Shark Cage Diving

Today I went shark cage diving. Woke up at 4:30 am to get picked up by a bus and driven to Gansbaai, a bay SE of Cape Town. The company we booked with was called White Shark Projects and for around $180 including transport they did an excellent job. They provided a complete breakfast and by 7:30 we were on the boat heading to a bay where white sharks are most frequently seen. After 4 or 5 spashes of chum hit the water, there were 4 sharks circling our boat as we were the first and only boat out at the time.

I volunteered our group to go first so we threw on some wet suits with hoods and booties for the 11 C water. A group of 5 people at a time climb into a cage that is attached to the side of the boat and is 2/3 submerged in water. You hold onto bars on the inside of the cage (so as not to lose fingers) and when the shark spotter/tuna head thrower yells "down, down" you pull yourself under water and hook your toes under another bar attached to the bottom of the cage. You are equipped with a mask and when the shark gets close you hold your breath to view underwater.

The cage was 3 meters long, and this big boy was estimated to be around 4 meters. At one point while my group was in the cage it grabbed the tuna head attached to the chum line, tried to dodge the cage to the right and slammed into it with its body. Then to break the tuna free from the line it thrashed up against the cage. I'd say that was the moment where I decided the $180 was well worth it.

We ended up getting in the cage twice during our 3 hours on the water. As other shark cage diving boats entered the area we pulled anchor and headed out.

Clearly everyone had a great time and even went home with all limbs in tact.