South Africa is home to an incredible diversity of marine life, largely attributable to the extreme contrast between the oceans on its west and east coasts. The warm Agulhas current runs down the east coast and supports a variety of subtropical species. In comparison, the cold Benguela current sweeps up the west coast and is characterised by cool, nutrient-rich waters which are highly productive. As the currents and temperature of the oceans change along the coastline, so do the different plants and animals that live there. 

Cape Town is situated close to the meeting point of these two currents, and as such supports a wide diversity of species from both warmer and cooler environments, including sharks. Many people when they hear the word "shark" in False Bay immediately think of great white sharks. But thanks to the meeting and mixing of the Indian and Atlantic oceans right on the Cape's doorstep, it allows Cape Town to be home to an incredible diversity of shark species. False Bay is home to 27 different species of shark, ray and chimaera (all cartilagenous fish) which represent 15 families. Most of these are potential prey for great whites, especially the hound shark, bronze whalers and guitar sharks.

Shark Spotter shark sightings (via sms, website, Twitter and Facebook) are of great whites. Only in 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.

Elasmobranchs Recorded in False Bay 

FAMILY	GENUS & SPECIES	COMMON NAME
Alopiidae	Alopias vulpinus	Common thresher shark
Callorhinchidae	Callorhinchus capensis	St Joseph
Carcharhinidae	Carcharhinus   brachyurus	Bronze whaler
	Carcharhinus obscurus	Dusky shark
	Carcharhinus   plumbeus	Sandbar shark
Dasyatidae	Dasyatis brevicaudata	Short-tail stingray
	Dasyatis chrysonota	Blue stingray
	Gymnura natalensis	Diamond ray
Hexanchidae	Notorynchus   cepedianus	Sevengill cowshark
Lamnidae	Carcharodon carcharias	Great white shark
	Isurus oxyrinchus	Shortfin mako
Myliobatidae	Myliobatis aquila	Eagle ray
	Pteromylaeus bovinus	Duckbill ray
Narkidae	Narke capensis	Onefin electric ray
Odontaspididae	Carcharias taurus	Spotted ragged tooth
Rajidae	Raja alba	Spearnose skate
	Raja miraletus	Twineye skate
	Raja straeleni	Biscuit skate
Rhinobatidae	Rhinobatos annulatus	Lesser guitarfish
Scyliorhinidae	Halaelurus natalensis	Tiger catshark
	Haploblepharus   edwardsii	Puffadder shyshark
	Poroderma africanum	Pyjama shark
Sphyrnidae	Sphyrna zygaena	Smooth hammerhead
Torpedinidae	Torpedo fuscmaculata	Electric ray
Triakidae	Galeorhinus galeus	Soupfin   shark/vaalhaai
	Mustelus mustelus	Houndshark
	Triakis megalopterus	Spotted gully shark

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