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Published: December 5th 2011
We are sorry for the wait! The internet has been quite spotty for us and we are too busy doing things to blog about them! I have decided to transcribe my journal entry for the day since it took up 4 pages in my little Moleskine, so it is pretty detailed. Here is what I wrote:
"This experience lived up to my expectations and more! (Yes I do write like this in my journal....) We were picked up before dawn and had a taste of the Garden Route during the two-hour drive to Gansbaii. The Route is well-named as it's very lush with irrigated fields and stretches of vineyards as far as the eye can see. The boat ride out to the dive site was quite cold and windy with big swells and we spent the first 45 minutes waiting in our stinky wetsuits, taking multiple photos of the same seagulls and cormorants. The chum was a bundle of fish heads and an oily slop tossed into the water now and then. Chuck and I were watching from the top observation deck and the first shark suddenly rose out of the depths and was way bigger than we
were expecting, even after looking at photos and YouTube! We proceeded to see eight different sharks, some small and one about 5 meters long. The first group to get in the cage didn't have as good an experience as the second and third groups (we were the third) because the sharks seemed to become more active, rolling and thrashing and banging against the cage as they wrestled with the ball of fish heads on the rope. One shark bit through the rope and the handler had to re-bait it. Each time a shark surfaced, I had to catch my breath before shouting "there he is!" Some would circle around the boat and the back of the cage, sizing things up. I was quite nervous when it came time for our group of five to get in the small cage. My wetsuit was too big and the water was really cold, but I soon forgot about all that! I had been worried that I would instinctively surface when a shark appeared, but I found that my instinct was instead to hold my breath as long as possible to keep an eye on the shark as long as possible! Even when there
were no sharks right there, it was entertaining to watch all the little fish that were snatching at the ball of chum. The experience of seeing a huge mouth of teeth coming straight at you and then having a huge body slam against the metal bar right in front of your face, is hard to describe. I shrieked a mouth full of bubbles and gulped down salty, greasy chum-water several times. It also seemed surreal to be that close to such a notorious predator as I more than once felt the strong urge to reach out and touch the white belly or grey flank in front of me, even though we had been warned that this is a great way to lose a finger or break a wrist. Chuck and I also discussed the fact that this is probably the closest such encounter with such a predator that one can experience. I know that there is cage diving with crocodiles but I can't imagine anything like this with a grizzly bear! We returned to the dock feeling exhilirated, but it all seems quite surreal in retrospect."
In reading this over, I feel that Romney would be a
bit disappointed that I didn't discover the power and the beauty in the sharks. I am sorry to say that none of these thoughts crossed my mind at the time. I was just scared! Not because they were sharks, but because they were big powerful animals about a foot away from me, demonstrating their strength and size! It was a similar feeling to the one I get when there is an upset bull at work, or an uppity yearling. I would say that cage diving is a great way to show that sharks are not crazed man-eaters and that efforts should be made to protect them. Like any big animal, they make me realze how small and puny humans are, and it is humbling to be so close to them. I enjoy any such experience and I am really glad that we made the effort to do this while we were in Africa.
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Katherine
non-member comment
Butterflies vs Sharks
Ya, so, a few years ago i went to a butterfly conservatory. i was a little freaked out by hundreds of butterflies landing on me and flying around. Something tells me that if butterflies make me feel uncomfortable I probably should never get into water with sharks. Your journal entry was great and i'm very glad you're both alive and have the photos to share. Still missing you. Kat xoxo