Shark diving

Trip Start Jul 19, 2008
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Trip End Aug 08, 2008


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Flag of South Africa  ,
Sunday, August 3, 2008

Very windy in the night and wondered if the shark dive still on. They confirmed by text it was so set off for the 2 hour drive at 6 am. This is where the sat nav came in handy. Arrived with no problem and had breakfast before boarding the boat in the harbour. Looked a bit rough to me. Thought the chances of Pat keeping her breakfast down a bit slim. The boat really bounced about. Got to the shark site and the crew started pouring fish blood over the side. Pat and indeed a few others went green. Then they put out a big Tuna head on a rope and float. The captain cheerfully told everyone to throw up over the side if they felt ill as this also attracted sharks. Pat obliged and sure enough one appeared right in front of her. There are ot many who can say they have thrown up on a Great White Shark! Those of us diving squeezed into wet suits while falling over in the pitching boat. You had to be a very frendly terms as changing facilities were er.. limited. I was first in and got in the cage. Sea not as cold as I feared although they were heavy 7mm suits with hoods. The skipper saw a shark and pulled the bait towards the cage and shouted down. Under water there was like a slit in the cage to look through and the view was stunning. I could have touched it. Completely awesome. Unfortunately in the excitement I poked my bad foot through the cage and having limited movement in it couldn't get it back in. The shark looked interested. This was bad enough but we were free diving with no air tank and I had to surface to breath. With a struggle I freed it and surfaced well after the others who must have though I was just showing off.

Weather comtinued to get worse and then all hell broke loose. One shark boat had lost its engines and had been washed aground on seal island. Someone had a heart attack on another boat which sped back to port another boat had a serious injury when someone hit his head in the pitching seas. Our boat left its cage anchored and with another set off to rescue the disabled boat. Ours put an anchor down for it while the other rescued the very scared looking passengers. The trip back was very rough. Some of our passengers had just changed out of their wetsuits into their clothes when a wave broke over the boat soaking them. One girl was too ill to take her wet suit off.

Had lunch when we got back. Pat quickly recovered after some nice soup and drove back along the coast to see whales and dolphins and daft seals that floated on their backs with the flippers in the air causing great confusion. Lanlord told us 3 people had been killed recently when one of the boats was capsized by a wave. 2 were trapped inside and one eaten by a shark. Must have had really close views though.

Still an astonishing experience and adventure. Drove back along the coast and saw whales close inshore. Had dinner that night in a scary part of town although it was very good and it was certainly lively.
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