Seal Snorkelling Iternary

---

Covid-19 regulations

Please ensure that you arrive wearing a Covid-19 face mask and follow safety instructions as issued by our staff at all times.

Meeting Times

Please arrive on time –  we do not want you to miss your trip! The time you booked online is the time to arrive.

Trip Duration

About 2.5 hours. This includes 30 minutes to sign in and kit up, briefing and travelling to and from the Harbour and island. On average, visitors spend 45 mins – 1hr in the water.

Snorkelling Centre

The Seal Snorkelling Centre is a converted house right near the harbour. It took us a long time to find a “Brick and Morter” home for our Seal Snorkelling operation and we are proud of our building. Changing rooms, hot showers and free Wifi are enjoyed by our guests. We have a lounge to relax in while you wait or warm up in after the dive. It’s a great place to be and we hope to share it with you.

Snorkelling conditions

The seal snorkelling site is very shallow (1 – 5m deep) and you will see the bottom clearly most days. This is the ocean so there can be small waves and a choppy surface. The water temperature varies from 8C – 13C. This means that the water is COLD ! The boat is always nearby and you can return to warm up if needed.

Experience needed?

You need to be able to swim confidently – please note that this is a SWIMMING ACTIVITY. For your own safety the skipper reserves the right to assess your swimming ability and to ask you to remain on the boat should they deem you unfit for this activity. Motion sickness is a problem for some – if you suffer from motion sickness this experience may not be for you. We recommend one motion sickness pill the evening before and one the morning of your trip if you are prone to seasickness and want to join us.

What is provided?

We provide all snorkelling equipment, a seal guide, transfer from the office to the harbour, boat ride, educational briefing, water, biscuits, hot chocolate and hot water to pour in your wetsuit after the snorkel, along with tea and coffee at the office and a HOT shower.

What is the best time to snorkel with the seals?

The best time is whenever you can and time allows! Summer is generally best – September to May. The most consistent and warmest conditions occur from December – February. From mid-March onward the seal pups are learning how to swim and are very curious in the water!

Age limits?

Children need to be 10 years or older to snorkel. It is important that you let us know if children are joining as part of your group, as we need to make sure that the conditions are not too rough. Boat viewers can be from 6 years old and upward.

Sea Sickness

Please take medication if you are prone to motion sickness. Once we are with the seals we cannot return until after the snorkel has finished, 1 and a half hours at sea.

Are there any sharks?

No, the island is situated on the cold Atlantic side of Cape Town where temperatures range between 8C -15 C. Great White Sharks prefer seal colonies on the east coast of South Africa. The  shallow reefs and thick kelp forests prevent large sharks from coming close to Duiker Island. The well-established and long-running seal watching ships have not seen a shark at the island in over 20 years of operation.

Group size?

In line with Covid-19 regulations we have limited our capacity to 8 people per boat, unless booking as a family or as a group travelling together.

Equipment?

We have fleece lined 5mm one piece wetsuits with hoods. We also provide 3mm vests, 3mm gloves, booties, fins and silicone masks and snorkels. Our equipment comes in a range of sizes to suit everyone. *Please note – no full face masks are permitted for this activity.

I wear glasses – can I join?

We recommend bringing contact lenses if you wear glasses, as the glasses will not fit under the snorkeling mask.

Transport?- R600.00 round trip (Max 4 pax, any addional person is R50.00 per person)

Cancellation policy?

Cancellation within 48 hours of departure and no-shows will not be given a refund. All cancellations prior to 48hrs incur a 10% administration fee.

Limitations

Please be aware that this is a swimming activity – for your own safety, the skipper reserves the right to assess your swimming ability and to ask you to remain on the boat should they deem you unfit for this activity. This is also a physically demanding activity, and may be unsuitable for some. We use ribbed inflatable vessels without ladders for this activity, which may make it difficult to get back into the boat. We cater up to size 3 XL wetsuits (130kg) – if you are unsure please send us an enquiry at the email listed on our contact page.