OCEAN Safari
You haven't 'DONE Cape Town', until you've DISCOVERED its Ocean
Discover the wonders of Cape Town’s marine world on an Ocean Safari with expert guides who share a deep passion for exploration and wildlife. The Cape Peninsula plunges into the Atlantic at the edge of Africa, where the majestic Great African Seaforest thrives—best experienced beneath the waves. No trip to Cape Town is complete without encountering the remarkable marine life of this world-renowned city!
Venture into hidden coves, historic shipwrecks, and vibrant Cape fur seal colonies. Glide past towering cliffs and rugged granite islands, spotting humpback whales and the endemic Heaviside’s dolphins. For the adventurous, snorkel through magical kelp forests teeming with life—shy sharks, starfish, anemones, and shimmering seabream.
With small, intimate groups and expert guides, we take you where few ever go. Immerse yourself in this extraordinary world and uncover the secrets of Cape Town's wild ocean. Only then can you truly say you’ve ‘DONE Cape Town.’
What can I expect on this Ocean Safari?
On this 4-hour Ocean Safari, you’ll start with a boat tour along the coastline, where you’ll have the chance to spot wildlife like seals, dolphins, African penguins and Sunfish. Afterward, we’ll head to snorkeling in the kelp forests, where you’ll spend 10 to 40 minutes in the water, depending on the conditions. Our experienced team will guide you through the experience to ensure you feel safe and comfortable.
To join, you need to be at least 10 years old, weigh less than 120kg, and be able to swim. Please note that the trip may be adjusted based on weather, swell, and animal behavior to ensure your safety and enjoyment. No prior snorkeling experience is required.
Can I snorkel in the Kelp Forest on the safari?
Yes! For confident swimmers there is the option to snorkel in the Kelp forest. Equipment included upon request. Sizes need to be provided. You will be snorkel between 10-40 mins conditions depending, topside viewing for the rest of the trip.
How do I view whales and dolphins ?
Animal Ocean is not a Whale-watching vessel, join Captain Jacks tours. As the only permitted operator in Hout Bay
On an Ocean Safari tour with Animal Ocean you may see Heaviside and Dusky dolphins, which are very common in Hout Bay. Humpback whales are abundant from November to February each year on Cape Town Atlantic seaboard. Animal Ocean follows the appropriate guidelines as a tour vessel and keeps 300m away from ceteacens.
What are the trip highlights ?
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Kelp Forest Snorkel - 10 - 40 mins
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Close-up viewing of Cape Fur seals in Hout bay harbor
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Chapmans Peak Drive Ocean Cliffs
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Duiker Island Seal colony - 5000 Fur seals
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Maori bay and the Bos 400 shipwreck
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Twelve Apostles Mountain range
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Strawberry Rocks Fur seal haul out rocks - 100 fur seals
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Wildlife spotting
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Learning from passionate ocean guides
Facilities
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Hot Showers
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Ocean Shop
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Changerooms
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Toilets
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Free WiFi
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Chill Area
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The Pelican Cafe and Coffee shop next door
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Great people, come hang out.
Do Fur seals bite?
A normal Cape Fur seal is not aggressive and is completely safe to snorkel with however some individuals can become ill due to rabies and show abnormal aggression. We do not snorkel at the seal colony for this reason.
Are there sharks?
Yes, it is possible to see four species of small endemic sharks in the kelp forest: the Pyjama shyshark, Dark catshark, Leopard shyshark, and Puffadder shyshark.
We are often asked about Great White sharks, but they have never been seen on our snorkeling trips. The cold Atlantic waters around Cape Town are not their preferred habitat. Duiker Island, in particular, is shallow, surrounded by kelp, and has few young seals—offering little incentive for a Great White shark to visit.
Species list from Ocean Safari trips
The list below showcases both marine and terrestrial species we have encountered on our trips—whether flying above, at the surface, or underwater. Some species are frequently seen, while others are rare, one-time sightings, as indicated.
Common sightings >90%
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Cape Fur Seal
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Heavisides Dolphin
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Cape cormorant
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White Breasted cormorant
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Bank cormorant
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Hautlaubs Gull
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Kelp Gull
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West Coast rock lobster
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Red rock crab
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Cape urchin
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Spiney starfish
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Cape Bream
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Swift tern
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Common tern
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Sandwich tern
Fairly often < 50%
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Southern Elephant seal
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Pyjama catshark
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Leopard catshark
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Dark shyshark
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Hagfish
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Sunfish
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Giant petrel
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Sabines gull
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African penguin
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Humpback Whale
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Dusky dolphin
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Common dolphin
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Common Octopus
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Pied Crow
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Red-winged starling
Rare sightings <10%
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Orca
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Blue Shark
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Leatherback turtle
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One-finned Electric ray
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Southern Right whale
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Brydes whale
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Rock Hyrax
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Giant rocksucker fish
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Yellowtail Kingfish
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Atlantic bonito
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Black Eagle
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Booted Eagle
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Devil Ray
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Slender sunfish
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Snoek
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Kingklip
WHAT IS OUR REFUND POLICY?
Full refund will be given if we cancel due to poor ocean conditions. Will only cancel when conditions are unsafe to go out. Trips are canceled 24 hours before arrival. Will cancel at short notice if the ocean is unexpectedly rough. Cancellations by the guest within 48 hours of departure and no-shows will not be given a refund. All cancellations prior to 48hrs incur a 10% administration fee.
HOW DOES PAYMENT WORK?
Please fill out the booking form with all the relevant details. Make sure your contact details are correct, we may need to cancel the trip or re-schedule. We take full payment when booking. Master Card and Visa credit cards are accepted through the online payment and booking system. At the Harbour cash and Credit Cards are accepted for Go pro payments. If the trip is canceled due to bad weather we will try reschedule the trip or refund you.
