Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Wednesday 5th of August 2015 and they called me at 6 o'clock. I had changed the wake up call to 06:45 yesterday evening as they won't come to pick me up until 07:40. I have asked them to have my smoked salmon and avocado ready at Rustic quarter past 7.

I had a pot of tea with my smoked salmon and avocado. I was back in the reception to pick up my bag and the van came to pick me up. We took off towards Gansbaai and we expect to be there in two hours. We drove towards the East yesterday and we had a beautiful landscape. Today we will drive South towards Cape Agulhas, The southern most point of Africa and I was full of hope for an equally beautiful landscape.

We were 9 passengers in the van and we stopped to pick up two more at a hotel at the waterfront before we left Cape Town. The van was a disappointment, black windows and they were low and it was not so easy to see out. But the diver gave me a good seat so I had room for my legs.

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Almost like Thailand, just put something in the rear-view mirror and you will have good luck on the road

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We stop for a break halfway

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We stop for a break halfway

We make a stop halfway and I talk with my fellow passengers. A couple from Texas, a family of 6 from Manila and the last two girls we picked up from Australia. And of course, our Driver and the “Shark fighter” from Skåne.

The Dad from Manila had done this before and he was not going down in the cage, he said it was better to watch from the boat. I could understand this, I had no underwater camera. And even with Cage Diving with sharksthe underwater camera I could imagine that here were more action watching from the boat.

But as I had bragged about “swimming” with the sharks I had to go in to the water. Several people had ensured me that they had a dry suit for me so this way out was not an option.

Well, I did for sure not be the one who DIDN'T went down in the cage. So cage it is if they have a dry suit for me as it is cold in the water.

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We continue towards Gansbaai and the Great White Sharks

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We arrives to the Great White Shark Tours in Gansbaai

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our driver have to give directions

We arrive to Great White Shark Tours in Gansbaai and we go in to their office. It is mostly a restaurant and there were some breakfast that I skipped. We had to register and we watched a Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africasafety/ info video

When we were ready we went outside and they showed how the cage was working. Notes everywhere NOT TO TOUCH the sharks and not to stick out any hands outside the cage.

Before we left Great White Shark Tours office they had told us do NOT TO TOUCH the sharks more times than I remembered. Seriously, who the f....

Well, I can imagine people trying to pet the Great White Shark. They are literally just a few cm away from you. And we have all met them, the crazy ones. Like the dad driving through a Scooby Doo safari in Sweden with his two children. What was he thinking about when he left the car (Thousands of signs saying DON'T LEAVE THE CAR) got eaten by lions while his children were watching from the back seat.

We walked down to the marina 2 minutes away and we boarded the boat that was going to take us to the Shark Valley. Shark Alley is what they call the area between two small islets and one of them are full of seals that the sharks like to eat.

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Interesting information from http://www.sharkcagediving.net Their web page is well worth a visit

How sharks see humans
From http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/shark-attack.htm

Actually, that why they attack humans, we look like seals when the sharks are under us in the Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africadeep. Well, they told me that they don't like humans as they don’t have enough “blubber”. They are usually spitting us out again, after having chewing us to pieces.

Well, I was about to give them another argument. If you have ever tried to chew on a dry suit you understand why they spit us out again. But I never said anything.

So we boarded the boat, most of the passengers went up on top deck, but I was staying on the bottom deck. Less movement and I might spot something worth taking a picture of. And talking about pictures, the Canon 70 to 200mm lens, an excellent lens but totally useless for me.

What a waste of money and I will try to see if they want to buy it back when I come back home. 70mm and I always have to step back to take a picture of something, and step back again and again. My 28 t 300mm is much much better even if it is with a minimum 3,5 aperture. The 70 to 200 have 2,8. Well, it was good during the game drive but otherwise I cannot use it for anything and I have my small Canon Power shot G16i in my pocket all the time.

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa


Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our boat

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our boat

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our Videographer is making a DVD that I will buy and you will soon be able to see it here
Our driver told me it was possible to rent underwater camera but it turned out to be false information

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our Videographer is making a DVD that I will buy and you will soon be able to see it here

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Heavy swell leaving Gansbaai behind bound for our shark adventure

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Heavy swell leaving Gansbaai behind bound for our shark adventure

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Leaving Gansbaai behind bound for our shark adventure

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We have a new friend

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Preparing the ‘Chum’ mixture that will get all the sharks to come to us
After dropping anchor, we begin attracting Great Whites with a specially- formulated ‘Chum’ mixture, made from completely
legal ingredients, which has taken Brian years to perfect, & is a highly-guarded trade secret. Sharks are seen 99.9% of our trips!

(MANDATE AGAINST THE USE OF SHARK PRODUCTS - Great White Shark Tours cc do not feed the sharks
nor use any part of a shark product in their ‘secret chum mixture’ and have signed a mandate to this effect.)

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our ‘Chum’ Master

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The birds loves our ‘Chum’ Master

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The birds loves our ‘Chum’ Master

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
It looked very nice, almost like the birds stood on the water eating

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
It looked very nice, almost like the birds stood on the water eating

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
We have the dummy seal, a fish head and the ‘Chum’ mix

How sharks see humans

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Our dummy seal

We leave Gansbaai behind and it is pretty heavy swell but our boat makes good speed and as the boat is kind of small the swell don't affect us. But the water spray affected us, or at least me and my camera sitting in the back.

But it was a nice ride and I saw a few dolphins playing in the swell on the way to Shark Alley. It was about 15 minutes before we slowed down and stopped in the Shark Alley. And we were lucky today, we were sheltered between the two small islands and the boat didn't moved very Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africamuch. The crew started to prepare the mix that will attract the sharks. They also threw in a dummy seal made of rubber and a fish head hanging in a float.

They told us it was usually taking 20 minutes to one hour before the first shark came to check out the rubber seal and the fish head.

Today it was quick and we were soon having the first shark “sniffing” on the fish head. We can be 8 people in the cage at the same time and the staff asked who wanted to go in the cage first. Well, I didn't wanted to stick out so I kept a low profile.

My plan was to go with the second round. 8 people off the boat and as I could sense that it would be problem to get in to the diving suit I would most likely appreciate the extra space.

While the first 8 people we watched the shark while the staff pulled the fish head in close to the cage and the shark followed the bait. It was easy to understand that we could come very close to the shark. The shark would swim against the cage and even try to bite the cage.

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark try to get the fish head

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark goes for the dummy seal
Great White Shark

(Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a species of large lamniform shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. The great white shark is mainly known for its size, with mature individuals growing up to 6.4 m (21 ft) in length (although reports have been published of great white sharks measuring over 8 m (26 ft), and 3,324 kg (7,328 lb) in weight).

This shark reaches its maturity around 15 years of age and was previously believed to have a life span of over 30 years. The true lifespan of great white sharks is far longer, now estimated to be as long as 70 years or more, making it one of the longest lived cartilaginous fish currently known. Male great white sharks take 26 years to reach sexual maturity, while the females take 33 years to be ready to produce offspring. Great white sharks can accelerate to over 56 km/h (35 mph).

The great white shark has no natural predators other than the killer whale. The great white shark is arguably the world's largest known extant macropredatory fish, and is one of the primary predators of marine mammals. It is also known to prey upon a variety of other marine animals, including fish and seabirds. It is the only known surviving species of its genus Carcharodon, and is ranked first in having the most recorded attacks on humans. The IUCN list the great white shark as a vulnerable species, while it is included in Appendix II of CITES.

The bestselling novel Jaws by Peter Benchley and the subsequent blockbuster film by Steven Spielberg depicted the great white shark as a "ferocious man eater". Humans are not the preferred prey of the great white shark, but, nevertheless, the great white is responsible for the largest number of reported and identified fatal unprovoked shark attacks on humans.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark chase the fish head

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
He pulls up the fish head over the cage and the shark is just a few cm away from your head
And yes, then it is possible to pet the shark

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark is in the cage
Darn! Why did I waste almost 2600 US Dollars on a 70 to 200mm lens. Useless here!

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
First group enter the cage

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st What the FOOCK is this? PLEASE! Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st

The first group was in the cage and it didn't took me long to realise that you would get a much better view from up here on the boat. But as I had bragged about swimming with the Human balloonshark there was no way out. Only excuse would be if they didn't had any diving suit fitting me.

But one of the jolly crew members ran away and he came with a diving suit with so many Xes that I don't remember how many they were. A little help and I was soon really looking like the human balloon.

I got seasick in the darn diving suit. It was not comfortable to wear the darn thing. But as I had decided to try “ON LINE DATING” and I need a fresh picture and I had a guy in the crew to take my picture. Now the girls will fall in love head over heels.

Yeah, the picture should actually have been burnt with the witches. Well, they gave up that practice hundreds of years ago. At least in the civilized world.


Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
Heavy swell

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark manage to catch the fish head

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark don't give up on the fish head

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark really fight for the fish head
Now it is easy to understand why it is better to be ON the boat. Now they see foock all down in the cage because of all the air bubbles. This is easy to understand, but it is hard to understand that I could be so stupid to buy the 70 to 200 mm lens

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa

Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africa
The shark had really been fighting for the fish head and now the shark got the fish head
Pictures by Aladdin



Everyone had been in the cage and they asked if someone wanted to go for a second time. A few wanted to go. I was already out of my diving suit, maybe the best of the whole trip, to get out of the suit.

It was cold in the water but I was soon used to the water and it was nice, except for the hands that was not covered. I had a shark biting the cage just a few cm from me and I held out my hand stand-by because I thought he was going to lose a teeth and that would have been a nice souvenir.

We had 9 or 10 sharks and the biggest shark was a female. But they were all around 4 to 5 meters long and it was big fishes. I made a mental note while in the cage, ALWAYS HAVE A UNDERWATER CAMERA IN THE LUGGAGE. You never know where you end up.

Anyway, when everyone had have enough we left the place and I had experienced yet another thing that I can recommend highly. If you ever come here this is the thing to do! Anyway, we went to Cape Fur Seallook at the reason for the Great White Sharks to be here.

The Shark Alley is the area between the Dyer Island and a rock called the Geyser Rock. Dyer Island is a protected bird sanctuary and used to house a large colony of African Penguins.

Next to Dyer Island we have the Geyser Rock where a colony of Cape Fur Seals breed. The strip of sea between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock is called the Shark Alley as all the seals feeding here are a great food source to the sharks. During our winter months (May - August), the alley is particularly a hub of activity when many young seal pups end up as easy, juicy shark meals.

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal
There are so many seals so it is hard to see the rock

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Fur Seal
We are back ashore again after an amazing adventure

Cape Fur Seal
Getting off the boat

I have never seen so many seals before. It was hard to see the rock they were staying on. So it is easy to understand why the sharks like the place. We checked out the place and then we sat Cage diving with the Great White Shark in South Africacourse towards Gansbaai. Back at Great White Shark Tours office they served soup, bean soup so I had a few rolls instead.

I had to wait a few minutes before my DVD was ready and, well, free coffee and soup so people was spending a lot of time there. I just wanted to get back to Cape Town so I could go to a proper restaurant with the more interesting “fine dining” option.

I got my DVD and then it was waiting and I was back in to Great White Shark Tours office to see if I could speed things up. There must be limits to how long you can stretch the free coffee.

Cape Fur Seal
Finally on the road back to Cape Town

Table Mountain
Back in Cape Town and we see the Table Mountain

Cape Town traffic
Back in Cape Town and we run in to some traffic

I think I felt asleep on the way back to Cape Town, well most of the other passengers were sleeping. I got off at my hotel and I went in to Rustic.
- Hello Mr. Smoked salmon and avocado

I asked for open salmon ravioli and a plate of smoked salmon and avocado. I was surprised when they brought the ravioli. Well, turned out that they didn't understood the smoked salmon and Avocadoavocado. New waiter, at least I had never seen him before. He was back with the owner. I repeated the smoked salmon and avocado and he was back with avocado and sushi salmon.

I got suspected already when he brought soya sauce. I told him that it was OK with salt only. I brought the raw salmon with avocado.
- What is this?
- What did you want?
- Smoked salmon and avocado
The owner and the Waiter explained that they didn't had that on the menu. I told them that I had been here having at least 15 plates of smoked salmon and avocado.
- And the bar tenders greeted me with Mr. smoked salmon and avocado

I had only planned for a snacks here and then to have dinner at V & A Waterfront. But as soon as they got their act together I had several plates of smoked salmon and avocado. So I only went to Pick n Pay at the waterfront to replenish my diet drink store.

E-mail from the Chief Engineer, no berthing before Saturday and I went to book my room for two other nights. The Cape Royale Luxury Hotel was full and I called our Agent and he booked me at Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge and I will come closer to the Pick n Pay supermarket at the Waterfront.

I called the company that brought me to the game reserve and I booked a private car and driver for a full day tomorrow. Going for whale watching. That will be my last tour, I brushed my teeth and I discovered that I looked like I had been in a fight.

Black eyes from lack of sleep. Up early every day for adventures, fun but I'm tired. Anyway, you just need to click HERE to find out if we will spot any whales.

       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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