Shark!

South Africa is known for its concentration of Great White Sharks. For those excited about the possibility of meeting Jaws face-to-face, suit up and go shark cage diving! Great White Shark Tours provided a tasty spread for breakfast – fruits, meats, pastries, teas, coffees, eggs, cereals, etc. After a quick pep talk, we boarded the boat. There are many people on the boat, which provides an encouraging atmosphere.

Travelers Tip: Sit in the bottom section of the boat, especially if prone to sea sickness – it is less bumpy and windy.

The water was very choppy, but I was loving it (thank goodness I have a tough stomach!). We stopped at one spot for an hour to try to lure in sharks, but none came and so we went closer to land. We were warned that the water was murky, but that if we wanted to get into the cage, it was “now or never.”

Well, I wasn’t going to go Shark Cage Diving and not go into the cage, so I zipped up my wetsuit and slid into the cage! Great White Shark Tours provides fantastic quality wetsuits, with a hood and booties included. Unfortunately, there really was zero visibility. Even when there was a shark in front of our cage, we couldn’t see it while underwater. At last, we saw a shadow of the tail.

After about 40 minutes in the cage, I got out and decided to try to see the Great Whites from the boat. On deck, we could see just how close the sharks really were. They were right there. Despite being unable to see the sharks from the cage, we were thrilled to have been able to see six or seven from the boat. To see these ginormous, dangerous sharks attack the bait was both remarkable and frightening. While I’m bummed that I couldn’t really see the sharks from the water, I understand that we can’t control the ocean and it was still an exciting experience nonetheless.

A few hours later, after a light lunch on board (sandwiches, chips, soft drinks, and water are all included), we went back to the main house and were greeted with hot chocolate, coffee, tea, pastries, and chocolates.

Before signing up for shark cage diving, you have to acknowledge that it’s an event that you can’t base around the weather – it’s marine weather, not atmospheric weather, so just because it’s beautiful outside (and it was!) doesn’t mean that the water will be clear. It works just like a safari – you either have a lucky day or an unlucky day, but the crew really does try their best to make something happen.

If you’re going to go shark cage diving, Great White Shark Tours is most definitely a reputable, reliable company for the excursion – even the Discovery Channel and National Geographic have used their services!

Travelers Tip: Expect high swells. If you think you’re going to get sea sick you probably will, so prepare properly and take some dramamine.