Great White Shark Expedition (4 Nights)

This special 4 day and 4 Night tour is at the time of year when the giant female sharks are more likely to visit, combined with typically mild early Autumn weather This expedition is perfect for people who are looking for an intimate Great White Shark experience and learn a lot about great whites. 

On this Expedition, we launch the world’s only Ocean Floor Cage (for qualified SCUBA Divers). However, all guests are able to get up-close and personal with Great Whites in our Surface Cage. It is an expedition for people who are very interested sharks and their behaviour, experienced divers, adventurers, shark photographers and anyone who, like us, has a passion for spending lots of time with these incredible creatures.

What we love about this time of year:

- Extreme Shark Reliability

This time period has enjoyed NEAR 100% reliability of shark sightings for more than 20 years.

- Big Girl Season 

This time period typically enjoys some of the largest sharks that we see at the Neptune islands.

- Typically A Mild Weather Month.  

This mid Autumn period tends to enjoy mild weather conditions, avoiding some of the sea breezes typical of Summer and yet less potential for any Winter-like storms. April also enjoys very reliable Australian Sea Lion diving weather.

- Typically Warmer Water 18-19 C

At the offshore Neptune Islands, the warmest water temperatures of the year occur during our Late Summer and Autumn months 

- Photographic Opportunities

Optimal photographic conditions of typically good visibility and strong daylight.

All the briefings and travel to our first dive location are covered on the first evening.

Up to Four days are dedicated to Great White Shark Diving at both the North and South Neptune Islands groups, at the various reef, weed bank and sandy bottom locations.

A part of one day is planned to target another South Australian underwater icon, the Australian Sea Lions at Hopkins Island.

Also included is a beautiful tour around the pretty Neptune Island fur seal colonies with our tender boat. Conditions permitting, a walking tour is also a possible option up on the Neptune Islands, a treat exclusive to Rodney Fox Expeditions.

At night, we enjoy great local food and wine, and there will, of course, be a fun quiz night and a shark research talk.

Day 1

We’ll meet you outside of the Marina Hotel, Port Lincoln at 8 PM. We take you back to our expedition vessel and officially welcome all aboard. Formal inductions and safety talk will begin, followed by being shown to your cabins to unload your belongings. Then overnight we depart for the night’s anchorage at a location near our next day's activities, either for the Australian Sea lion Swim at Hopkins Island or at the Neptune Islands, home of the great white shark.

Days 2, 3 & 4  

It’s worth getting up at day-break to see the spectacular scenery of the Thorny Passage and nearby Hopkins Island where we expect to have frolicking sea lions eager to meet us. For an hour or so in the morning, there is an option to snorkel/dive with these adorable creatures in shallow sheltered waters, where we’ll be looking to spot a few dorsal fins.  

Divers are briefed, and the cages hit the water, ready for action! Our priority is generally for everyone to see the sharks in the surface cage before we descend deeper with our SCUBA certified diving guests in the ocean floor cage.  

Alessandro gives more presentations about sharks, and by now everyone has learned and experienced a whole lot of shark knowledge.

We also like to hop in the tender boat, check out the Fur Seals and go walking around the Neptune Islands. Here, there are many birds and a few reptile species to watch and the elusive Australian Sea Lions can also sometimes be spotted.

Our live-aboard itinerary gives so many more opportunities to immerse your self in the beauty of the Neptune Islands, listening to the sounds of the seals with a chilled glass of white. There is plenty of time to chill out and rest. Hit the hay when you feel like it... and get up when you feel like it.

Day 5 ( Last Day)

By now your shark identification skills will be finely tuned. 

Leave the Neptune Islands by 3:00PM and enjoy some lovely local South Australian ‘wine on the bow’ usually with common dolphins joining us for company. 

We arrive back in Port Lincoln before 8.00PM for guests to disembark. Dinner is provided onboard.

*Itinerary is indicative only (subject to weather and any other circumstances that may affect the scheduling of events).