WHERE AND WHEN WE SEE THEM:
Hammerhead sharks migrate in big schools to PROTEA BANKS with 100’s to 1000’s being seen on a singular reef dive … absolutely mind blowing!
Relatively shy of divers and notoriously difficult to photograph. Large specimens of Greater Hammerhead sharks and schools of several 100’s to 1000’s Scalloped Hammerheads are seasonally encountered by divers in their season.
You are more likely to encounter these sharks on Reef dives in their natural habitat. They do on occasion pass by on a baited Shark dive but never really coming in close.
ABOUT HAMMERHEAD SHARKS
The Greater Hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran, is the largest species of Hammerhead shark, attaining a maximum length of 6m. Different from other species of its family, it is a solitary species and is occasionally encountered on PROTEA BANKS.
The Scalloped Hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini, has a body that is greyish above and paler below, attaining a length of about 3m. The front edge of the head being more noticeably scalloped in shape. The first dorsal is less prominent than that of the Greater Hammerhead shark.
Found in all temperate and tropical waters worldwide, all species are assumed to be highly migratory. In South Africa, adults are found offshore in deeper waters, while juveniles are very common inshore often swimming just under the surface.
Graph gives a rough % estimation of the possibility of shark sightings on PROTEA BANKS. Based on data collected from the AQUA PLANET DIVE CENTRE AND CHARTER LOGBOOK, over a 5 year period.
