The Shark Trust has put two prizes up for auction this Christmas, and both come with a twist: through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, winning bids get match-funded, so whatever you pledge counts double for shark conservation.

The headline lot is a three-day trip for two on South Africa's Overberg coast with the conservation outfit Marine Dynamics. Accommodation and meals are included, and the itinerary stacks up fast. Day one might find you on a Marine Big 5 wildlife safari — whale, shark, dolphin, seal and penguin — then there's the option to dive with bronze whaler sharks, snorkel alongside Cape fur seals, and powerboat over to Dyer Island, a well-known seabird and white shark hotspot. There's also a cultural stop: the Grootbos Florilegium, a botanical art collection documenting plants of the Cape region.

Not the bidding type, or prefer your sharks in two dimensions? The second prize is a framed A1 giclée print of a great white shark by artist Jimmy Higgs, titled Carcharodon carcharias. It's an original work from the Oceanic 31 Exhibition, which has been touring UK venues, and comes finished with flecks of silver leaf. A shark-themed Christmas present with genuinely good provenance.

The fundraising context matters here. The Shark Trust's 'Help Sharks this Christmas' campaign funds conservation, research, education and advocacy for sharks, skates and rays — a group under real pressure. Of 1,199 known species, more than a third face extinction, driven mainly by overfishing, habitat loss and patchy legal protection. Match-funding through the Big Give means each winning bid generates double the contribution.

The auction closes on 1 December, with the Big Give Christmas Challenge donations window running 1–8 December, so you'll need to act fast if this is on your Christmas list.

For travellers, the Marine Dynamics prize is the standout — Gansbaai and the surrounding Overberg coast are one of the world's classic spots for cage diving and marine wildlife, and going with an outfit rooted in research and conservation means the experience is more than a photo op. Even if you don't win, it's a useful pointer: Gansbaai pairs well with a Cape Town itinerary and makes an easy two- or three-day add-on for anyone keen on sharks, seals and Southern Right whales in season.

Auction details via Dive Magazine.