There’s something rather comforting about having half-inch thick steel bars in front of you when on the other side of those bars is a four-metre Great White Shark looking rather annoyed that it can’t get to that tasty-looking "seal" on the inside.

Kleinbaai, the smaller, but far prettier, neighbour of Gansbaai on the Southern Cape coast is world-renowned for cage diving with the Great White sharks (Carcharodon Carcharias) that abound in the waters off Kleinbaai, between the mainland and Dyer Island. So many sharks inhabit these waters, thanks to the plentiful seals that have colonised the island, that the channel is often referred to as “Shark Alley”. Although sharks are the main drawcard here, I recently paid a visit to Kleinbaai and discovered that there’s a whole host of other activities that don’t involve coming face-to-face with five rows of razor sharp teeth!

Stay the night

If you want to experience the full range of activities in and around this quaint town, you should really spend the night here. Most tourists tend to try and squeeze it all into a day trip from Cape Town (a two-hour drive away), which just doesn’t allow you time to soak up the charm of this small coastal village.

One of the best places to stay in Kleinbaai is The Great White House, situated just a few hundred metres from the small harbour. The three-star accommodation is modelled in the style of a “designer” fisherman’s cottage, with all four of the thatched, white-washed cottages nestled around a small indigenous garden. Each cottage has twin beds (decadently comfortable), en-suite bathroom, fireplace and a small lounge area. The owner of the guesthouse, Andries, was quick to point out that there are deliberately no televisions in the room, as they would far rather you were out and about enjoying the surrounding area!

Underwater adventure

The sea is, after all, the reason that people come to Kleinbaai. Whether it’s for whales, seals or sharks, it is the big blue that brings thousands of tourists to the area each year.

Over 50 000 seals inhabit Dyer Island, and when cooling off in the water they take shelter in the relative safety of the kelp beds that surround the island. Great whites, so the theory goes, don’t like coming into the kelp, which although not entirely convincing, was reason enough for me to find myself rolling backwards off a boat just a hundred metres or so from the open waters of the notorious “shark alley”.

Although the rough water kept many seals out of the water the day we were there, it wasn’t long until an inquisitive Cape fur seal streamed gracefully towards us. Keeping her distance while she decided if we were friend or foe, her agility underwater compared to us four rather ungainly scuba divers was quite humbling. On calm days divers are surrounded by dozens of inquisitive seals that will swim right up to you to investigate these strange underwater visitors.

Although the water is only about eight metres deep, you do need to be a qualified scuba diver.

Supreme sundowners

If you’re feeling the call of the sea and have a hankering to catch your own supper, Andries from The Great White House will be all too pleased to take you on a Catch & Cook. Yes, you’ve guessed it, he’ll take you out to catch your supper and help you cook it afterwards. From crayfish and mussels to fresh line-fish, he’ll tell you what you’ve got the best chance of catching on that particular day, and whether it’ll be better on the braai or done in The Great White House kitchen. The best time to go is in the crayfish season (roughly November to Easter) to make sure you get to taste some “red gold”!

If you’re back on shore before sunset, take a bottle of bubbly to the nearby De Kelders. This rocky outcrop has some of the best land-based whale watching in the world, and in whale season you’ll be rewarded with watching the sun dip below the distant horizon while watching the southern rights frolic just metres from shore.

Whale of a time

The area is generally regarded as one of the best whale-watching sites in the world, and whether it’s from a boat or from the shore you are almost certain to come across whales frolicking in the bay. The main whale season runs from June to December, when the whales come close in-shore to breed and calve, and to get a close-up view of these gentle giants a boat trip is definitely the way to go.

Dyer Island Cruises holds the licence for boat-based whale-watching out of Kleinbaai, and their brand new boat, the Whale Whisperer, is perfectly suited for close encounters with the whales.

Each tour last about two-and-a-half-hours, and the boat is allowed to approach to within 50 metres of the whales (unlicensed boats have to remain 300 metres away). These naturally inquisitive creatures often come so close to the boats that the spray from their blowhole drenches the boat!

Behind bars

Although all of the above activities are great reasons in themselves to visit Kleinbaai, it is the abundance of Great White Sharks just off the coast that bring the hordes of tourists to this sleepy seaside village.

Boarding Predator II, one of the best shark-viewing boats in town, we made ourselves confortable and powered out into the bay. After setting anchor in shark alley, it took about 45 minutes for us to attract a shark to our boat, and luckily it decided to stick around. Our skipper, Brian, said that you get two types of shark: those that have a look at the bait and then disappear, and those that “come and play”. Luckily ours was here to play!

After making sure that the shark (between three and four metres in length) was going to stick around, the cage was swung into position alongside the boat. Lowering myself down into the slightly murky seawater was less frightening than I had expected, but my heart was still beating hard. Contrary to what I had thought, it’s not necessary to use an air-tank in the shark cage — it’s actually better not to as the sharks are scared off by the bubbles. Instead, you stick your head above the water and take a deep breath, ready to duck underwater when the shark approaches. “OK, he’s coming from the right,” called Brian, “Go down NOW!”

Once underwater everything was suddenly quiet, the large fish head being used as bait floating lifelessly a few metres away. And then silently, stealthily, the shark comes into view. Not thrashing towards us in a murderous rage as Hollywood would have you believe; but just cruising its watery domain as the apex predator that it is. With five rows of jagged razor-sharp teeth, which we had a close-up of as it gripped the cage in its powerful mouth and wrestled the cage, its power and danger was evident. Roughly the equivalent of rubbing noses with a hungry lion, shark cage diving is a thrill that shouldn’t be missed!

There are currently eight operators who have been licensed by the Department of Environmental Affairs to offer shark cage diving, and they are all closely monitored to ensure that neither the sharks nor the tourists are put at risk.

It’s important to remember that these are wild animals roaming hundreds of square kilometres of ocean, so it is possible that you won’t be able to find them and have the opportunity to dive in the cage.

As the whales start to leave the Southern Cape Coast and begin their annual migration back to the icy waters of the Southern Ocean to feed, there are still many reasons to visit the area. Whether it’s a crayfish braai with a few mussels on the side, or scuba diving with the seals, Kleinbaai is sure to keep you busy this summer. Just remember to keep those fingers inside the cage!