Swimming with Sharks?

19/11/2010

17:30

Today was 'Swimming with the Sharks' day. This day out required a 4:30 rise to ensure we could make our pick-up at 5:10am. Too early….even for me. The taxi driver duly arrived and after we picked up the other attendees we began our two and a half hour journey to Gaansbaai. This gave me ample time to look out of the mini-bus window and enjoy the South African scenery.

Time and time again you hear people talk about how they have 'fallen in love with Africa' and that they could 'Go back again and again and again'. Well, after two and a half hours taking in the 'big' dramatic landscape and breathing and smelling the sweet air, I can now totally understand why Africa really grabs peoples imagination. It really is beautiful.

We reached our destination, a small coastal town whose name I can't quite remember, around 8am. They fed us a lovely breakfast and briefed us on the activity ahead. It was interesting to note that the company employs two marine biologists who carry out research on the Great White sharks therefore putting something back into the conservation effort.

We set off about 10ish and I was selected to go in the first group and got myself suited and booted. With a possible sighting of a shark by the Captain the paying punters were immediately ushered into the cage, the freezing South Atlantic water immediately making it's presence felt before the wet suit started to do it's job.

Then……..nothing. We must have stayed in that cage for about 25 minutes. Defeated we were pulled out the cage. I could barely manage up the ladder as my hands had been numbed by the cold water. For the next four hours the crew baited (or chummed) the water in vain. Not a shark was to be seen. The captain eventually moved site and we anchored off the shore of a seal island that was home to a very large group of seals and their pups. The seals were probably playing in the knowledge that there wasn't a Great White for miles around.

Then one was spotted and the next group went into the cage and were treated to a very close display of a Great White doing it's thing. It was only a wee one (under three meters) but judging by the reaction of the group when the came out of the cage it was very exhilarating. The next group were afforded a similar display a short time later but the last group, like my group, were treated to a 'no show'.

I wasn't disappointed though. The views of the Great White's were spectacular from the upper deck. The experience reminded me of the fact that man does not control nature and nature will always do what it likes when it likes. Whilst there's no doubt that humans affect wildlife it is also true that we don't control it. So if a 'no show' is on the cards then so be it.

Once the experience was over the Captain treated us to an exhilarating hi speed ride over the choppy South African water which more than made up for the 'no shows'. After soup at the base we headed back into our people carrier for the journey back to Cape Town and the South African vista's once again opened up before us.