the shark trips and guests will be able to spend a lot of time with him.

COURSE ON BIOLOGY, ETHOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF SHARKS

The course will be taught by Professor Alessandro De Maddalena. The lectures will be held at your place of accommodation. Each lesson lasts approximately 1 hour for a total of approximately 7 hours of lectures. Every day the lectures are taught in english, french and italian. During the boat trips, Alessandro De Maddalena and the Apex crew will be available to answer to all participants’ questions as the shark trips are a fundamental part of the course. Course program includes: evolution, classification, identification, size, coloration, morphology, swimming, buoyancy, skin, skeletal system, muscular system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, sensory perception, urogenital system, reproduction, habitat, distribution, movements, mutualism, parasites, predators, social behaviours, predatory strategies, diet, the great white shark, threat to humans, fisheries, utilization, captivity, shark diving, conservation, research.

CAGE DIVING WITH GREAT WHITE AND SEVENGILL SHARKS  IN FALSE BAY

Three trips at Seal Island, in False Bay, to observe great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) are scheduled from Simon’s Town, weather permitting. The vessel, White Pointer II, is a 36-ft boat with a crew of 3-4 persons. The dives are in a steel cage which accommodates four guests at a time. Everyone can cage dive, no scuba qualification is needed. All diving is on snorkel. We prefer not to use scuba equipment which produces a lot of noise and bubbles. This often keeps the sharks from coming close. Cage divers will have a better chance of seeing the sharks if we can communicate the direction the sharks are coming from, especially when the water visibility is poor. During white shark cage dives, the cage is fixed to the boat. Participants must keep in mind that great white sharks are very dangerous animals, it is therefore necessary to follow carefully the instructions given by Apex’s staff. Do not stretch out your hands or feet from the cage nor touch the sharks and in general do not do anything that can threaten yours and the other guests safety. It is advised to bring a second skin to wear under the wetsuit for extra warmth and comfort. Sightings of sharks are not guaranteed. The expedition takes place during the low season for white shark predation on seal in the area. This means that white sharks are not abundant and it is not possible to see them catching Cape fur seals or breaching on the decoy. But we should still see them visiting the boat and the cage. If the weather does not permit to go out at sea in the morning we may try in the afternoon. Moreover if the weather does not allow a trip from Simon’s Town, there may be the possibility to go out to sea from Gansbaai (two hours road transfer from Simon’s Town); in this case there will be a surcharge to cover transfers. In the case where a trip has to be cancelled due to bad weather, a land-based activity will be organized and guests will not be refunded. (see section Excursions in case of cancelled shark trips). Simon’s Town pier is the meeting point for the white shark trips. The meeting and departure times may vary depending on shark activity (punctuality is necessary). The boat ride to Seal Island is 25-35 minutes. We will arrive at Seal Island around sunrise to observe the natural predatory behavior of great white sharks breaching to catch Cape Fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Thereafter a seal shaped decoy is used to elicit a breach to observe this behavior up close. The 60 000 Cape Fur seals of Seal Island are observed for the presence of white shark bitten individuals. The best spot to anchor up is then chosen based on weather conditions and the sharks are attracted to the vessel. Once a shark approaches the boat a small bait is put in the water to keep the sharks interested around the boat for identification and viewing purposes. If the weather conditions are favourable, the cage is lowered into the water for cage diving. It is usually possible to see other wildlife, especially many species of sea birds (skuas, terns, shearwaters, petrels, penguins, albatrosses) and sometimes long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis), southern right whales (Eubalaena australis), and Brydes whales (Balaenoptera edeni). We arrive back at Simon’s Town pier around lunch time.

CAGE DIVING WITH GREAT WHITE AND BRONZE WHALER SHARKS  IN GANSBAAI

One trip in Gansbaai, to observe great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and bronze whaler sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is scheduled from Kleinbaai, weather permitting. This trip is run by Marine Dynamics, located in Kleinbaai, a 2.5 hour drive from Simon’s Town. The vessel, Slashfin, is a 46-ft boat and apart our group there will be other guests on board. The dives are in a steel cage which accommodates 10 guests at a time. Everyone can cage dive, no scuba qualification is needed. Sightings of sharks are not guaranteed, but usually great white sharks and bronze whalers are in the area. The meeting and departure times may vary depending on the weather. The boat ride to the spot is 15 minutes. The best spot to anchor up is chosen based on weather conditions and the sharks are attracted to the vessel. Once a shark approaches the boat a small bait is put in the water to keep the sharks interested around the boat for identification and viewing purposes. We arrive back at Kleinbaai pier before lunch time.

 

CAGE DIVING WITH BLUE AND MAKO SHARKS OFF CAPE POINT

One boat trip to observe shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) and blue sharks (Prionace glauca) is scheduled from Simon’s Town, weather permitting. This trip is done in the open ocean, in the Agulhas Current off Cape Point, therefore the boat journey time is a lot longer than the great white shark trips. Please keep in mind that mako and blue sharks are dangerous animals, therefore those that decide to dive with the sharks do it at their own risk. In general, it is also necessary to follow carefully the instructions given by Apex’s staff, do not stretch out hand or feet from the cage, do not touch the sharks and in general do not make anything that can threaten yours and other persons’ safety. The meeting for the mako and blue shark trips with Apex Shark Expeditions is at Simon’s Town harbour at 6:30 (punctuality is necessary). We sail for 1.5-2.5 hours, firstly towards the spectacular Cape Point then to the open ocean, to the Agulhas Current, between 10 and 25 miles off Cape Point. When we find mako and blue sharks, we observe them from the boat and, if the weather conditions are favourable, the cage is lowered into the water for cage diving. Usually is possible to see even other animals, such as yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), ocean sunfish (Mola mola), long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni) and many species of sea birds (skuas, terns, shearwaters, petrels, penguins, albatrosses). We come back to Simon’s Town harbour between 13:00 and 15:00.

AFRICAN PENGUINS COLONY AT BOULDERS BEACH

In Simon’s Town, there is an African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colony. The colony is only 15 minutes walk from the Grosvenor. It is possible to approach close to the penguins to take photographs, but touching the penguins is forbidden. There is an entrance fee to the colony.

 

EXCURSIONS IN CASE OF CANCELLED SHARK TRIPS

Where a great white shark trip has to be cancelled due to bad weather, there will be no refund, and a half day excursion will be arranged. Any of the below trips can also be done in the afternoon as an optional extra. In this case, the cost of the tour depends on the number of participants who wish to join you. In order to guarantee total security, these trips will be done with a transport company associated with Apex Shark Expeditions.

1. a) CAPE POINT NATURE RESERVE

At the tip of the Cape Peninsula 60 km south-west of Cape Town, lies Cape Point, a nature reserve within the Table Mountain National Park; a declared Natural World Heritage Site. Encompassing 7750 hectares of rich and varied flora and fauna; abounding with buck, baboons and Cape Mountain Zebra as well as over 250 species of birds, Cape Point is a nature enthusiast paradise. Rugged rocks and sheer cliffs towering more than 200 metres above the sea and cutting deep into the ocean provide a spectacular background for the Parks’ rich bio-diversity. The natural vegetation of the area, fynbos, comprises the smallest but richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms. The lightouse completed in 1860 still stands at 238 metres above sea-level on the highest section of the peak and it can be reached by feet or by funicular. There is an entrance fee to the Reserve.

1. b) KIRSTENBOSCH NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is the most beautiful garden in Africa and is one of the great botanic gardens of the world. The Kirstenbosch is located against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to promote, conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora of southern Africa. There are over 7000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species, covering a 36 hectares area. There is an entrance fee to the Garden.

1. c) CAPE TOWN

There are two possible shark-related places to visit in Cape Town: the South African Museum (Iziko Museums) and Two Oceans Aquarium. The South African Museum (Iziko Museums) ( www.iziko.org.za ) is located at 25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, and hosts a permanent exhibit on sharks, Shark World, with taxidermied specimens, life-size models and jaws. Photographs are allowed. The visit lasts approx one hour. There is an entrance fee to the Museum. The Two Oceans Aquarium ( www.aquarium.co.za ) is located at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, and hosts numerous fish species, including sandtiger shark (Carcharias taurus), spotted gully shark (Triakis megalopterus), Puffadder shyshark (Haploblepharus edwardsii) and Dark shyshark (Haploblepharus pictus). Photographs are allowed. The visit lasts approx one hour and half. There is an entrance fee to the Aquarium.

1. d) TABLE MOUNTAIN

The Table Mountain is a 1086 m mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town. In approx. five minutes, the Table Mountain Cableway takes passengers to the plateau at the top of the mountain, offering views overlooking Cape Town, the ocean and the surrounding peaks. It’s important to bear in mind that the Cableway can be closed at any time due to high winds and clouds.

ACCOMMODATION

We’ll have 6 nights accommodation in Simon’s Town, a small town located south of Cape Town, approximately one hour by car from the airport, overlooking False Bay. Accommodation is self catering at The Grosvenor ( www.thegrosvenor.co.za ), a group of elegant apartments with view on False Bay. The Grosvenor is just 12 minutes walk from the harbour where Apex Shark Expeditions’ boat, White Pointer II, is moored, and is very close to Simon’s Town center. We’ll have bedding and towels. The rooms we may have for our group are twin sharing. It’s possible to have a single room, with a supplement and if requested in advance. The rooms have a bathroom en-suite. We’ll have a large kitchen for the entire group. Wi-Fi internet connection is available at The Grosvenor (keep in mind that internet connection may be slow). It is important to keep in mind that in South Africa there are power sockets of type M (BS 546 3-pin plugs, 15-A). Adapters can be easily found in stores and supermarkets in South Africa, but can be found even in other countries even if they are less common.

EXCHANGE

There are automated teller machines available in Simon’s Town where it is possible to withdraw Rands, but there are no banks to exchange Euros or dollars into Rands. Keep in mind that ATM scams and credit card fraud are common in South Africa, so you should keep withdrawals from ATMs to a minimum and refuse offers of help at ATMs. It is suggested to activate the SMS transaction notification service for your card. You will be notified about your transactions in real time and this will enable you to identify any fraudulent transactions taking place on your card.

MEALS

Sandwiches, snacks and drinks on board are included. Meals are not included. For lunch and dinner we can make use of the large kitchen at The Grosvenor (there is a mall at 10 minutes by car from the accommodation) or we can choose one of the great restaurants, at good price, located in the harbour area or near Boulders Beach, a 12-15 minute walk from The Grosvenor (they serve anything from fish and meat to pasta and pizza, and also vegetarian dishes).

INSURANCE

Please note that travel insurance is not included. It is wholly the participants responsibility to obtain adequate travel insurance.

PASSPORT

For entering South Africa it is necessary to have a passport with validity of at least 30 days after the date planned for your return to your Country. US and most European Union citizens don’t require a visa (check at the local South African Consulate). Passport needs to have 2 blank pages (if you don’t have 2 blank pages you risk not boarding at all).

VACCINATIONS

No vaccination is compulsory to visit South Africa. Malaria prophylaxis is suggested only for those visiting Kruger area and the coastal area north of Durban, therefore not for the Western Cape area where we will stay.

BAGGAGE

Considering the repeated and extremely frequent delays in the delivery of the baggage, it is strongly suggested to carry only hand luggage. Moreover when you embark, stay near the front of the queue as if the flight is full, the crew may request you check your hand baggage into the baggage compartment. If, at Cape Town airport you find out that your baggage hasn’t arrived, you must go immediately to the undelivered baggage point (in the same hall of the baggage claim point, on the right) and give the following address for the delivery of your baggage (it will be delivered 36 or 60 hours after):

The Grosvenor, 37 Forest Hill Road, Simon’s Town, South Africa. Mobile: +27795573201

 

TEMPERATURE AND WEAR

During our staying in South Africa it will be Summer. From Simon’s Town is possible to see amazing sunrises. The average temperature in February in Simon’s Town ranges from 16 to 30°C. At sea it can be cold and windy. Weargear for the trips is not provided by the operator. Therefore it is suggested to bring a waterproof jacket to protect from the wind and cold, long pants, cap, glows, boots or other waterproof shoes, swim-suit, wet undersuit, suntan lotion. We also reccomend that you bring polarized sunglasses. It is suggested to wear in layers, so that if the temperature raises it is possible to uncover gradually. Water temperature is 15-18°C in False Bay, 18-21°C in the Agulhas Current, and 14-18°C off Gansbaai.

 

SEASICKNESS MEDICINE

It is important to prevent sea sickness. We recommend: Stugeron (cinnarizine) or Dramamine (dimenhydrinate). Stugeron works very well; a tablet taken the night before and a tablet in the morning an hour before you go to sea. It is strongly advised not to drink alcoholic beverages at night as alcohol can cause severe sea sickness.

PAYMENT TERMS

A non-refundable deposit of 50% to be paid upon booking. The balance of the monies to be paid by 120 days before the expedition start.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Here the information concerning refund and fee in the case that one of the participants decide to retire from the Expedition.

– Cancellation 120 days or more before the time of start date: 50% of the fee.

– Cancellation less than 120 days before start date: 100% of the fee.

– No show or late arrival: 100% of the fee.

 

 

CONTACTS

E-mail: alessandrodemaddalena@gmail.com

Sito web: www.alessandrodemaddalena.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ADMshark