Preparing the boat for the dive
We had been lucky enough to see sharks while scuba diving, but we wanted a chance to see a Great White up close. So we headed back to the coast to Gansbaai where we’d hopefully see one from a cage. We had seen videos of sharks entering the cage, which added to our curiosity as to what was to come.
Shark bait…some delicious tuna heads
The morning started with breakfast at the dive shop while we were briefed on what we’d do before walking to the dock. We loaded everyone up and made our way out to sea. Shortly before arriving to our destination, they “chummed” the water meaning they put out dead fish (spoiled from the local market) into our wake. Our cage was waiting for us on a buoy and we geared up with wet suits, booties and masks. Tico and I were part of the first group to get in and I was on the far right corner. We had strict instructions as to where to place our feet and hands as to not let anything become shark bait. The actual bait was the head of a tuna tied to a rope.
Waiting for the shark to come closer to the cage
We waited patiently for a shark to appear. When it got close to the cage, we heard, “down, down, down!” We took as big a breath as possible and plunged into the water. The visibility was poor and we could only see a couple meters in front of us, but after a couple times dunking ourselves we realized where we needed to be looking. The shark would follow the bait and most times swam directly to my corner. It was amazing to see so much detail and in its natural habitat! We bobbed up and down several times and one time when it went the other way it slammed into our cage.
Looking at the shark behind the bars of the cage
When our time in the cage was up, we made our way back on the boat. We’d have a different angle to see the sharks. As it turned out, the view was much better on board. We saw the typical dorsal fin protruding out of the water and watched a shark breach in an attempt to catch the bait. Its mouth wide open trying to grab on and giving us a chance to see all of his teeth. It was impressive to see how much bigger they looked outside of water.
A shark reaching the surface
We were given another chance to jump in the cage. Even though the visibility wasn’t that great, there was a rush from being in the water with them. Our trip was coming to an end and after getting out of our wetsuits, we made our way back to land. Lunch was waiting for us and we watched a recap of what we’d just done. It’s something that is hard to put into words, but it was experience that will be recorded in our memories forever.
A close encounter with a Great White
Don’t forget to check out this trip gallery here.
Helpful tips:
- We stayed at Gansbaai Backpackers and they offered a deal for accommodation and a cage dive for 1200 Rand with Shark Diving Unlimited. The normal rate of a dive with this company is 1500 Rand.
- Make sure you find a good mask before jumping in as fog only makes the visibility worse.
I know that it must have been quite exciting for the both of you, but all I kept hearing in my head was the character Quint from “Jaws”. “you get in the cage. the cage goes in the water. you go in the water. the shark’s in the water, our shark.” Then he sings….farewell and adieu to you fair spanish ladies, farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain. Only a couple of months away and you have certainly had quite an adventure. Ada