My experience of almost being eaten

So the last week has been just a bit of a disaster. One night when we were due to be tracking at 2am the week before last, port control wouldn’t let us on the boat, and wouldn’t let the people who were on the boat come into the harbour. Apparently the home office decided that because we didn’t have visas (not even required for a stay less than 3 months) that we were there illegally as free labour, even though we’re volunteering (welcome to Africa!!!). They decided to let us in to continue with the research after an hour long argument (not welcomed after being dragged out at 2am!), but we were told we weren’t allowed in again after the tracking finished. If we were caught doing ANY research for oceans, we would have been arrested, and potentially put in prison/fined a lot of money- we weren’t really up for the risk!!! This would happen the month we are here! Pretty devastated that there wouldn’t be any more boat activities, we have all been very miserable.  However, by way of an apology, Oceans arranged two cage dives for us for free (normally about £100). It doesn’t quite make up for having a week and a half of no chumming, but boy it really was incredible!!!

The first trip we went on, the visibility was absolutely pants (I think it was 5 metres). We were given 5mm wetsuits to “keep us nice and warm”, errrrrr, still doesn’t protect from the 15degree water!!! We went to Seal island, it was nice to have other people chumming for us! I can’t really describe the smell of seal island, but it is one you will never forget if you’re downwind from it. Years of seal excrement and dead fish all concentrated in one small area, mmm yummy!!! Seal island is the best place to see some shark action because it’s a hunting ground. The other area we often chummed was called Hartenbos which is at a river mouth, and it’s a resting ground so they tend to be more chilled and curious there. Seal island is where it all happens! We were the first group into the water, all of the chum (sardine goop) was just floating around us, deeelicious. I cannot explain just how freaking cold it was getting into the cage, there were lots of swear words flying around!! The cage is mostly under water, and there are bars inside which you are allowed to hold onto, obviously you can’t hold the outside ones because you would literally be eaten!! There were a whole lot of big ass dents in the cage as well, and bite marks out of the foam, casual. You don’t need scuba gear, just a mask and I found a snorkel helped avoid swallowing sick chummy sea water- GROSS. You stay at the surface and when a shark comes you dive down in the cage to see it. Being at eye level with a great white, only inches from your face- the feeling is indescribable.

We were SO lucky on our trip because obviously sometimes you don’t see a lot, but we certainly got our fair share of action!!! I’m gonna skip the first trip and talk about the second trip (today) because it was a lot better. The vis was much better and it was actually sunny which helped. We went in second, luck was on our side because we got alllllll the good action! Me and Jackie were, to say the least, a liiiiitle hungover...(Jackie spent the first 10 mins on the boat trying not to vom). The freezing water def cured my hangover, but not enough to prevent me from accidentally throwing up in my mouth at one point. Being chivalrous and not wanting my friends to swim in my vom, I took one for the team and swallowed it. Yup. That’s just the kind of person I am!

I thought it might be a pants trip because only one shark showed up in the first half an hour while the others were in the water. But within five minutes of us being in, a shark decided to do a full breach for the bait RIGHT in front of the cage. It was like it was in slow motion, propelling its huge black and white body up through the air, then it came crashing down about 3 metres away from us. It made one hell of a splash!! You really do realise the power of these animals when they do stuff like this. That was just the start of the drama. It seemed that once this megladon of a shark (he was about 4 metres at least) got a taste for the bait, he just got hungrier!!! We saw about 4 breaches in total. They were going absolutely crazy, it was like a feeding frenzy broke out. The same shark breached for the bait right in front of the cage again, but this time landed face first right in front of me. He then I think got a bit scared/angry/confused and started biting the HELL out of the one bar separating me from him; there is an area along the top of the cage without bars for taking photos, and there was one singular bar in it, and this is where he was! I was very lucky because if that bar hadn’t been there his nose would have been right in the cage and I think I would have lost a few fingers. He was chomping the heck out of it, I actually had to jump to the back of the cage because his teeth were a matter of inches from where my hands were, to say I was scared is an understatement! I could see every single tooth in his ragged mouth, right to the back of his throat. And when they start going for food, their throat expands and there gills all spread out and flair, it was SO awesome to see this from that close. Apparently nose diving into the cage wasn’t enough for him, he did the same thing twice again, but the next time he slammed into it sideways. I have NO idea how he didn’t dent it, the sheer force of his huge body was very apparent! His fins were virtually in the cage as he was struggling to get the bait, he was not a happy bunny and he was not leaving until he got dinner! He went crashing into the cage from all angles about three times, it was the most intense, exhilarating feeling ever and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it. Looking a shark in the eye and knowing it’s thinking “I would like to take a chunk out of you” is like nothing else!!! I’m off to Cape town on Monday to dive hopefully with Cowsharks, Mako sharks (also in the top 5 most dangerous sharks, google them, they are scary looking!) and Blue sharks. Then I’m home L See y’all soon! (Yes I’ve picked up the word y’all from my room mates)