Summary
It’s the ultimate adventure. We never thought we’d be cage diving with great white sharks in our lives and yet here we were climbing in the cage off the coast of South Africa to witness these creatures in person.
Our Shark Diving Tour
This post is in partnership with South Africa tourism; our shark diving tour was courtesy of the tourism board.
This only happens in the movies or on TV, doesn’t it? However, now we, Dave and Deb, are coming face to face with great white sharks.
As we entered the offices of White Shark Projects in Gansbaai, South Africa, we couldn’t help but notice the sour faces around us. People ate their buffet breakfasts in silence, and barely a smile was cracked when we said ‘hello.’
What sort of operation had we stumbled into? Why was everyone sulking at their tables?
It turns out that as we started to talk to more people on the way out to our dive site, our fellow passengers were terrified!
We were diving with the most feared creatures of the ocean, yet for some reason, I was excited.
Anyone who knows us knows that in this relationship, Dave is the daredevil.
I’ll try things, but most of the time I worry about it and lose sleep over the scary things we’re about to do. However, when it came to the Great White Shark cage diving experience, both of us were equally excited.
When diving with Great White Sharks during this time of year (January), you don’t have to endure a long boat ride in rough waters.
Fortunately, we had a short 10-minute ride to our dive site on our 36-foot boat.
That didn’t stop people from losing their lunch, though; one poor woman, who was on her honeymoon, experienced such bad seasickness that she wasn’t able to get in the water even once!
Tensions were high, and many people were chickening out. When our guide asked who would like to go in the first group, barely a hand was raised.
Dave and I were in a bit of a mix, trying to split up our dives to capture footage of one another; in the end, we ended up going together in the second group, as that was just how it worked out.
Initially, I was upset that we were in group two.
What if we missed the best shark activity that occurred first? However, it turned out that the longer we stayed in the area, the more interested the sharks became.
The crew started chumming the water with fish blood to attract the sharks, and when the first one arrived, the excitement mounted.
It was time to get in the cage and see them for ourselves.
Shark Conservation
Sadly, sharks are the most misunderstood creatures in the world, and they are at great risk of extinction.
Each year, approximately 40 million sharks are killed for their fins alone, driven by the Asian market’s demand for shark fin soup.
Sharks are Getting Smaller
Great white sharks can reach lengths of 5-6 meters, yet representatives from White Shark Projects informed us that sightings of such sizes are becoming increasingly rare.
The larger sharks are being slaughtered at alarming rates.
Considering a female shark must be at least 4 meters long to mate, the ongoing killings are severely disrupting the reproduction process. Sharks cannot reproduce as swiftly as they are being hunted.
Shark Diving Experience
Diving with these magnificent creatures is not only thrilling but also enables us to better understand sharks.
These curious creatures exhibit non-fatal behavior in most shark attacks. Humans don’t form part of their food chain; typically, a shark bite serves as a test to assess the meat. Once they recognize that this isn’t food, they usually move on.
We Love Sharks
Seeing a shark up close eliminates all fear.
About Great White Sharks
Everything portrayed in movies or on TV fades away, replaced by the realization of encountering a beautiful creature that feels, thinks, and possesses natural curiosity.
Sharks have the most intelligent eyes.
You can see them scanning for prey and assessing their surroundings.
Our cage was bumped multiple times, yet we never felt threatened.
It felt as if the sharks were coming in for a closer look. After all, we were observing them; why shouldn’t they take a good look at us?
Diving in the cage with the Great White Shark is an incredibly exhilarating experience.
Cage Diving – No Experience Necessary
You do not use any scuba equipment while diving, as the bubbles scare off the sharks.
Most of the action occurs at the surface, so while diving with White Shark Projects, you simply hold your breath and dive down when instructed by the guide.
However, you need to be quick.
Tips for Cage Diving with Great White Sharks
During our first dive, we both seemed to miss the shark’s passing.
We descended too late, held our breath too long, and resurfaced just as the shark swam by again.
Soon, we grasped the rhythm; when the guide yells “down,” you must quickly descend, observe the shark, and then head back up.
Do not linger around waiting; the shark has to turn around. Utilize that time to catch your breath.
If it returns quickly, you’ll have had time to recover and be back underwater before it passes again.
Shark Diving Again and Again!
We were fortunate to dive with a group that wasn’t particularly keen on shark diving.
Each time the captain asked for volunteers for the next round, nobody responded!
Consequently, both Dave and I enjoyed three turns in the cage. As the water grew more saturated with fish guts and blood, the sharks became increasingly excited.
They leaped after the fish heads the bait operator continuously tossed, exhibiting considerable enthusiasm, and breached the surface in front of us more than once.
By our third dive, I began to feel a bit ill. The odor of rotten fish started to penetrate my senses, and after swallowing a bit of salty water—the result of catching a breath as the waves hit—my nausea intensified.
Danger for our Guide
I am incredibly grateful I remained in the water because, just as our dive wrapped up, a shark lunged for the bait so fervently that it yanked our guide into the water! This incident occurred right above my head, and I managed to capture it all on video!
My mind raced; I experienced a moment of shock that felt like an eternity. However, upon reviewing the footage, it transpired in mere seconds.
Initially, I thought, “they must perform this routine at the end of dives to amplify excitement,” but then I realized the shocking truth.
He fell in!
Fortunately, he didn’t plunge too deep, and the shark was preoccupied with its bait, but it certainly provided an exhilarating conclusion to an already thrilling day.
Ways White Shark Projects Suggests to Help the Sharks:
- Dive and snorkel with sharks. The more money goes into shark tourism, the more people recognize the value of living sharks.
- Refuse shark fin soup and do not frequent restaurants that serve it; encourage others to do the same. Seventeen countries have already banned shark finning. See if your country is one of them. If not, write to your local government official requesting a ban on shark finning.
- Demand your country cease the importation of shark fins.
