Duration
3 hours
Cape Town · experience
Great African Sea Forest guided snorkel
A guided snorkel through the Cape Peninsula’s kelp forest made famous by the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher.
3 hoursSmall groupFrom €66
The experience
A guided snorkel through the Great African Sea Forest, the Cape Peninsula’s kelp forest made famous by the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher.
A marine biologist leads a small group into the kelp forest off the Cape Peninsula that filmmaker Craig Foster and marine scientists call the Great African Sea Forest — the same waters filmed for the 2020 Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, winner of the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The guide provides a full wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins along with an in-depth briefing on the ecosystem, and the group snorkels among the towering kelp fronds looking for sea urchins, pyjama sharks and other marine life, contributing sightings to ongoing shark research along the way.
Group
Small group
Languages
Confirmed with the option
Format
Confirmed with the option
Meeting point
A beach on the Cape Peninsula; exact location confirmed at booking, tide and weather dependent.
Pickup and drop-off
Confirmed with the option
Who this suits
A good choice when it matches the way you want to use the city.
- Travellers who have seen My Octopus Teacher and want to see the kelp forest itself.
- Confident swimmers comfortable snorkelling in cold Atlantic water (a wetsuit is provided).
- Anyone wanting a genuinely different register from Cape Town’s landmarks and townships.
Itinerary
The route at a glance.
The guide and exact sequence are confirmed on the day. Times below are a useful indication of how this visit is normally structured.
- 1~30 min
Briefing
An in-depth introduction to the kelp forest ecosystem and safety.
- 2~1.5 hours
Guided snorkel
Snorkelling through the kelp forest with a marine biologist.
- 3~30 min
Debrief
Discussing what the group saw, with photos shared afterwards.
What the visit includes
The practical detail before you choose a date.
Highlights
- A marine biologist guide throughout
- Full wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins provided
- The kelp forest behind My Octopus Teacher’s Oscar-winning documentary
- Professional photos of the snorkel included
Included
- ✓ A marine biologist guide
- ✓ Full wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins
- ✓ An ecosystem and safety briefing
- ✓ Professional photos
Not included
- • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Before you go
A few essentials for the day.
- The water is cold year-round; a full wetsuit is provided but some comfort with cold water is needed.
- Sessions are tide- and weather-dependent and can be rescheduled at short notice.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.