Many people when they hear the word “shark” in False Bay immediately think of great white sharks. But, False Bay is home to an incredible diversity of sharks, rays, skates and chimeras’(all cartilaginous fish) with 27 different species, representing 15 families recorded in the inshore waters of the bay. Most of these are potential prey for great whites, especially the hound sharks, bronze whalers and guitar sharks. Shark Spotter shark sightings (via sms, website, Twitter or Facebook) are of great whites. Only under rare circumstances will we close a beach for any other shark species. Take note that to date, there have been no confirmed bull or tiger shark sightings in False Bay.

Reference: SJ Lamberth (2006): White shark and other chondrichthyan interactions with the beach-seine (treknet) fishery in False Bay, South Africa, African Journal of Marine Science, 28:3-4, 723-727