Come with us and experience the world's most famous, most feared and most spectacular of sharks, the Great White. To see a Great White Shark in the wild is a very special and rare experience but to come face to face with one underwater is the most exciting experience available to divers today! This tour takes place around the scenic offshore islands of South Australia and has been described as the ultimate adventure that Australia has to offer.

It is only in South Australia that Rodney and Andrew Fox provide the special live aboard tours that incomparably maximize your “face to face” opportunities with Great White Sharks. Our special adventures depart from both Adelaide and Port Lincoln, and head out into the clear blue waters of the Southern Ocean. At the Neptune Islands we find an array of wildlife, including many bird species, dolphins, thousands of fur seals, and the beautiful and rare Australian Sea Lion. Here is the natural feeding ground of the Great White Shark. We can also organize tours for exclusive bookings, smaller groups and film crews.

Soon after his shark attack in 1963, Rodney organised the first ever “Great White Shark Diving Expedition”. He designed and built the original shark proof cage, to make the very first ever films of live Great White Sharks, “Great White Death” and “Attack by a Killer Shark”. This first film later inspired and helped raise the financial backing for Peter Gimbel in 1969 to use Rodney’s expertise in “Blue Water White Death”. Producing Great Whites was again required of Rodney in 1973 for the live shark sequences in Spielberg and Peter Benchley’s blockbuster, “Jaws”.

Just one year after the release of “Jaws” into the cinemas, Rodney lead the very first Cage Diving Expedition for non professional divers to experience the thrill of the Great White Shark “first hand”! Carl Roessler, with “Sea and See Dive Travel”, bought out this first group of divers from the USA in 1976. This launched the ultimate diving adventure and is still generally regarded as the pinnacle in any diver’s career. This event continues in the very same tradition and spirit today where we strive to make each and every expedition an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime.

Fox Expeditions are proud to continue providing a vital research platform for field studies. Such long-term productivity by the Fox’s has contributed to the public education, imagery and resulting admiration that finally lead to the protection that Great Whites now enjoy worldwide.

The Trip

We operate out in the clear offshore waters of the Neptune Islands, which are only accessible through the use of large live-aboard boats like our expedition vessel “The Princess II”. The shortest 4-day length tour allows us the time to first get to our viewing locations and back, while also catering for the chance of sitting out any spells of poor operating conditions or slow shark activity. We then give ourselves the best chance of enjoying that extraordinary and magical day when the sharks and their environment are at their best, and we can utilize all of our special facilities, partake in all the activities to maximize the entire experience.

After each expedition many passengers comment that they would love to return with us for even longer next time. So to see everything and have the most fun we highly recommend you spending as long at this as your time and budget can allow. Chances are you will probably want to come back again anyway!

Adelaide–Adelaide tour
Available on 5,6, 8 and 10 day programs

Evening Prior departure: Most passengers arrive in Adelaide the day before departure. A complimentary welcome gathering is held at the Rodney Fox Shark Museum the evening before departure at 6pm. Here passengers get to meet the dive team, each other and here is an ideal opportunity to consider any last minute supplies or hire needs before we depart in the morning.

Day 1 (Departure Day): Expedition members are transferred to the vessel in Port Adelaide, and we depart by 12 noon. Once underway we have lunch, and that afternoon passengers have time to settle into their cabins and familiarize themselves with the ship. We serve meals, present talks, and prepare for the days ahead. After Dinner there is an opportunity to review of some of the classic shark videos in our collection. We aim to be on our first shark location before breakfast.

On location: Once on location we start chumming and watch out for sharks. We start cage diving and when conditions allow we also offer island excursions. After a test dive to orientate new divers with the shark cage divers are free to enter and exit the cages at their leisure. There is plenty of time just to relax or get involved in our research collection, or just enjoy the shark action topside. Activities revolve around the current shark activity, the shore parties, meals and special talks. After talks the nights are free to stargaze tell stories. The Ship is big enough to get away from people and find some privacy. We generally stay on location during the day, usually moving location only during the night to give us maximum productivity.

On some longer 8 and 10 day dates we transfer some passengers doing just the Split Trip half way through the tour. We spend some hours tied up at the wharf in Port Lincoln overnight allowing passengers to stretch their legs and walk the towns foreshore at night. Some passengers like to drop into the Tasman Hotel and play a game of pool and say farewell to any passengers departing.

Last Day Arrival in Adelaide: After a full previous day on location we depart for the 14-16 hour overnight journey back to Port Adelaide, arriving to our homeport around 11am on this final day. We deliver all passengers back to the Adelaide Airport, their accommodation in Glenelg or at the Shark museum, where people base from until their flights leave later that day.

Many passengers, staying the night of return in Adelaide, often get together back at the Shark museum and plan a restaurant meal that night. This depends on remaining numbers and individual wishes.

Note: Any afternoon flights planned on this last day out from Adelaide, should ideally be organised no earlier than 1-2pm. However if necessary we can still often make up time to connect to earlier flights. Please advise if this affects you!

Adelaide-Port Lincoln - 1st Half/Split Date Tour -available on 4 and 5-day split tours.

On split trips starting from Adelaide, and finishing in Port Lincoln, can again attend the welcome gathering at the Rodney Fox Shark Museum as described above with the Adelaide-Adelaide tour.

On this tour we arrive late on the final night, and berth at the main wharf in Port Lincoln. Departing passengers disembark by 10.30PM on that final night.

Passengers need to organise their night’s accommodation in Port Lincoln and also the means to fly/bus out from Port Lincoln the following day. We can happily assist here! (see options below)

Port Lincoln-Adelaide 2nd Half/Split Date Tour -available on 4 and 5-day split tours.

On Split tours starting from Port Lincoln and then finishing in Adelaide, passengers will need to board The Princess II at the Main Wharf In Port Lincoln at 11pm. Note: There is no welcome gathering at the Shark Museum the night before departure as with Adelaide departures!

Most passengers fly (or bus) into Port Lincoln on the afternoon or evening of departure. To get to Port Lincoln see flight and bus options below. Most passengers joining in Port Lincoln wait for The Princess II’s arrival at the Grand Tasman Hotel restaurant or front bar until we arrive later that night.

After just 5 hours cruising we are on location the next morning and the agenda then follows as noted above in the Adelaide-to-Adelaide tour.

Exclusive Group Tours and Alternative Options.

We can organise other tour itineraries to suit exclusive or full group charters. We can cater for the needs of film and research crews and social groups both onboard The Princess II and other smaller vessels. No other Vessel has all of The Princess II’s facilities featured on this website, however smaller boats can cater when The Princess II is not available or for smaller groups and individuals.