Written by Dan
We awoke at 5am in preparation for our day ahead. Today would be the day that I would fullfil a personal dream: Cage diving with Great White Sharks. What better place to do this than the Great White Shark capital of the world, Gaansbai, South Africa?
Ev and I packed our gear for the day, camera, towel, money etc. We headed downstairs to the lobby and grabbed our pre-packed breakfast from reception that we had organised the night before. Ev being Ev, had to go back upstairs twice to grab stuff she had forgotten. The bus finally arrived at 5:30am and we were greeted by our driver. There were already 6 people on the bus, a Frenchman and his 2 sons, a South African couple and a young American woman. While we ate our breakfast on the bus, we picked up another Frenchman and 2 Mexican lads.
Our destination, Gaansbai, is about a two and a half hour drive from Cape Town so to pass the time our driver put on a DVD called ‘Sharkman’. How appropriate. It was actually very interesting. It was about a South African guy from Gaansbai who free swims (no cage) with Great Whites and has studied their behaviour which enables him to interact with them. Fascinating stuff.
Anyway, time passed and we finally made it to Gaansbai. We stopped off at a place called ‘Shark Lady’, who are the original shark cage diving operators, for a briefing for the day ahead. The Dive Leader was a guy called Lance. He ran us through all the safety measures as well as any other housekeeping. Lance then told us there would be 4 people to a dive lasting around 15mins. There were 13 people so the unlucky 13th person would be in the 4th dive group with people looking at doing a 2nd dive. Ev and I were grouped with a French couple in Group 4.
Once we signed the disclaimers and paid the fee we were ready to set sail. It was just a little more than a 5min drive to the boat ramp. We climbed the 15ft boat which was loaded with food, drink, diving suits and of course, the dive cage. We were away.
Six of the group sat upstairs on the boat. Ev and I stayed downstairs out of the wind while the rest took their places at the front of the boat. We were glad we stayed inside because it ended up being a very cold day.
After about 10-15 minutes at sea we knew we were close to our destination as we spotted 4-5 other boats of shark dive operators floating in the distance. We eventually found our spot and weighed anchor. Once the boat had stopped Ev and I headed upstairs for a better photo opportunity. The crew setup the cage and started scooping chum (dead fish and seawater) into the ocean. The idea was to form a chum line in the sea as it moved with the current and the shark is supposed to catch the scent of dead fish and then make a beeline towards it’s origin, namely, us. Along with the chum, Lance also had a couple of large fish heads attached to a rope with a balloon to act as a flotation device. The plan was to attract the shark and then pull the rope away as the shark goes in for the kill. This action allows for some amazing underwater shots as well as possibly getting the shark airborne.
Earlier at the briefing, Lance had given us a few verbal queues for when we were in the water, along with a few do’s and dont's. When we were in the cage, there were two separate yellow bars at water level and at our feet. The bars were inside the cage itself and were to be used to submerge ourselves without touching the cage and risk losing fingers or toes. Lance and his crew would look for sharks deep in the water and would yell ‘Go down’ and ‘to the right’, ‘to the left’ or ‘straight down’, depending on were the shark was coming from.
After about 20 minutes of waiting, Lance called out ‘Shark deep!’ and instructed the first group to suit up. This is were we had our first piker. One of the ladies withdrew at the last second claiming she had a migraine. We knew better though. I wouldn’t have thought a migraine would stop anyone wanting to experience such a thrill. The American girl, who was the 13th person and due to be in the 4th group, was now going up first. Luckily for her too, as we actually only ended up having time for 3 dives at the end of the day. Anyway, Group 1 put their diving gear on and waited...and waited...and waited some more. The shark Lance spotted was long gone but at least there were plenty of other fish in the sea. (see what I did there? Funny hey) We began to lose hope.
40 minutes into the trip the crew decided to change tact and move the boat closer to the other operators for a better chance of success. As our boat slowly edged towards it’s competitors, all of a sudden a giant beast leapt 2-3 feet into the air and then crashed back down again in front of the boat closest to ours. Our hopes immediately lifted as we watched in awe. Moments later, the boat on our otherside experienced the same thrilling event. We knew we were in the right spot.
Group 1 were still down on the deck and within minutes one of the crew yelled ‘Shark, Shark, Shark!’, and there it was. It was incredible. Amazing. A moment I will never forget. To see such a majestic, yet ferocious creature in it’s natural habitat is a memory I will take to the grave. The White Shark was a little over 3 metres long and was circling the boat. No doubt more than a little curious as to what was happening. Group 1 quickly dived into the water and suddenly realised how cold it was. One of the Mixican guys yelped and all I could picture him saying was ‘Aye curumba, muchos fruzo!!’ The American girl had her problems too as she had trouble breathing in the cold water and started quick panicking breaths. She was asthmatic and was given her puffer and told to take long slow breaths. She eventually calmed down. Unfortunately during all the commotion the sharks had swam elsewhere and Group 1 was made to wait again, this time in the freezing water.
Another 15 minutes passed and the crew spotted not one but two sharks swimming in the deep. One of the sharks ascended to investigate the fish heads and Group 1 submerged as Lance yelled ‘Go Down to the left.’ No doubt they had a great view but we also had a fantastic vantage point from the top of the boat. The two sharks took turns in trying to snag the shredded prize to no avail. As this continued, Group 2 were told to ‘suit up’. The same two sharks hung around most of the day and eventually Group 1 got out.
We were running short on time so as Group 2 got in the water our group, Group 3 suited up. I have never worn a wetsuit before and putting it on was one of the most difficult things I have done. Ev and I eventually got them on thanks to the crew and we were ready for some shark action!
Group 2 left the water and it was our turn. I had my underwater camera ready and was hoping to at least see one shark and maybe get a photo. It turned out that our dive was by far the most active of the three. The first two dives got to see the shark go by them but our group saw the shark actually try to bite/eat the fish heads at least 5-6 times. The only downside is I missed the one out of water dive the sharks had due to being underwater at the time. Luckily though Ev went up for a breath at exactly the right time, then down again to see him swim away.
It was a surreal feeling for us both the first time Lance yelled ‘Go down, to the right’. We all submerged and gazed as the three metre killing machine passed us less than two meters away. I held my breath as long as possible to take in as much as I could thinking each encounter could be the last. I haven’t seen the photos but I was able to get nine underwater shots in total. It proved to be difficult taking photos with masks on but I think I was able to get some good ones including a couple of the shark biting at the fish heads. Unfortunately we won’t be able to see them until we get back as we’ve posted the camera back to Australia. Until then, I’ll have to be content with the memories that will last a lifetime of one of the greatest experiences of my life.
V&A Waterfront Dinner
After our thrilling boat ride, we came back to the hotel to pack our gear and as our last night in Cape Town, we spoilt ourselves with dinner at a V&A Waterfront restaurant. We shared our experience of the day together and are pleased we saw the video recording of the dive during lunch as we have already posted the dvd back today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-ev/
We awoke at 5am in preparation for our day ahead. Today would be the day that I would fullfil a personal dream: Cage diving with Great White Sharks. What better place to do this than the Great White Shark capital of the world, Gaansbai, South Africa?
Ev and I packed our gear for the day, camera, towel, money etc. We headed downstairs to the lobby and grabbed our pre-packed breakfast from reception that we had organised the night before. Ev being Ev, had to go back upstairs twice to grab stuff she had forgotten. The bus finally arrived at 5:30am and we were greeted by our driver. There were already 6 people on the bus, a Frenchman and his 2 sons, a South African couple and a young American woman. While we ate our breakfast on the bus, we picked up another Frenchman and 2 Mexican lads.
Our destination, Gaansbai, is about a two and a half hour drive from Cape Town so to pass the time our driver put on a DVD called ‘Sharkman’. How appropriate. It was actually very interesting. It was about a South African guy from Gaansbai who free swims (no cage) with Great Whites and has studied their behaviour which enables him to interact with them. Fascinating stuff.
Anyway, time passed and we finally made it to Gaansbai. We stopped off at a place called ‘Shark Lady’, who are the original shark cage diving operators, for a briefing for the day ahead. The Dive Leader was a guy called Lance. He ran us through all the safety measures as well as any other housekeeping. Lance then told us there would be 4 people to a dive lasting around 15mins. There were 13 people so the unlucky 13th person would be in the 4th dive group with people looking at doing a 2nd dive. Ev and I were grouped with a French couple in Group 4.
Once we signed the disclaimers and paid the fee we were ready to set sail. It was just a little more than a 5min drive to the boat ramp. We climbed the 15ft boat which was loaded with food, drink, diving suits and of course, the dive cage. We were away.
Six of the group sat upstairs on the boat. Ev and I stayed downstairs out of the wind while the rest took their places at the front of the boat. We were glad we stayed inside because it ended up being a very cold day.
After about 10-15 minutes at sea we knew we were close to our destination as we spotted 4-5 other boats of shark dive operators floating in the distance. We eventually found our spot and weighed anchor. Once the boat had stopped Ev and I headed upstairs for a better photo opportunity. The crew setup the cage and started scooping chum (dead fish and seawater) into the ocean. The idea was to form a chum line in the sea as it moved with the current and the shark is supposed to catch the scent of dead fish and then make a beeline towards it’s origin, namely, us. Along with the chum, Lance also had a couple of large fish heads attached to a rope with a balloon to act as a flotation device. The plan was to attract the shark and then pull the rope away as the shark goes in for the kill. This action allows for some amazing underwater shots as well as possibly getting the shark airborne.
Earlier at the briefing, Lance had given us a few verbal queues for when we were in the water, along with a few do’s and dont's. When we were in the cage, there were two separate yellow bars at water level and at our feet. The bars were inside the cage itself and were to be used to submerge ourselves without touching the cage and risk losing fingers or toes. Lance and his crew would look for sharks deep in the water and would yell ‘Go down’ and ‘to the right’, ‘to the left’ or ‘straight down’, depending on were the shark was coming from.
After about 20 minutes of waiting, Lance called out ‘Shark deep!’ and instructed the first group to suit up. This is were we had our first piker. One of the ladies withdrew at the last second claiming she had a migraine. We knew better though. I wouldn’t have thought a migraine would stop anyone wanting to experience such a thrill. The American girl, who was the 13th person and due to be in the 4th group, was now going up first. Luckily for her too, as we actually only ended up having time for 3 dives at the end of the day. Anyway, Group 1 put their diving gear on and waited...and waited...and waited some more. The shark Lance spotted was long gone but at least there were plenty of other fish in the sea. (see what I did there? Funny hey) We began to lose hope.
40 minutes into the trip the crew decided to change tact and move the boat closer to the other operators for a better chance of success. As our boat slowly edged towards it’s competitors, all of a sudden a giant beast leapt 2-3 feet into the air and then crashed back down again in front of the boat closest to ours. Our hopes immediately lifted as we watched in awe. Moments later, the boat on our otherside experienced the same thrilling event. We knew we were in the right spot.
Group 1 were still down on the deck and within minutes one of the crew yelled ‘Shark, Shark, Shark!’, and there it was. It was incredible. Amazing. A moment I will never forget. To see such a majestic, yet ferocious creature in it’s natural habitat is a memory I will take to the grave. The White Shark was a little over 3 metres long and was circling the boat. No doubt more than a little curious as to what was happening. Group 1 quickly dived into the water and suddenly realised how cold it was. One of the Mixican guys yelped and all I could picture him saying was ‘Aye curumba, muchos fruzo!!’ The American girl had her problems too as she had trouble breathing in the cold water and started quick panicking breaths. She was asthmatic and was given her puffer and told to take long slow breaths. She eventually calmed down. Unfortunately during all the commotion the sharks had swam elsewhere and Group 1 was made to wait again, this time in the freezing water.
Another 15 minutes passed and the crew spotted not one but two sharks swimming in the deep. One of the sharks ascended to investigate the fish heads and Group 1 submerged as Lance yelled ‘Go Down to the left.’ No doubt they had a great view but we also had a fantastic vantage point from the top of the boat. The two sharks took turns in trying to snag the shredded prize to no avail. As this continued, Group 2 were told to ‘suit up’. The same two sharks hung around most of the day and eventually Group 1 got out.
 |
| "Shark! On the right!" |
Group 2 left the water and it was our turn. I had my underwater camera ready and was hoping to at least see one shark and maybe get a photo. It turned out that our dive was by far the most active of the three. The first two dives got to see the shark go by them but our group saw the shark actually try to bite/eat the fish heads at least 5-6 times. The only downside is I missed the one out of water dive the sharks had due to being underwater at the time. Luckily though Ev went up for a breath at exactly the right time, then down again to see him swim away.
It was a surreal feeling for us both the first time Lance yelled ‘Go down, to the right’. We all submerged and gazed as the three metre killing machine passed us less than two meters away. I held my breath as long as possible to take in as much as I could thinking each encounter could be the last. I haven’t seen the photos but I was able to get nine underwater shots in total. It proved to be difficult taking photos with masks on but I think I was able to get some good ones including a couple of the shark biting at the fish heads. Unfortunately we won’t be able to see them until we get back as we’ve posted the camera back to Australia. Until then, I’ll have to be content with the memories that will last a lifetime of one of the greatest experiences of my life.
V&A Waterfront Dinner
After our thrilling boat ride, we came back to the hotel to pack our gear and as our last night in Cape Town, we spoilt ourselves with dinner at a V&A Waterfront restaurant. We shared our experience of the day together and are pleased we saw the video recording of the dive during lunch as we have already posted the dvd back today.
 |
| V&A Waterfront last night Dinner |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-ev/
6 comments:
What a thrill for you both. I am envious!!! You both write so well, keep it up as I enjoy sharing your adventures & eagerly await the next episode. xJanet
Thanks Danial for the write up, it felt like I was there watching it all happened as you said. Glad to hear you can tick something else off the list of thing to do. Keep enjoying yourselves and don't forget us people back here working in the cold of Melbourne. Leanne
What an absolutely incredible adventure you two are having...I'm starting to get itchy feet again! Keep up to wonderful posts...the graphic descriptions are almost as good as being there.
What a great story and what an adventure you 2 are having. Keep on enjoying and forgoodness sake...........stay safe!! Denise
Thanks for the update guy's i am jealous lol,keep up the humour in your post cause the neighnbours must think i am going crazy laughimg aloud at nothing hahaha.
Awesome post Dan. Glad to hear you didn't 'pike' or lose any fingers! ;) What an amazing experience!
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