Great White Sharks

 
Great White Sharks are one of the finest predators this world has ever seen and have always been a source of fascination for so many. South Africa is one of the best countries to see them.

Now, I don’t think I would be alone in saying that the film ‘Jaws’ had a profound effect on me when I first watched it as a child. So during the two encounters with these animals that I have now had whilst in South Africa, the phrase “We’re gonna need a bigger boat...” was definitely one that sprang to mind. Although this time it was rephrased as a question – “Are you sure we won’t need a bigger boat...?!!”

Cage-diving was the first of these encounters. The way it works, they start by ‘chumming’ from the back of the boat. This is where they mix a bucket full of bloody sardines (or some other such small fish) with sea water and regularly tip a bit of this over the side to create a stream flowing from the back of the boat. The particles of blood in the water attract the sharks. Once they have attracted a few into the vicinity, this is when they lower the cage into the water along one side of the boat. This was a long, thin cage wide enough to be able to fit seven people in side by side. Kitted out in a wetsuit and a mask, climbing into the cage there is a rail on which you stand and one to which you hold onto. Standing at the back of the boat, the Captain has a few tuna heads tied to the end of a rope. He throws this into the water, gradually pulling it towards the front of the cage. As the sharks snatch at this bait, you see them in full feeding mode right before your eyes. As the sharks draw nearer, the Captain yells “Down, down! To your front!” or “Down, down! To your left!” You take a deep breath and dip your head underwater.

If you go cage-diving around July, the visibility in the water could be as good as 10 to 15metres. At that time of year, you’d be able to see the sharks swimming quite a way off, and obviously have more warning of when they are approaching the cage. Going in January as I did, the visibility at the time was only 1 to 1.5metres. This meant that you had no time to prepare yourself for seeing a shark close-up. One second you can’t see anything, the next the biting jaws of a Great White are flashing a foot in front of your face! Holy shit!!
Needless to say, it was quite a thrill.

Now my second encounter with these amazing animals was when I went to visit the Great White Conservation Program that GVI sends volunteers on. When we went out on the boat with them, I had the opportunity to try out the ‘tuna head on a rope’ task. You are not supposed to let the sharks eat the tuna, but being unpractised in this art it is easy to underestimate how quick the sharks are when they properly go for it. On one occasion I was too slow. The shark latched onto the tuna. Then there was one of those moments that seem to happen in slow-motion. This was when I realised that I had a Great White Shark biting onto the end of the rope I was holding. Again...holy shit! At first not wanting to let go, as if who came away with the tuna had become a contest, my colleague quickly pointed out that there is no point wrestling with a Great White – quite right.

First note to self: ‘Choose one’s battles wisely’.

Second note to self: ‘Learning to surf in shark-infested waters is now even less appealing’.

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Cage-diving with Great Whites is a bit of a contentious issue in regards to disturbing these creatures in their natural habitat. Attracting them to the boats with the lure of food so that a profit can be made from them can be considered exploitative. This is an issue regarding tourism and its interaction with wildlife that always comes up. I am not going to go into this whole argument here. Suffice to say that I am aware of it, and in fact the Great White Shark Conservation Program does regularly monitor the cage-boat operators nearby. Investigating their impact is one of the program’s current research topics.