Departing the warm, toasty weather of East Africa and shifting into the opposite hemisphere, I arrive in South Africa in the dead of winter- one of the coldest they have had in years. I check into “The Backpack”, the hip guest house I stayed at 6 years ago; my last visit to Capetown and my very first time traveling. It was just as awesome as I’d remembered it to be with its trendy cafe bustling with travelers, people playing pool, drinking beer by the fire, listening to Bob Marley and sharing tales from the road with one another.
Within hours of arrival, I made dozens of new friends and was quickly adopted by the two women who owned the place. It was a very warm feeling, despite the dreadfully cold weather outside. At night I slept in a ski cap, gloves, and with a hot water bottle by my side, but froze like a popsicle! So why, had I come to wintery South Africa in the first place? One reason only: GREAT WHITE SHARKS! The icy waters off of The Cape Peninsula boast the largest concentration of great white sharks in the world! Seeing this iconic and often feared animal up close and personal is a dream of many divers, though few venture all the way to South Africa for the opportunity.
I had always spoken of diving with sharks to my father, who lived vicariously through my underwater adventures. As I was collected by the van at 5:30am, still dark outside, I prayed as hard as I could that my dad would be watching me, because I knew that he’d be smiling from ear to ear!
As the boat leaves shore, I find myself staring intently at the specially designed steel cage that I will soon be inside of, wondering if I’d maybe lost my mind. I’m not nervous, but in a moment of extreme clarity, I realize that what I’m about to do is definitely not normal.
Boating into the wide-open seas is never quite as fun as you might imagine, especially on this unsettled day. Every few seconds, the boat leapt up into the air as it ascended the surf, then came pounding back down; lifting me off of my seat and slamming me onto the hard, wooden bench. It’s best to eat a light, friendly breakfast before starting out, because make no mistake- you WILL be parting company with anything in your stomach along the way!
After we anchor, the dive master and shark handlers begin to chum the waters- tossing in blood, mashed liver, and huge fish heads that are tied to a rope, allowing the oily scent to trickle into the current and alert our finned friends of a free lunch. We also place a small, dark foam seal decoy on the surface of the water, hoping that the sharks see it from below and thinks that our fake seal is injured.
Requiring some patience, we sit for a long, LONG time, while more and more people barf from seasickness. Stillness falls upon the boat, as folks have taken to lying on benches to soak up the sun onto their ashen faces. And then, out of nowhere, and without any warning whatsoever, a massive Great White Shark came leaping out from the water, knocking the foam seal 30 feet into the air! It was SO cool!
The calm quickly shifted to chaos, as everyone rushed to the stern, grabbing their cameras along the way. An enormous and unmistakable dark shadow looms toward us, flashing its iconic fin. Then, the huge shark circled the food we had set out and took the bait; latching on with its, powerful jaws. As it did, the handlers pulled on the rope, bringing the shark and its wide-toothed mouth right to the surface, and alongside of the boat! Woah! What a sight!
Alright. Time to get into that cage! Naturally, I’m one of the very first volunteers. After all- I didn’t come all this way for nothing!
With my adrenalin kicking, I pull on a thick 7mm wetsuit, gear up, and jump into the cage which is submerged with its opening at the surface. The water is freezing!!! I can hardly breathe as the combination of excitement and cold seems too much for my lungs at once! But without a second to think, I see the shark coming my way, so I take a deep gulp from my regulator and swim below the surface- just in time to watch the 15 ft. great white pass gracefully by my cage, and stare at me with its black, coal-like eyes! I’m sure my own eyes were as wide as saucers, but I allowed myself to take in the moment and stare right back! Oh. My. G-d!
I stay in the cage as long as I can, being churned around mercilessly in the icy, cold basket, much like a washing machine on the spin cycle. Eventually, I climb out to give someone else a turn, and watch from the boat- a far more pleasant experience, if you want to know the truth.
By now, several sharks had come into the area, having also smelled the blood. Even a whale turned up! Our lunch party was quite the event! After 5 hours at sea, we head back to shore, I inhale several bowls of hot soup to defrost my insides and I take a well-deserved nap on the two-hour drive home. Good times!
I spend the rest of my time relaxing, hanging out with my new friends, and going wine tasting (South Africa has some superb wines!). I also visit some historic museums and take a township tour, so that I can learn more about the lives of millions of South Africans who live in shanty villages made of scrap metal and cardboard. It’s a fascinating country, and I secretly wished I could stay just a little longer, but it is time for me to head to my next destination: Madagascar.