Great White Shark Diving

Part 6 of our South African Road Trip Journals

The next day we had a really early start. I’m talking the crack of doom kind of early. But for a good cause… off to the White Shark Africa experience. Yes Great White Shark diving, you heard it right the first time…

For years I would tell anyone and everyone that would listen that I most adamantly and categorically will never climb into any kind of cage surrounded by Great White Sharks. To do so I would be off my ~~bleeping~~ rocker.

I woke up one day and had the most amazing epiphany… Life is about experiences and in order to truly live one has to experience what the world has to offer regardless of fear. It was time that I take off the comfort zone shackles and do something that would definitely “wake me up”.

And boy did it.

We got there on time and nerves were crazy while we tried to eat breakfast listening to the rules and regulations to which we were listening really well … just in case you know… yip.

I found myself being eternally grateful that I had an out. White Shark Africa makes anyone who goes on their boat pay the same price regardless of whether they were going to dive or not. This took a lot of pressure off those who were still in two minds and wanted to check out the lay of the land before they decided to take the literal plunge into the shark infested waters. Some decided to chill on board and watch the activities while others who were out right not going in at the start of the journey decided why the heck not and did it! I digress…

After breakfast we headed out to the boat and went on our “merry” way to the seal island that’s close to the shore. So close to the shore that I felt like shouting at the swimmers on the beach to get out of the ~~bleeping~~ water. Seriously they were swimming in shark infested waters without a care in the world. They weren’t wine induced either it was before 9am!

Once we had anchored the guys threw out some fresh tuna to entice the sharks a little closer. After a short time the sharks started to circle the boat and it was time for us to get suited up and into the cage. 6 at a time and for about 30 minutes each ducking and diving, holding your breath, coming up for air and exclaiming “Holy cow that was close”.

Our group was the last to take the plunge into the 16C water.

If I didn’t feel alive for the fact that I was now in the water with Great White Sharks then the water definitely helped wake up the good ol’ senses.

Can I just say holy ~~crap~~?

Thank God for GoPro because I think with my adrenaline pumping at full speed I may have missed just how close these amazing creatures came to the cage, or how big their mouths are… or the many teeth they have. I can attest they have a lot as they seem to be very curious creatures who have an intense need to investigate the cage with their mouths. Only curious though, we are not so tasty for them.

Overall it was a beyond incredible experience that I would do again in a heart beat sans the seasickness. I recommend if you do suspect you may be seasick to take those magic white pills well in advance unlike bravo me who thought I wouldn’t get one little lick of it.

Kudo’s to White Shark Africa, they went out of their way to explain the process, safety and info gems about the sharks nature, habitat and more.

Great White Shark diving was by far the most expensive adventure we had on the trip at $140 per person along with the essential purchase of the GoPro (thank you Black Friday!) but well worth it as it goes down in my book as an “Experience of a lifetime” and one thing off my Bucket List!

The only thing I would do different next time round is to have the Chest Harness for the GoPro so I could enjoy the experience more with less stress of trying to remember to keep the camera under the water!