YO!
There was so much happening. My heart was pounding. My body was freezing and going numb. Adrenaline pumping. I was trying to find the bar to put my hands inside the cage. I was trying to get used to being in the cage. 7 of my newest shark bait friends were shouting expletives that became noise. I made sure my goggles fit perfectly. I was trying to not freak out. I was about to have one of the most feared animals in the world swim close enough to me to smell my pee.
"Down diver, down!"
I'm in the middle of 3 months of travel on three different continents. and was looking for my next adventure. I'd heard about shark cage diving. Basically, it's a reverse zoo. The humans get in the cage and the wild sharks get to come up as close as they want to. How's that for irony? I couldn't wait!
I was in Kleinbaai (Little Bay) with Dyer Island in the distance. This is where the BBC, Discovery and others come, the best place in the world, to view great white sharks. The chum was in the water. So was I as I jumped at the chance to go with the first group of the day in the cage. Decked out in a full wetsuit and boots for the balmy 13 degree (that's 55 Fahrenheit) water, I was ready.
"Down diver, down!"
I took a big breath and pushed myself down in the cage. Right in front of me was a "Holy crap that shark is huge and headed straight for me!" great white shark. Exhilarating! I could see everything so clearly. The fins. Scars on it's body. Gills. Eyes. Teeth. Man, those teeth. I came up out of the water and started shouting something I don't remember that was a mix between awe, awesome and excitement.
I cannot even begin to tell you how great shark cage diving is. At one point, a shark passed so close to me in the water I could have poked it's eye ball. I didn't, because I like my fingers :) This is one of the coolest adventures I've ever had. Definitely worth the money. I even went back a second day to do it again. I give it a 10 out of 10. How often do you get a chance to watch an animal like that up close in it's natural habitat (while not having to fear dying)? Go big or go home is what they say. I went big and it was awesome!
On to the next adventure,
CT
