When is the best time to go to the Farallons?

Our Farallon White Shark Season lasts only 8 weeks. Anytime during that short period is good. We only go when it is the best time to go. We prefer a very short and very successful season rather than a long mediocre season. In the fall, thousands of marine mammals congregate on South East Farallon Island (SEFI) to breed and calve their young. This event attracts the largest White Sharks in the world to South East Farallon Island (SEFI), where they feed on Elephant Seals before their long trans-Pacific migration. We have had many dramatic encounters with White Sharks at SEFI. Breach attacks have occured right in front of the cage and we have witnessed enumerable natural "Feeding Events". Our season is Sept. 22 - Nov. 18, (7 days a week)

Are Shark appearances guaranteed?

Every day is different; We have had up to nine different White Sharks and seven "Feeding Events" on one day. Any day during the season can go from many different sharks to no sharks, with numerous events happening around the boat such as "Feeding Events", swim by's, breaches, etc. Over the past 14 seasons we have been very successful during this brief 8 week season in 2009 we averaged a 75% success rate until Nov. 5th when a pod of Orca came into the area and killed everything they could, scaring the sharks away. In 2010 we averaged 75-80% and 2011 we averaged 70%, most years we average about 70-75%. When working with wild animals in their natural environment, it is impossible to guarantee either favorable weather conditions or indeed the desired animal encounters. Great White Adventures does however, promise to take you to the best place at the best time and provide you the best opportunity to encounter sharks. Although we have a very successful sighting record, we cannot guarantee a shark encounter on every trip. It would be irresponsible to claim some sort of control over Mother Nature. In reality, sharks are wild animals that have their own schedules and priorities. They live in an extraordinary environment that at times, does not cooperate according to our schedules. Weather is always an important factor when operating offshore. Great White Adventures does however, promise to take you to the best place at the best time and provide you the best opportunity to encounter sharks.

How do you attract sharks at the Farallons?

At the Farallons we use decoys to attract the sharks. The shark at the Farallons are adult White sharks that migrate to the island to feed on the pinnipeds population, mostly the Elephant Seals sometimes the Sea Lions. We do not use fish chum to attract the sharks, the sharks are not here to feed on fish. The fish around the Farallon Islands are not large enough to sustain the white shark for the long migration. The sharks require the high fat content of an Elephant seal. Since the 2000 season this is the technique we have used to attract the sharks. Over the past 14 seasons we have been very successful during this brief 8 week season in 2009 we averaged a 75% success rate until Nov. 5th when a pod of Orca came into the area and killed everything they could, scaring the sharks away. In 2010 we averaged 75-80% and 2011 we averaged 70%, most years we average about 70-75%. For the past 3 years we have had the required NOAA issued permit that allows the attraction of White sharks by use of decoys while at the Farallon Islands.

When should I book my Farallon 1 day trip?

We always say pick a day that works best for you, the sharks do not care if it is Saturday, Sunday, Monday or any day. Pick a day that works best for you and hope for the best day ever. If you need a weekend date you need to book right away as those dates fill up very quickly. If you can go during the week then please book the date that best fits your schedule.

What is a Topside Observer going to see?

Although being the water and meeting a Great White Shark face to face is the ultimate experience many of our shark encounters may be viewed from the surface. When a natural predation occurs most of the feeding activity takes place on the surface in full view of everyone. Our Farallon expeditions are very educational and exciting for anyone who loves to be outdoors and on being the ocean. During the trip we often encounter whales, porpoise and many other varieties of marine mammals and sea birds. To spend the day at South East Farallon island is an amazing experience that we wish more people could enjoy.

Do I need to be certified?

You do not need to be scuba certified to participate in our trips. The air supply is a "hookah" system and supplied from the deck of the boat. You do not wear a tank on your back in the cage. We conduct cage diving safety courses right on board the vessel prior to commencing diving operations. Whether you have been diving for twenty years or have never been on the ocean before, all of our passengers receive the same training. Safety is our number one priority for all our passengers and crew as well as the sharks. It is important to make sure everyone is comfortable and confident before the action begins. We make sure that everyone gets the attention and assistance needed to make their dives as rewarding and safe as possible. No one is ever put into a situation that they are not comfortable with. Our crews are experienced and very patient with new divers. The cage floats on the surface with a max floor depth of 8 feet. You do need to be comfortable in the water though. A short hour long "Discovery Scuba" at your local Scuba dive shop may help you feel more comfortable since this would give you the experience of being and breathing underwater.

What are the physical abilities that are required?

If you wish to cage dive with us some basic physical abilities are required. You, as a diver should be able to enter and exit the cages on your own. Example: Can you easily climb in and out of a swimming pool without the use of stairs or a ladder? You should be in reasonably physically fit condition. If you have existing conditions such as cardio pulmonary disease or other conditions or illness that require medication and or frequent access to medical facilities you may not be eligible to participate in these activities. Some physician approval may be required for other conditions such as diabetes, asthma etc. Our maximum weight limit for cage diving is 250 lbs. If you weigh more than 250 lbs and are physically fit we CAN make arrangements to accommodate you.

What is the minumum age?

Minimum age is 13 years old for Cage Diving and Topside. All minors cage diving under 16 must be Scuba certified. All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Why do we require Dive and Trip insurance?

From 2012 we are requiring trip insurance for these two main reasons.
1. Medical Coverage. Our insurance requires medical coverage for all passengers
2. Weather.. Weather is always an important factor when working offshore.

If your trip is delayed or cancelled due to weather we will reschedule you to the next available trip till the end of the season on Nov 18th, 2012. Due to our success, we have very few available spaces that are not pre-sold months ahead making it difficult to reschedule everyone the next day. In addition most of our guests come from great distances to do this activity, changing flight plans or extending time away from home may be difficult or impossible. We will do our best to reschedule you as promptly as possible. There are hundreds of circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, or return home early. To demonstrate the importance of purchasing travel insurance, here are some common examples of what could go wrong.

1. You could lose money you've invested for your trip, such as nonrefundable deposits, if bad weather conditions cause travel delays or cancellation of your trip prior to arriving on our boat.
2. You may have to cut your trip short and return home for an emergency such as an unexpected illness or death of an immediate family member forcing you to lose the remaining pre-paid, non-refundable portion of your trip and pay a ticket change fee for your return travel arrangements.
3. Your luggage could be lost, delayed or stolen, forcing you to purchase additional clothes, essentials or even prescription medications.
4. The airline with which you're scheduled to travel suddenly goes on strike leaving you with no option but to cancel your trip…with no recourse for reimbursement.
5. You could run into major travel delays forcing you to miss a portion of your trip and be forced to pay additional lodging expenses while you wait.

With DAN trip insurance in the unlikely event your trip is delayed or cancelled the trip insurance would cover you. For more information please follow this link Divers Alert Network.

Is the water cold?

Water temperature at the Farallons is usually warmer than the local diving in Monterey Bay and is usually between 50-55 degrees. We recommend a two-piece 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit. If you do not own the proper gear we recommend one of the local dive shops here in the San Francisco Bay to help you with rental gear. In between dives we have a hot tub on the boat to warm up in between cage dives.

Are private or group Charters available?

Private Charters are $7500 for Saturday& Sunday, $7000 Midweek for up to 15 guests. Individual prices are: Cage Dive prices are $775 per person and Topside Observer Prices are $375 per person.
For Private Charters please e-mail or call directly 510-808-4499

What is a day at the Farallons like?

The Farallon trip is from 6am to 6pm, we depart from the Emeryville Sportfishing Center in Emeryville, CA. It is the first exit off the Bay Bridge in the East Bay. We have free parking or our Host hotel Doubletree Hotel provides a free shuttle to and from the boat.
Once on board, we provide a basic continental breakfast: muffins, bagels, pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee and tea. A hearty lunch of make your own deli sandwiches, with soups, salads or pasta. We will have snacks throughout the day, along with soda, bottled water, and fruit drinks all included. There are no other additional costs other than optional camera rentals, souvenirs and crew tip.

It takes a bit over 2 1/2 hours to get to the island; we usually arrive at 9am. Once onsite, we tour the island looking for animals, sharks, best water conditions, etc. We drop the cage and start cage diving. The cage will hold 4 divers at a time. You should expect to get 3 or more 30 minute cage dives thoughout the day. If at any time there is an open space in the cage you are welcome to get in.
We normally have 9-11 divers and 4-6 topside observers; we will rotate the divers in and out of the cage every 30 minutes till 3pm. If we see a predatory event where a shark has made a kill and is eating the seal we can quickly move to any part of the island in seconds to minutes to watch this amazing event closer. This is watched topside, once the shark has stopped feeding, we start cage diving again.

Although being in the water and meeting a Great White Shark face to face is the ultimate experience, many of our shark encounters may be viewed from the surface. When a natural predation occurs, most of the feeding activity takes place on the surface in full view of everyone. Our Farallon expeditions are very educational and exciting for anyone who loves to be outdoors and being on the ocean. During the trip we often encounter whales, porpoise and many other varieties of marine mammals and sea birds. To spend the day at South East Farallon Island is an amazing experience that we wish more people could enjoy. Our Farallon White Shark Season lasts only 8 weeks. Anytime during that short period is good. We only go when it is the best time to go.

We prefer a very short and very successful season rather than a long mediocre season. In the fall, thousands of marine mammals congregate on South East Farallon Island (SEFI) to breed and calve their young. This event attracts the largest White Sharks in the world to South East Farallon Island (SEFI), where they feed on Elephant Seals before their long trans-Pacific migration. We have had many dramatic encounters with White Sharks at SEFI. Breach attacks have occurred right in front of the cage and we have witnessed enumerable natural "Feeding Events".

Every day is different; We have had up to seven different White Sharks and three "Feeding Events" on one day. Any day during the season can go from many different sharks to no sharks, with numerous events happening around the boat such as "Feeding Events", swim by's, breaches, etc. Over the past 10 seasons we have been very successful during this brief 8 week season. In 2009, we averaged a 75% success rate until Nov 5th, when a pod of Orca came into the area and killed everything they could, scaring the sharks away. In 2010 we averaged 75-80% and 2011 we averaged 70%, most years we average about 70-75%. When working with wild animals in their natural environment, it is impossible to guarantee either favorable weather conditions or indeed the desired animal encounters. Great White Adventures does however, promise to take you to the best place at the best time and provide you the best opportunity to encounter sharks.

We do not provide photo services, but we offer rental cameras and we will take the time to get pictures of you using your camera or our rental to get a few pictures of you going in, out of the cage and at other times during the day if you like.

Cage Dive prices are $775 per person and Topside Observer Prices are $375 per person Please follow this link to see our available reservations page, you can "BOOK NOW" online, email or call us with the trip date you would like to reserve. You can view our current Available Reservations. We require D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network) trip insurance, or another equal insurance that covers for medical & trip cancellation (DAN has proven to be the best and easiest, with the best prices). With DAN trip insurance in the unlikely event your trip is delayed or cancelled the trip insurance would cover you. For more information please follow this link Divers Alert Network We always say... pick a day that works best for you, the sharks do not care if it is Saturday, Sunday, Monday or any day. Pick a day that works best for you and hope for the best day ever. If you need a weekend date you need to book right away as those dates fill up very quickly. If you can go during the week then please book the date that best fits your schedule. We have an experienced crew to provide you with a safe, educational and fun adventure. We have a 100% safety record for all of our guests and sharks.

If there is something that we have not covered on this FAQ's page... please feel free to call us at any of the numbers below.
(TOLL FREE): 1-(888)-255-1528
(Local): (510) 808-4499

Thank you for your interest in Great White Adventures.